MORE DIAMOND MEDAL PENS

“(National Pen Products) a prolific pen manufacturer of medium to high grade fountain pens. National pen company used many different names. It has been said if you ordered 100 pens they would put any name you wanted on them. I believe they also bought up other pen companies for their names and/or machinery. They probably made more oversize flattop pens than any other company. In 1934 they owned the trademarks Lincoln, Gold Medal and Gold Crown (and probably more). They probably originated from the CE Barrett company which was at that adress in the 1920's. Gold bond was one of their higher quality pens. Gold medal was possibly sold to Parker or made pens with Parker patents later in the late 30's. The Lincoln pens were earlier than most of the other pens they produced and came in hard rubber. The good service oversize flattops were also made by them.”

Diamond Medal Fountain Pens were sold by Sears Roebuck. In the 1920's and partially into the 30's they were made by National Pen Products of Chicago. They were not offered in any stores except Sears and National Pen Products was not able to sell these pens on their own. They were high quality lever fill pens in the 1920's and the early 1930's. They offered a full range of mens and ladies pens and even combos. They used top grade celluloid, good quality gold filled trim and 14k gold nibs. Since they were made by National Pen Products, you will find similar pens under other names such as Lincoln, Gold Medal and Gold Bond. ( BRUCE WEBSTER in his PENCYCLOPEDIA )

Two COMRADE pens. They are an icon of Diamond pens due to it´s elegant shape and curved clip.

Detail of the clip

Details of the barrel's imprints

The classic short section and the usual Diamond Medal gold nibs ( a #2 and a #5 )

A special customized Comrade ? Compare both pens: the same shape, the same lever filler  the same section and no barrel's imprint . The nib is a gold warranted nib but with the classic engraved  triangle wich we see on the National Pens ordred by some company.

An M engraved on the clip ( ordered by a customer who bought more than one hundred pens ? )

Details of the levers.

Details of the section and nibs

Another NATIONAL PRODUCTS Co. pen ? with the same clip with the engraved M . What a mistery????

 The same small section with the usual shape found in NATIONAL PRODUCTS Co. pens.

 Again the usual gold nib with the engraved triangle

The barrel's imprint :   THE  JEWELLER , GUARANTEED.

Another National pen products ?

The similar lever

Again the warranted gold nib with the engraved triangle.

A faceted DIAMOND MEDAL pen

Detail of the clip and below , a photo of the classic nib.

 The FAMOUS PEN.   JOHN ROEDE wrote in his articles about ECLIPSE PENS ( Pen World Magazine, Vol. 19 #6 and Vol. 19 #7 July and September 2006 ) : Sears Roebuck is another story. In the late 20s, the company had apprently settled upon Barret Mfg. or National pens to supply the DIAMOND MEDAL and GOOD SERVICE house brands Sears featured into the 1940s. From the 1890s into the early 1920s, SEARS seemed to have bought its pens from witchever manufacturer gave it the lowest price for a specific type. It is quite likely that ECLIPSE supplied some of its pens in the teens , when the generic black hard rubber clipless pens were nearly indistinguishable from one another. There is a probable Eclipse combo in the 1926 Sears catalog ( based on threaded pencil end and one piece , eraserless barrel ) at $1.48. This same catalog shows a red " FAMOUS " brand pen ( for 35 cents !! ) with plated nib and telltale laurel wreath lever tab. This pen was made of " composition wich has the appearance of rubber". There is a good chance these were a special run of celluloid pens from Eclipse.

Sears envelope to send the order blank.

Rear side of the same envelope.

Two aspects ( front and rear ) of a bigger envelope to hold the smallest one.

Some emblem samples you could order with your pen

Example of emblem aplication on ladies pen's.

Order blank to be filled by the future owner of a Diamond Medal pen.

Two diferent but " similar" Diamond Medal pens; Is it the second one a customer order? It has the correct barrel's imprint, but a different clip and a longer lever. See photos .The nib is also a #8 gold nib but " warranted" ( a replacement nib ?  or not ? ).

Aspect of the emblem on the cap´s top of the "different " Diamond Medal " pen. Compare with emblems of the other pens. The emblem itself  is  similar but is applied not in a black cap's top  but over the mottled material. All the other Diamond Medal pens have black ends on caps and barrel !