| A
pen that made me plotz.
Happy pen find and discussion of a rarely addressed Wahl-Eversharp product. by David R. Isaacson |
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| A
pen that made me plotz.
Happy pen find and discussion of a rarely addressed Wahl-Eversharp product. by David R. Isaacson |
|
| I've long been fond of the
Wahl-Eversharp Equi-Poised series of pens, produced from 1929 until at
least 1932 and perhaps later. Indeed, references from that company are
scarce from this era. Rapid product evolution and limited period
data combine to raise questions as to whether some pen models, long cherished
by collectors as Equi-Poised, even are that pen at all. Verily, a
recent question on that subject posed by this writer stirred up the hornet's
nest, evoking passionate discussion amongst collectors, yielding insights
from a couple collector/dealers and- entertainingly- provoking wrath and
indignation from at least one pen crank out west. The upshot of this multi-board
discussion- not surprisingly- is that evidence lacks to provide a definitive
answer. Strong arguments were made that the Equi-Poised label is
spread perhaps a bit broadly by many of today's collectors. Still,
the process led to the concentration of useful pen information, to clarification
of casual terms, and to an engaging time for all. Good things indeed.
However, some pens from this era undebatably are Equi-Poiseds, well recognized by collectors and backed by available catalog data. When we skip the early torpedo shaped 1929 "gold seal" version seen (or quite similar to what is seen) in the 1929 catalog, we are left with pens found in the 1932 catalog, which shows mildly tapered pens, which lack the gold-seal and which feature beveled ends. Perhaps the most charming amongst the pens shown are those which have added cachet due to their elegant trim, small size and unusual colors. These are the Equi-Posed Purse Pens. The catalog image below is the only Wahl information i've ever seen for these pens. During the last two years i've had the chance to shoot perhaps 5-6 of the 11 listed colors. |
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| First
exposed to the Purse Pen Equi-poiseds perhaps three years ago whilst doing
a photoshoot of a senior Wahl collectors stock, i developed a fondness
for these pens, though i'd not had the pleasure to own any.
As the reader likely knows, in general in vintage pendom larger pens today outvalue smaller pens. However, exceptions long have existed for extra-small pens and for unusual and desirable smaller models. The snall Purse Pen meets the criteria of unusual and desirable. These neat little pens,less than 4" in length, readily outprice most of the "later style" Equi-Poiseds shown in the 1932 catalog and indeed outprice many of the larger "Gold Seal" pens of that era, which themselves might not or might be part of the Equi-Poised line. |
11
colors referenced by catalog
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Nib from the Wahl Equi-Poised Purse Pens. Quality material in a small package. |
| A
couple months ago I actually grabbed a Purse Pen from ebay. It was Black
and Pearl, a color not yet in my photo archive. It arrived only to
show several severe cracks. Fortunately, the seller in gracious and appropriate
fashion, was willing to take the pen back. I photographed it from several
angles, but seem to have lost the images that showed the entire pen. I
was left with some limited close-ups. Perhaps the lost images will
turn up on my other hard drive.
Presented to the right is an image of the Black and Pearl Purse Pen. Interestingly, this is not the black and pearl found in most Wahl pens from this era- which would be a chunky black and white- but instead shows a black veined pearl, disturbingly reminiscent of the color pattern best known in the Parker Duofold. The typical Wahl black aned pearl is shown in the inset pic. I Indeed, i begin to wonder if several of the colors seemingly unique to the Purse Pen share an oh-so-peripheral feature with the vaunted Parker Duofold. Whilst the background colors of Ceylon Pearl, Borneo, and Canton are intense hues, quite different from the Moderne Black and Pearl of the Parker Duofold, the veining pattern within them is strikingly similar to that found in the Duofold. Ah, if only one could peek over the shoulder when the plastic recipes were tossed about. |
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These
pens are, in my opinion, rather scarce. Since growing aware of them,
i probably have seen 7-10 pens total- amongst all 11 colors- after peeking
at pen tables at 20 pen shows, browsing ebay regularly, and peeking at
retail websites. I've photographed more than 5000 vintage pens, but have
seen just a small number of these. However, if i recall correctly, a nice
Borneo is offered for sale at a well-known dealer's website, even as you
read this article.
Now, scarcity is not synonymous with value or with cachet, and whilst these pens do carry some premium compared to more mundane small-ish Equi-Poiseds, they are not terribly expensive pens. I've held in hand more $6000+ "pregnant" Parker 47's than i have any single color Purse Pen, but the Pursies lack- obviously- the overall cachet of that significant Parker Pen, and seem to range in price for the "unusual" colors in the $200-400 zone when retailed in nice shape. Clearly, pens done in colors not seen in other Wahl series, outvalue the more typical colors like Jade, Kashmir and Black, which i suspect would sell for well less cash. But, one color by last month i'd not seen at all in the Purse Pen line of Equi-Poiseds, was the Canton Pearl, which, per the 1932 Wahl Catalog, featured black veining on a dark blue substrate. To the left, though, you now can meet the Canton Pearl Equi-Poised Purse Pen. It was my purchase of this pen set which sparked some of the excitement i used to feel when a newly purchased old pen arrived by mail. |
| Two weeks ago
I was perusing the 'Bay when my eyes were drawn to a small, slightly fuzzy
picture. Could it be? A Canton Pearl Equi-Poised Purse Pen?
With Pencil? It was just that! A seller with decent
feedback. Some pointed questions yielding positive results.
Dang it, this one i *wanted*. Very very bad attitude, this is, for one
who has owned many old pens, who has been playing at the buy/sell
side of the hobby with (despite recent underestimates) probably 450+ pens
bought or sold this past year, and who thought he was moving beyond the
"gotta have it" phase. Sigh. It is tough to bury the collector instinct,
i guess.
Well, i set my bid into the non-trivial zone and let it do its thing. Lo and behold, i won the pen. Happy David. It did not sell cheaply, because one of my pen buds also spotted it, and... well... you know what happens when two motivated players... play. Usually i'm the underbidder. This time i guess i got lucky. But, did I get lucky? What if the pen turned out to be another disaster, like the black and pearl pen? These are small pens with plastic very susceptible to discoloration. Cap lips are thin. Crazing and flourescence happen. What would arrive in the mail? What arrived Friday was a gem of a set. Happy happy David! Lush Blue with very rich pearlescence characterizes this wee pen. No cracks. Sharp Wahl imprints. No focal discoloration or crazing. No Brassing. The kind of pen i call excellent++, and better than many many of the sort too often seen on ebay as "minty++ belonging in a museum". Ouch. Well, I am tickled pink. Or perhaps that should be tickled blue. It's been some time since i've felt this degree of collector excitement generated by a pen arrival. But, i do remember it from my early days in the hobby, when those first couple Parker Vacumatics arrived. This pen set recreated for me that early excitement. Please have another peek at my Canton Pearl Wahl-Eversharp Equi-Poised Purse Pen, right out of the 1932 Catalog... |
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| To
the Right please see the four colors of Purse Pen i have photographed,
at least in my standard "catalog" style shot. The black and pearl (again,
more like that of the Parker Duofold than of any other Wahl) appears
as a fifth color in the "cracked cap" shot above.
Some observations. The Brazilian green (second from left) has a different cap-band pattern. Whether this is an era specific/evolutionary difference or represents simply that this color was made with this capband-- Brazilian Green often did not follow usual cap-band "rules" for Wahl-- i do not know. Furthermore, because the Wahl catalog page, shown above, has limited color definition and because these pens do tend to darken here and there, I remain uncertain whether the third pen to the right (pinkish pen) is the gray/pink Ceylon Pearl or the more rich-seeming India-Pearl, though i guess i'll bet on India Pearl until someone clarifies this. The blue pen obviously is my new happy find. Borneo on the left of the image is a rich, lovely color too. |
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In
coming to a close, i leave a few questions and observations as well as
an image from my own pen collection- shot without digital montage.
The Pic to the left shows some Equi-Poised and some Equi-Poised-related pens. At the left you can see one of the early forms (green with torpedo shape) of Equi-Poised. The Green/Gold (Brazilian Green) pen at position two, the unusual orange pen at position five, and the huge green pen next to it are called Equi-Poised by many, though as noted in the opening paragraphs, strong arguments have been put forth that these three pens are not Equi-Poised models but rather represent a parallel branch on the Wahl-Eversharp tree, stemming from the Gold Seal Flat Top models. Still, collectors lump and split as they well, and the shapes of these pens bear some similarity tothe later and definitive Equi-Poiseds. Last is the tiny Wahl Bantam, which, whilst bearing a related shape, appears not to be considered an Equi-Poised by anyone of whom i'm aware. These pens are highly collectable and are very very nice, indeed. I remain uncertain as to what appearance has the Persian Pearl Purse Pen. I'd like to see a Ceylon Pearl and India Pearl side by side to pin down which pen is which. I lament the non-use of these colors with any frequency in any other pen series of which i'm aware, though i note that Michael Mcneil has cited a Canton Pearl Wahl Oxford, a lower line pen. I would like to see more company data about these pens. I'd like to shoot the colors not yet shot. I am intrigued by the Duofold-like Black Veining seen in the Black and Pearl pen and indeed in other non-Duofoldian colors :-) Finally, i think i like owning this Canton Pearl Purse Pen... the only one i've ever seen. Below, see one last detail pic. |
| A
final pic, if a bit coarsely imaged. These pens are fully imprinted with
the company logo.
Inquiries, observations, further data and disagreements are invited. Feel free to write me at isaacson@frontiernet.net or to comment on the internet pen lists. Regards David R. Isaacson |
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