Phone Dialer Mystery

[firstpancake]

Hi everyone!
I got lucky on ebay chasing a wahl-eversharp desk pen and I wound up with a lot that contained a sheaffer's phone dialer pen.
At first, I thought it was some buggered and broken deskpen/franken pen, but after some research, I discovered it was a phone dialer!

From what I have read, it says these were in production around the 1930's. However, the patent dates on mine say Aug.25.08, Dec 10.12-Jun.27-Oct.20 Nov.24.14. Were phone dialers even in production at this time? Were there even telephones in production at this time?

This is probably the most obscure pen I've come across, and if this is a whole pen with the correct dates, then it is also the oldest. I can't believe this thing I have has seen the start and finish of both world wars and the great depression. Just amazing. The cap, as you can see, is totally separated from it's lip. I currently have a replacement balance cap for it, but it is also in not-so-great shape. The 'S' on the clip has been completely rubbed of. I'd love to restore this pen so if anyone has a lead on a cap that is in better shape, please let me know!

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[whych]

The patent dates are for the pen filling mechanism, not the pen design.

[Roger W.]

As I stated on FPN this is a Sheaffer short quill from circa 1930. There is little evidence that these were actually used for telephone dialing though the myth is widespread.

Roger W.

[firstpancake]

As I stated on FPN this is a Sheaffer short quill from circa 1930. There is little evidence that these were actually used for telephone dialing though the myth is widespread.

Roger W.

thank you, Roger!
Would you happen to know what the short quill was designed for? and why they decided to use this hard rubber material instead of a matching radite or celluloid (or whatever plastic the pen body is)?

[Roger W.]

The short quill we have some idea what it was for in 1928 when it was applied to a flattop ring top pen. In that case it was to add length to make the pen sit better in the hand. Most so called dialers are a bit pointy to actually use as dialers with most true dialers having a larger ball end to fit in the dial. You seldom see these "dialers" with any wear to suggest that they were ever used as dialers - I've heard of a few but the vast majority never show that they were used as "dialers" at all. The majority of short quills are made of hard rubber with other examples having been made in matching or black (which could be matching) radite.

Roger W.