Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 60

sub-brand: A companion brand associated with a first-tier manufacturer; typically used on pens sold at a price point lower than the primary-brand products. Used most frequently to allow a manufacturer to penetrate the entry-level market without diminishing the stature of its primary brand; in some cases used as platforms to test unproven features or technologies without risking the primary brand’s reputation for reliability. (definition from Richardspens.com)

A few weeks ago, we featured a vintage sub-brand in our pen club's virtual "show & tell" - René's vintage Epenco fountain pen. Here are two more nice examples of sub-brands - René's vintage WASP 'Addipoint' lever-filler fountain pen and WASP 'Clipper' mechanical pencil:

(all photos courtesy of René ~ please click on images to enlarge)

 

  

René:"These two aren't a matching set, but I thought I'd include the two together because they're from the same family. WASP is a sub-brand of Sheaffer's from the mid-30s to about 1940, Depression-era pens that serve to supply pens to people whose cash flows have dwindled but still need to write."

 

 "WASP stands for W.A. Sheaffer Pen, so named to separate them from the still higher-end Sheaffer pens that they still sell, though they were still well-made pens that live up to the Sheaffer philosophy of providing the best pens for the money. It's also a brand that they can use to sell pens made of materials that are less 'serious.'" 

"The fountain pen is a lever-filler Addipoint WASP in a beautiful swirly pearl grey, with an original, stiff, WASP 243 Manifold Medium steel nib, and black, shallow conical tassies."

 

(Above: closeup of the fountain pen's WASP 243 Manifold Medium steel nib)

 

 (Above: closeup of the mechanical pencil's Lahn material-- U.S. Patent No 2,081,538, owned by the Celluloid Corporation)

René:"The mechanical pencil has its inscription at the top end that says, "The Clipper / WASP Pen Co. Inc." The material is called, "brown Lahn," and is made of gold-coloured, metallic strips set in transparent celluloid, which gives is a beautiful glitter effect. The metal front cone on this one had lost most of its gold-plating. The pencil takes 1.1mm leads and is fed from the front, twisting the front cone extends the lead out or pulls it back in."

"It's ca. 1938, and I got it from a lot of "junk" fountain pens, ballpoints, and mechanical pencils I got three years ago from e-Bay and mostly forgot about. I came across this one again recently and saw the inscription opposite the clip, and polished the plastic, and revealed the beauty of the material. "

"Here's a good link to a page for further info on WASP pens:"
https://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/SheafferWaspAddipoint.htm

Nice finds, René! Thanks again for sharing all your newest acquisitions with us :)