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Thread: Flat tops

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    Default Flat tops

    I've taken a particular liking recently to 1920s/30s flat top pens and in particular their wild and wacky celluloid patterns.

    After adding the jade Sheaffer Flat Top here today, I thought they might all deserve a photo together. The Duofold Centennials I realize don't fit my 1920s/30s rule, but I still like them and I don't find that they look terribly out of place so I hope I can be forgiven for including them in this grouping.

    Also, I think this set is deserving of a better Decoband. The right one is decent, the left one kind of rough and with a later non-gold-seal nib. I REALLY like the Decobands in jade, but a few months of casually watching them seems to tell me that nice jades are $$$ and not so nice ones seem to have rot issues...

    _DSC5180.jpg

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    amk (September 8th, 2022), carlos.q (September 8th, 2022), Chrissy (September 7th, 2022), christof (September 7th, 2022), Deb (September 8th, 2022), INeedAFinancialAdvisor (September 7th, 2022), mizgeorge (September 7th, 2022)

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flat tops

    Also favorites of mine. Beware that there are a million rabbit holes to fall down - Danish-made Parker button-fillers, English Valentine and Victory pens, many, many more. Check out the English Parker’s, especially, for wild celluloids that were made only there.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
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    Default Re: Flat tops

    I love flat top pens!


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    amk (September 12th, 2022)

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    For lovers of flat tops with lower budgets there's the lovely Sheaffer No Nonsense. I don't particularly like the last iteration's rubber sections but the originals are lovely, and great writers with a good choice of nibs.

    Or you could go for the Connoisseur, the No Nonsense's upmarket sibling... but then that's just as expensive as buying great vintage pens.

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    Quote Originally Posted by amk View Post
    ...Or you could go for the Connoisseur, the No Nonsense's upmarket sibling... but then that's just as expensive as buying great vintage pens.
    Or Sheaffer's less-known flattop model between the Connaisseur and the No Nonsense: the Sheaffer Vintage.

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    amk (September 13th, 2022), Jon Szanto (September 12th, 2022)

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    ...or the Old Timer. The Old Timer (chased black) and Vintage should have gold plated trim and nib.

    Visit Main Street Pens
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    Please contact us by email, and not PM for repair inquiries.

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    Jon Szanto (September 12th, 2022)

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    The Old Timers are lovely. I have two, but I don't see them very often.

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    And some delightful Conway Stewart's and Montblancs as well.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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    christof (September 15th, 2022)

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    Thanks everyone for the comments and compliments! Since this is the photo gallery, after all, I hope in due time to photograph all of the pens individually.

    The No-Nonsense and related seem an easy and logical place to beef up those numbers. I have a soft spot for those pens as the first FP I used was a white NN from a Calligraphy set my mom had and has since passed on to me. I currently have the largest nib on it(2mm? Not sure but it's big-probably as big if not bigger than my new MB Italic Edge). I've been intrigued by the more upscale versions of the NN as well.

    In the mean time, anyone have a line on an affordable Jade, Lapis Lazuli, and/or Rosewood Decoband? I was bidding on the last of the latter I saw on Ebay but bowed out before I saw it climb well north of $600. I'd also been bidding on a less expensive jade, but saw some things that made me think it had the beginnings of celluloid rot setting in so passed.

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    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flat tops

    Quote Originally Posted by bunnspecial View Post
    ...In the mean time, anyone have a line on an affordable Jade, Lapis Lazuli, and/or Rosewood Decoband?...
    You should specify which you want: vintage Wahl-Eversharp or Syd Saperstein's modern reissue.

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    Default Re: Flat tops

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by bunnspecial View Post
    ...In the mean time, anyone have a line on an affordable Jade, Lapis Lazuli, and/or Rosewood Decoband?...
    You should specify which you want: vintage Wahl-Eversharp or Syd Saperstein's modern reissue.
    Sorry, interested in vintage primarily as nice as the new ones do seem to be…

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