Wilrite Gold-filled all-metal pen

[Johnny Appleseed]

I recently picked up a sweet little pen from the Wilrite Pen Company. It is an all-metal (brass?) body with 1/40th 14k gold-filled finish (I don't think this is technically an overlay, since there is no hard-rubber body underneath). The nib is "Warranted 14ct" with decent flex. It's a very nice little writer.

 

The only info I could find on Wilrite is from a post at Lion and Pen - they apparently incorporated in 1925 and went under sometime in the late 20s or early 30s, and they did not actually manufacture any parts, just assembled parts from various manufacturers (a common practise of many 2nd. tier companies at the time, I believe).

 

The nib is interesting in that it says 14ct as opposed to 14k. 14K would be the common designation for a US manufacturer, and the imprint on the body says "1/40 - 14K" and "Pat. Pend". 14ct. is a more common UK term. I purchased the pen from a Canadian seller - so I imagine it could have been a nib imprinted for export to Canada and the UK, or it could have been a replacement nib. It seems unlikely that a company would have nibs imprinted for export, but not imprinted with their name, so I suspect a replacement.

 

At $19 (including shipping) it's not quite a Sumgai, but a good deal.

 

If anyone has more information about Wilrite, please share.

 

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/laridae/Wilwrite-fullview.jpg

 

(and you would not believe how many times I had to write that without only one "L" in Wilrite).

 

 

John

[antoniosz]

I recently picked up a sweet little pen from the Wilrite Pen Company. It is an all-metal (brass?) body with 1/40th 14k gold-filled finish (I don't think this is technically an overlay, since there is no hard-rubber body underneath). The nib is "Warranted 14ct" with decent flex. It's a very nice little writer.

 

The only info I could find on Wilrite is from a post at Lion and Pen - they apparently incorporated in 1925 and went under sometime in the late 20s or early 30s, and they did not actually manufacture any parts, just assembled parts from various manufacturers (a common practise of many 2nd. tier companies at the time, I believe).

 

The nib is interesting in that it says 14ct as opposed to 14k. 14K would be the common designation for a US manufacturer, and the imprint on the body says "1/40 - 14K" and "Pat. Pend". 14ct. is a more common UK term. I purchased the pen from a Canadian seller - so I imagine it could have been a nib imprinted for export to Canada and the UK, or it could have been a replacement nib. It seems unlikely that a company would have nibs imprinted for export, but not imprinted with their name, so I suspect a replacement.

 

At $19 (including shipping) it's not quite a Sumgai, but a good deal.

 

If anyone has more information about Wilrite, please share.

 

(and you would not believe how many times I had to write that without only one "L" in Wilrite).

 

 

John

I think your pen was manufactured in Boston or its vicinity. The end of the barrel and the feed seem very similar to similar gold filled pens from that area. Nib is probably from another pen. I am sure the lion and pen gurus will provide much more authoritative information. I love these n-tier pens with flex nibs Enjoy.

Edited December 31, 2005 by antoniosz

[Maja]

Hi John,

Sorry I don't have any info on the company to add, but I love all-metal pens! Your Wil-Rite was a very good deal. Enjoy!!

[Karin]

I also have a Wilrite gold pen with a wet noodle nib. It was given to me as a gift. Lately, I've been using modern pens almost exclusively but I still love to look at my vintage pens. I can't imagine selling them. I guess it's the history and mystery of who wrote with these pens and what tales they might have told.

 

A very happy and healthy New Year to all FPNers' and their families.

 

 

Kind regards,

Karin

[Johnny Appleseed]

I think your pen was manufactured in Boston or its vicinity. The end of the barrel and the feed seem very similar to similar gold filled pens from that area.

 

Wilrite itself was based in New York, but as they assembled parts from other manufacturers they could certainly have used Boston-made parts.

 

My only info on these pens comes from a post on Lion and Pen by "Stan", which I will go ahead and quote here.

One of the companies I research is the Wilrite Pen Company of New York. They incorporated in 1925 and went under in the late 1920s or early 1930s.

 

They were jobbers who bought extra stockand parts for assembly from other pen companies. They even sold their own brand of pencil lead for awhile.

 

Most of their pens from the 1920s are very good quality. As the Depression took hold of America, they started selling low quality celluloid pens that were often Wearever leftovers.

 

Their pre-Depression pens are very collectable, especially thier overlays.

 

So far no new info from L&P, but George K. is deep in a major project of cataloging every pen design pattern in the US patent office records, so he has not been posting much.

 

 

Karin - thanks for the info. Do post a picture if you get a chance!

 

John

Edited January 3, 2006 by Johnny Appleseed

[Johnny Appleseed]

Well, L&P came through with a long post from Stanley Klemanowicz which you can read here.

 

Among the highlights - they may have bought up the last of the AA Waterman stock after it went under, and they were across the street from the Eclipse company headquarters.

 

John

[Mojibacha]

Hello, I recently came across an ad asking for $70 for this exact same pen. The user lists it as a semi-flex to a flex pen, and I wondering if anyone had any thoughts about it? This would be the first time I'm purchasing a vintage pen (from reddit of all places; a "credited" user in my defense.) Is it worth the money?

[bsenn]

I recently picked up this pen and pencil. As shown in the photo, the box shows Wilrite. The pen has absolutely no markings except WARRANTED 14KT on the nib. The pencil is an Eclipse (note the comment above where it mentions Wilrite was in proximity to the Eclipse factory). The pattern on the barrels of the pen and pencil are very similar, though not exactly the same. The clips appear to be exactly the same in dimension, shape, and construction.  I have no idea if the pen may be a Wilrite, but I thought I'd add to this thread.

 

[GlenV]

That is pretty, can you show a picture of the feed? It sure is hard to say who made an unbranded pen from the 20's.