FS: Chilton Wing-Flow
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Condition (n.b.): All pens listed below have been disassembled, cleaned and restored with new sacs installed in the last couple months. Each is guaranteed to fill and write as designed without leaks or other problems. Nibs have been adjusted when necessary to ensure that all lay down a smooth and consistent line.
Line Widths and Writing Samples: To provide buyers with as much information as possible, I have started to adopt the following line width standards: XXF (.1-.2mm); XF (approx .3mm); F (approx .4mm); M (approx .6mm); B (approx .8mm). Nib flexibility is determined by variation (max line width under pressure) and softness (amount of pressure). Flexibility designations based on variation generally run as follows for an XF/F nib: Semi-Flex (approx. 1mm); Flex (1.2-1.9mm); Superflex (>2mm). All line width measurements are taken with a digital caliper but should be considered approximations providing a general guide. Width may vary slightly depending on type of ink and paper used as well as amount of pressure applied. All writing samples are on Rhodia dot paper using Waterman Serenity Blue.
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4. 1935-8 Chilton Wing Flow (Burgundy, celluloid, GFT, Pneumatic Filler, 14k XF Flex nib). This is the full-sized model, measuring 5 1/16" The Wing Flow was introduced in 1935 as Chilton's premier model once the company moved from Boston to Long Island. It's one of those pens, like the Eversharp Coronet, that is prized as a paragon of the Art Deco aesthetic. A feature unique to this celluloid pen are the inlaid decorative elements, which were either gold-filled (as in this example) or white gold. By virtue of this manufacturing technique and for an added cost, customers were given a custom-made option of having their initials integrated into the body of the pen. This is one such example, bearing the initials "SOW." The pneumatic filler in this pen is filled by extending pulling blind cap to extend the pump (nt. it's only partially extended in the detail photo to fit in the frame). When one places a finger over the hole at the end of the barrel and pushes the blind cap back down, the pressure inside deflates the sac. One then submerses the nib and releases one’s finger to fill the pen with one hand. The filling process is similar that of certain modern Edison pens, which borrow from Chilton's original design. If you scroll down to "pneumatic filler" on this page you will find an animation illustrating the process : https://edisonpen.com/filling-systems/ (Though I've found it more convenient in my experience to make submersion of the nib the 4th step instead of the 2nd as they have it). Compared to other top tier pen makers, Chilton was a very small operation. As a result, they were known to use parts from other models when these were in short supply. So while one would expect this pen to be outfitted with a Wing Flow nib, I learned from an old thread here that some models could have left the factory with nibs like this one, which is simply marked "Chilton Pen." That 14k Flexible nib lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.7mm) under moderate pressure (see writing sample above). Fine hairlines, strong snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex.
Condition: NO CRACKS, CHIPS, LOOSE OR MISSING PARTS, BENT/MISALIGNED TINES, OR THREADING ISSUES. Gold-filled furniture is free of conspicuous brassing but under a loupe I can see a hairsbreadth sliver down the spine of the clip toward the top and slivers on the edges of some of the letters on the barrel. Celluloid has a smooth, lustrous surface with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Manufacturer imprint on the blind cap is deep and fully legible.
Price: [s]$225 $225 SOLD
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Shipping: In accordance with the social distancing protocols brought on by the pandemic, I will be making only one trip to the post office each week. This will be on Tuesday afternoon. For pens purchased over the weekend, this means that your pen(s) will be mailed on the usual day. But it does delay the shipment of pens purchased between Tuesday afternoon and Friday until the following Tuesday. All pens that do not come with their original boxes are packaged in thick PVC tubes to protect them in transit. To CONUS locations the following shipping options are available:
USPS First-Class with tracking for $5
USPS Priority with tracking for $8
International Customers: Please contact me for shipping quote if located abroad (delivery confirmation required). Please do not ask me to commit mail fraud by altering the declared value of a pen for customs.
Order, Payment, & Guarantee: Pens are placed on hold for the first person to reply PM me with firm request to purchase. If I haven't received Paypal payment within 24 hrs after a hold is placed, then pen(s) may become available to the next person. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something objectionable or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, the buyer may contact me up to 7 days after receiving the pen for a full refund (issued once I receive the pen back in the same condition as sold). Buyer must ship the return no later than 2 weeks after it was delivered to receive a refund. I've sold pens online for well over a decade. Please check my past listings here as well as on the classifieds and historical sales forums on FPN (username: Estragon) for some of my previous offerings.
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