"Matchless" fountain pen

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JimGo

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One of my co-workers has a funky looking fountain pen, and he's trying to get more information on it. It is a black plastic/acrylic/synthetic body with two fairly ornate gold bands along the main barrel. The bands have been abused a bit over time, but which appear to be solid gold since the finish on them hasn't faded. It also has a very odd nib on it that has a massive gap where the standard little hole is on most fountain pens. The nib is also a really odd shape. When you unscrew the nib assembly, the innards look like they would take some kind of refill, yet there isn't a standard adaptor, just some kind of material. His thought was that the opening inside the pen was used as a reservoir, and that the ink was carried through the pen by the material I just mentioned.

There's no cap that he knows of.

We looked for identifying marks on it, and in very faded letters we could barely make out that it said "Matchless" on the side of the pen.

Does anyone know anything about this pen?
 
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JimGo

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No camera at work other than my cell phone!

Here are the best I can do so far (apparently I must have taken a picture of myself with my camera phone and broken the lens!):



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D

DCBluesman

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Based on the "Matchless" clue and the fact that the company always overdid their fittings, it looks like it's a Scheaffer, probably from the 40's. Their ads started with "Matchless Scheaffer..." It would have most likely have been part of a desk set. The "material" inside is probably the remnants of a bladder. The wider air-hole indicates that the nib may have been calligraphic. Of course, without seeing it, this is a lot of speculation.
 
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Mac In Oak Ridge

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Go to "gopens.com", then the "Apprasel Services" tab. Send Gary Lehrer the good photo and a discription of the pen. He will give you an opinion back by email. Likely he can identify from what you have. IMO it is an early Parker, from the 1915-20 range. Parker had a whole range of different pens at that time with two gold bands. The decoration on the bands on your pen look like the same design that I have seen on Parkers. Missing the cap, it likely had a matching gold band on it also. If there is not a lever or other filling do hicky on the side of the barrel, it is an eye dropper filler.

Gary will help you with identity and likely can tell you something about the nib and the value. If it is a very rare nib it may be worth quite a bit. If it is a dammaged nib, someone tampered with it in the past, it may be worth the parts only or, if someone has a cap and no pen......
 
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lkorn

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Jim,
That pen is probably an early "Eye-dropper"filler, made from Black Hard Rubber as were most pens made prior to about 1923. After that Celluloid started taking hold. The pattern cut into to barrel (any pattern) is called "Chasing" therefore you have a BCHR - Black Chased Hard Rubber pen. To fill the pen, unscrew the nib, fill the cavity with ink (using an eyedropper) and replace the nib. That nib by the way is totally sprung open. It will need major restoration if it can even be salvaged. There will be several people at the DC Pen Show that love that type of challenge.
 
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