PenHero 365: Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless"
by Jim Mamoulides, February 2, 2010
Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" Blue fountain pen cap and nib detail
Eversharp was very nearly the king of the hill in the early 1940s. The Skyline was a very popular pen, heavily advertised, and the company sought to follow that success with a then radical new type of pen, the ballpoint. Eversharp rushed into the ballpoint market, spending millions to obtain the rights to manufacture the Biro ballpoint from the Eterpen Company of Argentina. The Eversharp CA (for "capillary action") ballpoint pen was introduced in 1945 with a big advertising campaign. Interestingly, the CA used a separate cartridge that mated with a permanently mounted ball in the section tip. The pens were expensive, priced equal to or in some cases higher than comparable 14 karat gold nib fountain pen models. They were sold singly, in place of fountain pens in sets with pencils or in triple sets, with the CA being the primary writing instrument. Eversharp failed to adequately test this "Guaranteed Forever" pen, which leaked and did not write well, causing the company to have to eat much of the sales in returns. The losses nearly wrecked the company, and by 1948, Eversharp was introducing entirely new lines, moving past the CA debacle.
In an attempt to recreate the success of the Skyline, which was designed by famed industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, Eversharp engaged Raymond Loewy to design a new flagship line of pens, and one that would eschew a ballpoint. Loewy designed numerous consumer goods, with particular emphasis on streamlining and use of the latest modern materials. He designed numerous household items, including the Coca Cola bottle, the Lucky Strike logo, toothbrushes, radios, electric razors, the Studebaker Avanti (the only car design exhibited in the Louvre) and the streamlined Electrolux vacuums.
Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" Blue fountain pen open with Repeater pencil
The new Symphony line, released in 1948, had an aggressive, industrial look, lacking any cap trim, and with a creased and angular clip. The pen introduced the bullet shaped, asymmetrical cap collectors call the “slipper” cap, the original Loewy design, where the cap has slightly offset top and bottom halves, with a pronounced “step” edge at the top of cap where the clip is, giving it the appearance of a slipper, or from the front, a halo. If viewed from the side, the bottom half of the cap (opposite from the clip) extends farther than the top half, giving it a distinctive asymmetrical look. Eversharp twice changed the cap design, first, in 1949, softening the Loewy designed slipper cap to a 2nd Generation rounder look with a flatter clip, as seen on this pen, and adding trim grades. Finally, in 1951, in the 3rd Generation, Eversharp drops the Loewy slipper look for a plain bullet shape.
In 1949, Eversharp introduced an array of 2nd Generation Symphony models in a broad price range. This included the brushed stainless steel cap and blue barrel set shown here. I've found no Eversharp advertising for this model, nor any stickered examples that would indicate its model number or price range, so we will call this the "Brushed Stainless" model. It is the only Symphony model with chrome plated trim, including the lever. Because these pens were fitted with the smallest size nib unit, as on the new non-Loewy cap economy priced "Luxury Set," my guess is that they are priced between that US $3.75 fountain pen and the standard Symphony, a US $5.00 fountain pen, which had the full size Eversharp banner style nib.
Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" Blue fountain pen, cap posted on the barrel, with Repeater pencil
With the cap removed, the 2nd Generation Symphony is hardly any different in appearance from the Skyline. The nib and feed are virtually identical. The Symphony uses the same "Magic Feed" breather tube that extends nearly the length of the ink sac, helping the pen to fill more completely and better regulating air pressure inside the pen to prevent leaking at altitude.
This Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" is a standard size, lighter weight pen, weighing 0.5 ounce and being 5 1/2 inches long with the cap on and a long 6 1/8 inches with the cap posted on the end of the barrel. Surprisingly, the cap and barrel weigh about the same, so the pen is not top heavy posted. The long tapered barrel is similar in feel to a desk pen, so it writes just fine unposted.
Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" Blue fountain pen closed with Repeater pencil
The Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" fills like most lever fill pens, dip the section in the ink bottle and with one stroke of the lever and a wait of ten seconds the pen will be filled and ready to write after wiping the nib and section. Eversharp offered a wide range of nibs on the Symphony, including extra fine, fine, medium, coarse (broad) and stub, in manifold (firm), flexible, and a semi-flexible standard nibs. This pen came with a smooth and wet writing 14 karat gold semi-flexible medium nib. Eversharp Skyline and Symphony pens are one place you can look for flexible nibs on a more modern pen without breaking the bank. Note that Eversharp did not mark the nib or section with the nib type, so either check for stickers on the pen or dip test it to see what you are getting.
Eversharp Symphony 2nd Generation "Brushed Stainless" Blue fountain pen cap and nib detail
The 2nd Generation Eversharp Symphony is a great combination of a traditional, reliable fountain pen with a zoomy, Buck Rogers cap. I picture this in the pocket of the hero in a Saturday morning space ranger serial, with him whipping it out when he needs to jot down an emergency distress signal, or using it to poke the villain in the eye. Maybe even his space cruiser is the same shape as the pen. That would be cool!
If you decide to collect Symphony pens, you have a lot of collecting to do. There are a lot of models. The brushed stainless pens, as shown here, are not common, and command a higher price that many of the other models. Be aware that these early injection molded plastic pens are susceptible to warping. They can be prone to cracking when opening to replace the ink sac, though not as much as the earlier Skyline. The nibs are the same excellent nibs found in the Skyline, which is a bonus, and the caps are rugged, with the only quirk being that the plastic inner cap is friction fit and sometimes can be pulled out. The Symphony is a great daily user and a fun collectible.
You can read more about these pens in the article, Eversharp Symphony 1948-1952.
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