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Thread: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

  1. #1
    Senior Member popcod's Avatar
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    Default Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Years ago I chanced upon a thread where people were posting photos of interesting celluloid patterns from third tier brands. Since then I've been adding them to my collection whenever one catches my eye for the right price. Stainless steel nibs, thin plating and plastics, but the patterns and colors can be truly stunning!



    1. Signet bulb filler (grey marble from Parker, Sheaffer, and Eversharp)
    2-4. Eberhard Faber Permapoint
    5. Commander
    6-7. Diamond Point (Parker Royal Challenger plastic)
    8-9. Epenco
    10. Colby
    11. marked 'A' on the clip and lever (forgot which brand this is - American?)
    12. No-name (in a pattern I've consecrated 'fish guts')

    So what are your 3rd-tier jewels?
    aka Estragon (FPN); popcodswallop (Reddit)

    WANTED: Vintage Pens with White Trim! –> Sheaffer: OS Balance w/ reverse trim (grey/red vein); Balance (grey/red fleck) | First-Yr Crest (silver cap); Canadian Balance 5-30 (roseglow, ebonized pearl, green) | Waterman: Lady Patricia (persian) | Wahl-Eversharp: Half Coronet (rhodium cap); Doric (Cathay); Skyline (SS/Sterling Cap) | Rebadged Parkers from Diamond Medal and Webster (silver web, pinstripe, etc.)

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    That Colby is beautiful...in a very particular kind of way.

    Thank you for sharing!

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    Senior Member Sammyo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    ... I now NEED to own a Eberhard Faber Permapoint... thank you...

    They are really pretty pens and I can see the allure!

    Also, BayesianPrior is so right about that Colby! amazing material.
    Does it have depth (chatoyance as the cool kids say) or is it flat?
    Sam O

    "A fountain pen with a bad nib is like a Ferrari with a flat tyre..." - Brian Gray, Edison pens

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    I have the green Eberhardt Faber Permapoint. Stunning steel nib, of great smoothness.

    I love that No Name with the "fish guts" pattern. Really beautiful.

    Superbe collection!

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Quote Originally Posted by popcod View Post
    12. No-name (in a pattern I've consecrated 'fish guts')
    And here I was thinking "autumn leaves".

    Thanks for sharing, as they say.

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Stunning indeed! Nice to see one can get great celluloid patterns in pens that don't cost a lot.

    Maybe that Colby pattern is "Bay City Roller"

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    Senior Member popcod's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Quote Originally Posted by Sammyo View Post
    Also, BayesianPrior is so right about that Colby! amazing material.
    Does it have depth (chatoyance as the cool kids say) or is it flat?
    Not so much – more or less the chatoyance of a plaid shirt . . . in polyester perhaps, lending support to kevmid's suggestion! A striking example of mid-century fashion, all the same!

    Thanks for all the kind comments, everyone. The Pemapoints feel more substantial than many of the others. Their iridium tipped, steel nibs really do rival Esterbrook's in terms of their smoothness – noted by fountainpagan. But the nickel washed(?) trim is extremely thin, tough to find clean. A great value nonetheless. And I'm not sure I've seen the particular snakeskin pattern they used on any other pens.
    aka Estragon (FPN); popcodswallop (Reddit)

    WANTED: Vintage Pens with White Trim! –> Sheaffer: OS Balance w/ reverse trim (grey/red vein); Balance (grey/red fleck) | First-Yr Crest (silver cap); Canadian Balance 5-30 (roseglow, ebonized pearl, green) | Waterman: Lady Patricia (persian) | Wahl-Eversharp: Half Coronet (rhodium cap); Doric (Cathay); Skyline (SS/Sterling Cap) | Rebadged Parkers from Diamond Medal and Webster (silver web, pinstripe, etc.)

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by popcod View Post
    12. No-name (in a pattern I've consecrated 'fish guts')
    And here I was thinking "autumn leaves".
    A more charming appellation to be sure! This plastic appears to have been used by several different 3rd/4th tier manufacturers. I've often wondered whether it was intentionally patterned or simply cobbled together from discounted scraps. I still need to clean it up, but I can already tell that this one does have a surprising depth and "chatoyance" (in the parlance of the cool kids ).
    aka Estragon (FPN); popcodswallop (Reddit)

    WANTED: Vintage Pens with White Trim! –> Sheaffer: OS Balance w/ reverse trim (grey/red vein); Balance (grey/red fleck) | First-Yr Crest (silver cap); Canadian Balance 5-30 (roseglow, ebonized pearl, green) | Waterman: Lady Patricia (persian) | Wahl-Eversharp: Half Coronet (rhodium cap); Doric (Cathay); Skyline (SS/Sterling Cap) | Rebadged Parkers from Diamond Medal and Webster (silver web, pinstripe, etc.)

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Excellent choice for a thread! I'm away from home but will try to add a group shot when I get back. For now, here's a set I picked up a couple years ago that is vibrant, and completely no-name, not a single identifying mark or characteristic.

    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    As Jon said, a great topic to discuss. Exotic Beauty is a good phrase to describe what we have here.

    It never ceases to amaze me that today we can still find excellent condition samples of pen materials that is just mesmerizing despite their age.

    Here's one I found at the pen show last weekend:



    Because the pen has no name or brand, I just call it "Fire and Coal"
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    For now, here's a set I picked up a couple years ago that is vibrant, and completely no-name, not a single identifying mark or characteristic.
    Beautiful! The quality of this set puts me in mind of a rebadged Big Four pen. The lever is nicer than the generic job on all the pens I posted and the celluloid reminds me of a Mabie Todd/Swan. What an interesting ensemble!

    penwash: that's a great variation on the grey marble theme – never seen that color combination before. Was this the Commonwealth pen show in Massachusetts? I nearly attended it for the first time, but something came up. How's the vintage selection there? Long Island is the only show I've managed to make it to, but I've been meaning to venture farther out.
    aka Estragon (FPN); popcodswallop (Reddit)

    WANTED: Vintage Pens with White Trim! –> Sheaffer: OS Balance w/ reverse trim (grey/red vein); Balance (grey/red fleck) | First-Yr Crest (silver cap); Canadian Balance 5-30 (roseglow, ebonized pearl, green) | Waterman: Lady Patricia (persian) | Wahl-Eversharp: Half Coronet (rhodium cap); Doric (Cathay); Skyline (SS/Sterling Cap) | Rebadged Parkers from Diamond Medal and Webster (silver web, pinstripe, etc.)

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Quote Originally Posted by popcod View Post
    penwash: that's a great variation on the grey marble theme – never seen that color combination before. Was this the Commonwealth pen show in Massachusetts? I nearly attended it for the first time, but something came up. How's the vintage selection there? Long Island is the only show I've managed to make it to, but I've been meaning to venture farther out.
    It's the Dallas Pen Show
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Love these pens. No names but sturdy and wonderful patterns. Have a couple myself and will post pics

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Quote Originally Posted by popcod View Post
    Years ago I chanced upon a thread where people were posting photos of interesting celluloid patterns from third tier brands. Since then I've been adding them to my collection whenever one catches my eye for the right price. Stainless steel nibs, thin plating and plastics, but the patterns and colors can be truly stunning!



    1. Signet bulb filler (grey marble from Parker, Sheaffer, and Eversharp)
    2-4. Eberhard Faber Permapoint
    5. Commander
    6-7. Diamond Point (Parker Royal Challenger plastic)
    8-9. Epenco
    10. Colby
    11. marked 'A' on the clip and lever (forgot which brand this is - American?)
    12. No-name (in a pattern I've consecrated 'fish guts')

    So what are your 3rd-tier jewels?
    I can start by adding a couple of color variants to your effort.



    Permapoint in Burgundy and a Diamond Point set in Red.

    Bob

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    Senior Member Lexaf's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    Here is a nice brandless celluloid I acquired recently from USA e-Bay seller. It was part of a large lot of parts and repair pens. This particular pen actually consisted only of a cap with a non fitting top and a barrel. I could complete it with parts I had in my repair stock. As it was a brandless pen I did not care about the Frankenpen factor. The parts just had to fit. An amazing fact was that despite the exotic colored celluloid of the pen I happened to find a top that not only fitted the cap perfectly, but was made of exactly the same exotic celluloid as this pen. So much for coincidence!
    On the 1st picture (from the seller) is the pen as it came to me, the 2nd picture is the result after some hours of tinkering.

    pen lot ebay 3b.jpg

    DSCF0127.JPG

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    Default Re: Exotic 3rd Tier Plastics

    you always find beautiful patterned pens!

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