Eversharp Skyline durability/compared to Parker 51

[Flatiron]

I'm not experienced with Eversharp but recently decided I'd like to get a Skyline. Many of the reviews I've read have complained about the quality of the plastic in the solid color models. I only buy pens I can use, and have the most experience with Parker. I keep a 51 inked for notes and diagrams, letters, and occasionally notating sheet music. I'd like to use a Skyline the same way.

My pens stay on my desk and never leave my home, but I understand that the plastic on 51s is some of the best. I don't want to accidentally break or damage a Skyline. If you have experience with both models (51 and Skyline) I'd like to hear if you think I'm being overly cautious.

[jchch1950]

Skyline pens can be of three periods. The original ones that are lever filled, then there were others made with fixed converters some decades later and the pens that you can buy new now. The first group is the more easily found in the market. My experience with the later pens is very good in quality and the after-sale service is first class. I stand to be corrected by the experts in this section who will add much more information, dates and technical evaluations.

[FarmBoy]

Skylines are undervalued and excellent pens.  A good companion to the 51.

[Flatiron]

Thanks, this is encouraging. I'm considering the models from the 40s.

[Penguincollector]

  I have both, and currently have both my Skyline and a 51 desk pen in use. The Skyline is a gorgeous writer, available in many nib widths and types. Mine is a fine flex, with a blue barrel and section, and the gold cap. While the plastic is not as robust as the 51’s Lucite, it’s not the flimsiest. I shirt pocket carry mine, or put it in a leather pen sleeve upright in my purse pocket and use it pretty regularly. It’s a nice wet writer. 

[Lam1]

In my experience, the problem with the solid color Skylines is that the plastic is very brittle and prone to break during repair if one is not very careful (sometimes, even if one is very careful). Once it is repaired, unless one plans on playing darts with them 😀, they should be reliable. If you are concerned, you can get one of the Moire colors: they are gorgeous and the plastic is very good, IMO.

 

Even though I don't like to repair Skylines, due to what I mentioned above, I much prefer them to the P51 for writing. The Skyline nibs are some of the best out there, even the stiff ones - but if you get one of the flexible ones, then it is simply wonderful.

[welch]

The Skyline wrote beautifully: delicious nib and well-balanced. They were nowhwere near as rugged as a Parker 51. I had one shatter just from rubbing it down with sunshine cloth. 

 

As a "saty on the desk" pen, they are just fine. That's where mine live. 

 

I got into Eversharps more than 15 years ago, after re-saccing a bunch of Esties, and then scavenging EBay for groups of third-tier pens. Back then, a J sold for around $20 raw, and you could find an assortment of Arnolds and such also for about $20. 

 

The Skylines were such great writers that I was hooked. The filling system looks easy, but the trick is to remember that the barrel and cap are fragile.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Skylines are good iconic pens, but they're kind of a mess structurally honestly. The plastic is very fragile, particularly compared to the nigh-indestructible Parker 51s. And their caps are a nightmare, particularly the most common variety with the gold-fill overlay. The gold fill is woefully thin (I've never seen a "mint" example of one of these), and the overlay is almost always loose (and Eversharp's fantastic official instructions for fixing it was to punch a divot into the overlay so it snags on the inner liner and rotate the clip to hide it).

 

That being said, again, they're very iconic. And Eversharp's nibs are among the best out there when it comes to vintage, particularly the ones on the Skylines. And the "moire" celluloid models that other people have mentioned don't have the above issues (but they cost a pretty penny). And they're generally a fair bit cheaper than a Parker 51 (other than the moire or rare varieties).

 

I think the Parker 51 is an objectively better and more well-built pen but it doesn't make the Skyline a "bad" pen (well... personal feelings aside). And any vintage collection worth its salt should have an example of both since they're two of the most iconic vintage pens out there. 

[jchch1950]

The fragility of the Skyline makes them risky to repair, but some have a nice combination of striped colours in the caps with solid ones in the barrels.

[gweimer1]

I love the Skyline, even though I am partial to the later Symphony.  They seem to be hit/miss on how fragile they are, but always be conscious of that when carrying them, or working on them.  I literally had one crack in half when it fell out of my pocket onto the floor, while inside a leather pouch.

[carola]

I have several Skylines from the 1940s (fully striped models and also solid barrels with striped caps, but no completely solid versions) and they are all beautiful writers while none of them seems particularly brittle. I can only recommend them.

 

On the other hand, I only own one single Parker 51 and yes, it´s nice, but do I love it as much as the Skylines? No, I clearly don´t.

[Wahlnut]

Fragility seems to be a commoin comment in these posts.  There is no doubt that people break a lot of skylines in trying to take them apart. There is also evidence that Skylines are not subject to breakage under everyday use. Repair without breakage can be achieved with A) not trying to twist the section to remove it (wiggle don't turn) and using a penetrant made for the purpose (one that will not dissolve plastic) to lubricate and get between the age-frozen together section and barrel. The plastic in these pens has usually shrunken a little and the barrel more than the section, so the barrel gets tight on the section.  The method mentioned above hel avoid breakage. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I think durability is kind of a relative thing, and in comparison to other pens of a similar age, Eversharp Skylines (at least the most common varieties) are notably more fragile than those pens. I'd rank their build quality higher than Wearevers of the same era, but less durable than virtually every other "big" name pen made in the 40's/50's. 

 

I don't think anyone's saying that they'll fall apart just from normal everyday use. But stuff happens, people drop their pens, they slip out of pockets, etc. A Parker 51 will survive a fall no problem generally. With a Skyline, that's a much more complicated question because of the type of plastic used, which has not aged nearly as well. I wouldn't "EDC" a Skyline.

 

But I admit I'm biased. I've repaired a bunch of Skylines, only really broken one, but I've learned through experience to not really like these pens. In my personal subjective opinion, I don't think they're well made. Well designed for sure (iconic, in fact), but the build quality doesn't quite live up to the design unfortunately.

 

[es9]

Skylines are iconic and objectively great pens. If you get a one that has been restored by a reputable person, you’re not likely to regret it. While I’d feel much more comfortable carrying a 51 around, it’s not like a Skyline will spontaneously combust. Treat it well and it will serve you well.
 

As others have mentioned, the risks mostly arise when restoring. I have previously needed about 2-3 unrestored skylines to get one restored one, but I have *much* less practice with them than I do with other pens. There are also lots of unrestored skylines out there; if something happens, you’re not SOL. 

[PenLovingE]

Resurrecting a dead thread. So far I have restored 6 of these pens with no cracks. I'm not sure what I'm doing differently but I love these pens. I have polished pretty aggressively with no issues. 

[FarmBoy]

You opened the toolbox drawer labeled Patience. 
 

[welch]

About fifteen years ago, when I had gotten back into fountain pens, I bought several Skylines. I had taken off a cap and had begun polishing. Just as I was about to show it off to my wife, with one stroke more, the cap shattered. Don't do like I did. I learned never to polish a Skyline cap unless it was peacefully sitting on the pen.

 

Otherwise: Skylines write beautifully. I think Eversharp wprked some magic on the nibs. Skylines were selling for $20 - $30 then, or just a shade above an Estie. Great fountain pens. 

 

And, yes, more fragile than a P-51. 

[stypen]

I love my Skylines. I have found Wahls in general to have by far the most wonderful old nibs. Depending on the nib, they write either butter smooth and firm or have the best flex that doesn't scratch or glob. The feeds on these pens are particularly good at distributing ink smoothly without leaks, etc. And they look amazing.

 

The 51 is the most durable and forgiving pen of the era, sure, but the Wahls are generally so much more fun to write with. In my experience, there are other "big name" pens that are much more trouble too. I have never had any Sheaffer that doesn't sometimes glob and have feed issues, except the snorkels, and boy those have other problems: I have three and every one has been restored at least twice by good people and within months stops taking up ink again. I guess I am saying there are different ways for pens to be finicky. With some it's the filling system, with others something else.

 

As people noted, with the Skylines it is the plastic. But they vary a lot. I have one solid body Skyline where the plastic seems supple and very un-brittle, and there is no shrinkage under the gold on the cap. I think it would survive a fall (don't want to test). I have--well had--another blue one that one day just spontaneously disintegrated. The whole pen. I barely breathed on it. It was pretty weird. So, different batches, different plastics?

 

The other issue with a lot of skylines is that the way the cap posts often is right over the lever, which can cause wear on the trim of the lever. If you like to post when you write (and with skylines, since the barrel tapers so much, you might really want to), that's something to consider.

 

Overall, if you get one where the plastic seems in good shape, it should be a joy!