Waterford Claria Pencil in Gun Metal
About a month ago I set out into the Executive Essentials catalog and worked out a trio of pens and pencils that came out under $100. Actually, it ended up being slightly more than a $100. But, the end result still stuck with me and I decided to give it another go. In fact, I enjoyed putting together the pen set so much that I intend to do this quite a bit – or at least as long as they let me. Just to be clear, these are not sanctioned pen sets by Executive Essentials or any particular pen brand. This is just a fun experiment at trying to find three writing instruments that fit into a theme at a certain price. So what’s the theme?
The gangsters of the 1930’s.
Waterford Claria Pencil Gun Metal
The mid 1930’s were a time of legendary gangsters and criminals, with the likes of Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger roaming the country side in search of the next easy bank heist. These larger than life crooks seemed unstoppable to an
Tibaldi Mulsanne Silver Fountain Pen
America thrust deep into the pits of an economic depression. Hailed more as everyday hero’s than true criminals, these infamous crooks continued their stream of raids until J Edgar Hoover’s United States Bureau of Investigation captured or shot them all. But, regardless of the abrupt end to their reign, their memory lives on in movies and the minds of our imagination. And what better way to commemorate their fascinating lives than with a trio of pens culled from the Executive Essentials catalog.
The Thompson Sub Machine Gun was a favored weapon by anyone interested or in need of a gun in the 1930’s prohibition era. The Thompson or ‘Tommy Gun’ was invented by General John T. Thompson who was looking for a way to give a more reliable and faster firing weapon to American soldiers. These guns are often associated the famous criminals of the 1930’s who favored them for the same reasons that law enforcement did. Because the ‘Tommy Gun’ is such a prominent part of 1930’s gangster lore, I’m choosing the Waterford Claria Pencil in Gun Metal grey as one of the three in our gangster series.
Tibaldi Mulsanne Silver Fountain Pen Burr Oak
The get-away car, careening down the country roads with the police in hot pursuit is a staple of any movie about the legendary 1930 gangsters and criminals. And for good reason. It seems that many of the prohibition era bank robbers were good with the wheel. Clyde Burrow of Bonnie and Clyde was one of the best and insisted in taking the time to get a new car whenever possible in order to be ready to out run the law.
The Mulsanne from Tibaldi Pens is named after the famous straight-away and corner at the Le Mans circuit and represents this spirit well. The Le Mans is a race of endurance and skill, one that Clyde would have done well at. The pen itself has a unique chromed barrel and wooden cap that is reminiscent of the old V8 Fords so popular back in the day.
Dunhill Sentryman Rollerball in Black
Dunhill Sentryman Rollerball Pen Black With Gold Trim
Let’s face it, who cares what kind of crime you’re committing if you’re not dressed right. Back in the prohibition era it seemed that every occasion required a suit, including robbing banks. And for those famous bank robbers a well fitted suit (or dress) made constantly having to run from the law bearable. Many espoused the virtue of being well dressed at all times especially since it helped them fit in with the ordinary citizens going about their daily lives. There are a great many pens that have a wonderful 1930’s suit like quality, but for this pen set in black from Dunhill Pens seems a nice fit. This particular Dunhill has a broad cap that accurately mimics the broad shoulders of the 1930’s suits. The gold trim on the cap accentuate the top of the pen and gives it a suit jacket like quality. The entire pen is finished in a deep black lacquer that is cool, calm and nearly criminal.
So there you have it. That’s my 1930’s gangster collection. But, these are not the only pens that would fit that theme. In fact, I passed on a number of others that I saw that would work wonderfully. I’d love to hear from any of you about what your pen set in this theme would look like. Let us know.
