Why this pen is one of my favorites

[penwash]

Once in a long while, there are pens that just check-off a lot of checkboxes in my checklist. I've been too busy to give this pen a proper showcase. And you'll find out why this pen deserve a special one. Say 'hi' to the Belmont.

Reason #1. The right panel in the collage, the pen has a celluloid that has a pretty red marble pattern, the condition is not bad, not too pristine, but good to excellent, nothing is missing, no chips, all mechanical aspects are in tip-top shape, no unsightly blemish. The clip says: Belmont, which gives us the identity of the pen.

Reason #2. Look at the top left panel. This pen still has the white stuff that they put on the brand engraving. And the engraving is consistent with the brand, Belmont, and it gave us the historical context, this pen was sold exclusively via Rexall drugstore chain stores. Also, since this pen survived probably close to 90 years of existence, I guess it can claim that it's "NON-BREAKABLE".

Reason #3. Look at the mid-left panel, having seen and restored a lot of vintage pens, I have a high-degree of confidence that this pen was made by the Moore Pen Company. I can explain why, but not here. Being a pen that was made by a manufacturer hired by another company (Rexall in this case), typically the nib would either retain the original manufacturer's name, or the manufacturer would make a "generic" one that would say "Warranted 14K". But look, this pen has a nib that says Belmont, just like the barrel and the clip. How many vintage 14K nibs have you seen that says Belmont on it?

Reason #4. Now we arrive at the bottom-left panel. This "Belmont" nib can stand toe-to-toe with a dip nib. The line variation that it can produce is astonishing.

On their own, any of the above reasons are not that rare. But the fact that all those reasons are embodied together in one single pen, that, in my book (and I suspect in many other collector's book), put this pen high up int the totem of "collectible" pens. Plus this pen is not one of the top five popular brand, which makes it even more interesting.