These strange items, known a "combo" pens, were mainly popular in the
1930s. They saved you the need of having a pocket wide enough for
a pen and a pencil, while
the only draw-back was a very small supply of ink and a ridiculously
short lead. Arnold is one of the better known makers of these
objects, and apart from the inherent goofiness of the design, I have to
grant that this is a fairly nice little pen. Strong emphasis on
the "little".
The Arnold company was founded in 1935 by a chap named Remmie Arnold,
who had apparently been working for some years for another low-end pen
company. They never made great pens, but if this one is anything
to go by, they weren't embarrassing themselves. I am somewhat
startled to find that there is still an Arnold Pen Company in operation
in Petersberg, Virginia, although they have recently rebranded
themselves "Parrot Pens";
apparently they have quietly continued making undistiguished pens
through the decades, and I can only hope that they're as reasonably
well-made as this little fellow.
Specifications: Medium plated steel point, with folded nibs. Lever filler. 11.8cm long capped, 12.4cm posted. Lead diameter 0.9mm.
Condition:
Frankly, amazing. The only scratch I can find is a tiny thing on
the lower part of the clip-- you can't see it in the picture above,
although it's lit so as to be most visible. There's a hint of
brassing at the tip of the pencil end. The pencil mechanism is a
little stiff, too
Repairs: Dried ink cleaned from feed.
Location: My collection, provisionally. My wife has laid a sort of right of eminent domain upon it, being charmed by it's cuteness.
For sale?: Nope. My wife expropriated it when she saw it, and I'm always happy to make her happy.
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