Black cap pens (slightly stepped)
Category a) Probably Early pens
The line of pens with black and slightly stepped caps are as a rule shorter than the "Classic" and the 12-sided pen, but you also find very large pens with black caps.
I think that they could be divided into three categories:
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a) Mottled pens (I don't have any uni-coloured ones) with a cap band design similar to the "Classic". My guess would be, that these pens have been produced prior to the "Classic" and the "12-sided" series, and the "Classic" has then inherited the cap band design.
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b) Paint-brush pens with two narrow cap bands in a size between a Parker Special and a senior pen
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c) Paint-brush pens in the same colours that you find in the "Classic" and with the "Classic" style cap band, but still with black caps and also black blind caps and in a junior size.
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All in all, I tend to believe that the black cap pens from category b) and c) have been a slightly more economic range of pens, while category a) are early pens and also prestige pens.
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To the right and below you see pics of an oversized example of the category a) pen. To give you an idea of how big it actually is I have placed the cap next to a Patrician cap, and I have also compared the nibs of the to pens (see below). Do note that the cap of the big Ben is rather long compared to the body of the pen, hence the difference between the Patrician and the Big Ben. The pen is a button filler.
Caps from 4 different category a) pens. The oversize cap is in the background
Below you find a few pics of some category b) pens
Below a pen in silver overlay
Below and below to the right you find:
Two paint-brush caps and one orange (orange pens are not common in the Big Ben line-up).
Finally, category c) pens below
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Pics still to bee uploaded!!!
