Filling Mechanism: Cartridge/Converter

Italian pen manufacturer Visconti began making tributes to the great painters of Europe. This is a Visconti Rembrandt in an ivory color. One of the neat innovations with this pen is a magnetic cap closure. Fill it with the included Schmidt standard international converter. You also can use like cartridges. Barely used, this pen only has light wear. Click the headline for close-ups. You'll write a wet medium line with its steel nib. There's a bit of feedback but nothing too bad. 14cm capped.

Let's face it, sometimes we just buy the pen for the nib. Our Parker Sonnet is a hearty and loyal daily writer, but it has a ton of deep scratches and is even missing some of its finish on the tail of the pen. Click the headline for close-ups. Its brass-barrel construction makes it far more durable than other preowned luxury pens. The real treasure of this pen is its bouncy, fine-point 18k gold nib. It doesn't qualify as a true semi-flex nib, but it does have some nice bounce to it. Also included is a Parker converter. This pen also takes Parker cartridges. 13.3cm capped.

Harkening back to 1920s black hard rubber with "chasing" designs, this Waterman LeMan Opera fountain pen is a stunningly handsome modern luxury pen. The cap and barrel are in nearly perfect condition. The gold-plated trim has just a little schmutz and wear on the tail end. Click the headline for close-ups. Its two-tone 18k gold nib writes a nice fine-medium line. It is a soft nib that responds to light pressure, but this is not a conventional semi-flex nib. The thin 18k gold is easily sprung. The pen includes a box and papers. 14.4cm capped.

Pale blue makes for a handsome Esterbrook CA fountain pen. These were Esterbrook's cartridge-only pens. Unfortunately, there are no Esterbrook cartridges that are officially available. However, we've heard rumor that you can tweak a Sheaffer cartridge into working. No cracks mar the cap or barrel. You will see a little light surface wear, but, overall, the pen is in great shape. It comes with a steel 1551 nib that we find writes a fine-medium line with a little light feedback. 13.1cm capped.

New Old Stock Esterbrook CA fountain pens are not an everyday occurrence. This vintage pen still has its original sticker, and the nib does not show any sign of ink. Depending on how your screen is calibrated, this is definitely a bright orange pen. It is close to day-glo orange. Click the headline for close-ups of the nib and sticker. This is a steel 1555 Gregg nib for the famed Gregg shorthand method. No cracks. No cartridge, either. We don't know a modern cartridge that would fit this. Light wear from rattling around a drawer for 60-odd years. 13.2cm capped.

It is nice to find a Parker Sonnet with an 18k gold nib. We think most of them are plated steel these days. That would seem to date this pre-owned pen a little. Solidly built, this pen shows a some wear in places, but it is in great shape. It comes with a Parker converter, but it also can use Parker cartridges. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a smooth broad line when you find the sweet spot. This pen also squeaks a little as it writes and can get a little scratchy outside of its sweet spot. 13.4cm capped.

The legendary Sailor Zoom Nib is on this petite-sized Sailor 1911 fountain pen. It is a beautiful pre-owned pen with minimal wear. Also included is a Sailor box, but we don't know if it is the original box. These items were found separately. Made of 14k gold, the Zoom nib allows a writer to enjoy a broad, medium and fine line. We find that holding the pen at a 45-degree angle gets us a very smooth broad line. Hold it more perpendicular to the paper and it delivers a slightly rougher feeling medium. Turn it over to write with the "top" of the nib for an extra-fine to fine line that we feel is a little scratchy. Also included is a converter. 13.6cm capped.

The original Parker Snake pen was first introduced in 1906. It was a black hard rubber eyedropper pen with a sterling silver overlay in the design of an emerald-eyed snake. It was a gorgeous pen and very expensive. Few were made and survive. As such, it is among the most sought after pens by vintage pen collectors. Parker rereleased a Snake pen 100 years later in a more modern cartridge/converter format. This is one of those modern luxury pens that is still new in the box...never used. It comes with all of its original boxes and papers. Perfect for display or even use, if you desire. The website can't figure out the shipping on such a large box and might cost extra...especially for international destinations. Please e-mail for details.