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View Full Version : Flea market Ideal, but which Ideal is it?



Tsuki yo
April 28th, 2014, 08:52 AM
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Found this little guy at a local "antique" market (quotes because it's a glorified flea market). The pineal is just an unadorned metal button, the cap is cracked and all the metal is badly tarnished and worn with the plating worn off in spots, but the body, lever, sac and nib were all in working condition. The nib looks to me like it may have been worked on, or perhaps just written with quite a bit. This being my first vintage gold nib, I don't really have a point of reference for what the nib should look like. But it writes, and nicely. The nib sings for me sometimes, which I find lovely.

I haven't been able to figure out exactly which model it is, the body is a pearlescent blue celluloid which unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture of due to the state of my work space. The furniture all appears to be chrome-plated brass. I thought maybe it was a Junior, but I can't find any Juniors with clips or cap bands that match my pen.

The nib is just filthy as far as I can tell. I will be giving this a good and thorough cleaning. I just couldn't wait to try writing with it.

gweddig
April 28th, 2014, 11:52 PM
Ernst will be along shortly to correct me but it looks like you found a Dauntless:
http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/?page_id=5182

Or a Stalwart, it's confusing, especially since the US versions have different names.

Usually they have nice soft nibs. Good find!

Jeph
April 29th, 2014, 04:05 AM
I can't help with your identification but I have found that a "singing" nib is due to high frequency vibration and while fun that is not something that you should actually have. There are other causes, but the easiest way to make a nib sing is to not seat it deep enough in the section to be firmly held in place. If it sings enough to splatter ink around it really should be addressed. You might find that after your restoration the singing has gone away.

Scrawler
April 29th, 2014, 05:15 AM
This appears to be an immediately post WWII model 301??. It is the successor to the pre-war model #32. The clues are the clip attachment and the lever shape. The 2A is not considered a flexible nib, though you can push it for "character". This was a low end pen, intended for mass market. When it is cleaned up and polished it will be quite pretty. This will make a very nice general purpose pocket pen and general writer.

The nib seems to be a little extended from the barrel and when it is restored will sit a little over a millimeter deeper in the section.

Tsuki yo
April 29th, 2014, 08:18 AM
Awesome info! thanks guys! I did think when I looked at it that someone had been at the nib and feed, and the sac has definitely been replaced recently (in the last year I would say). But that is all outstanding knowledge. :)