All Pens and Ephemera

Photographs don't do justice to this stunning Namiki Custom 845. At a quick glance it is a handsome grey-and-black luxury pen. Turn it under the light to see flecks of emerald green and sapphire blue! It is a subtle pen until it isn't, and then it blows your mind. Our preowned pen has a little light wear but nothing serious. Click the headline for close-ups. Its 18k gold medium nib is like most Japanese pens, meaning it writes closer to a fine than most American and German medium nibs. It is a little dry, but that might change the more you write with it. Complete with original box and papers. 14.5cm capped.

Parker 51 Specials were the pen of the every day person. They were everything that a standard 51 was, but they had a more affordable steel nib. Octanium, we believe is the correct word they used...but still basically steel. Our vintage pen is in great condition. Its lustraloy cap is dent-free, and there is minimal wear on the hood and barrel of the pen. Its original aerometric filler is still in good shape. We flushed some stubborn blue out of it, but there might still be a trace. We love the way it writes a nice medium line. It is firm with a bit of genuine feedback, but we don't find it to be scratchy. 13.7cm capped.

Omas Milord pens remain a favorite staple of writers years after the original Omas company went out of business. Our preowned pen is in excellent condition with minimal wear from use. Sliding the piston up and down is smooth and easy with a twist of the tail's blind cap. Our favorite part, and we suspect it will be your favorite part, is the very smooth, 18k gold nib that writes a broad line. It is a treat with a lot of tipping on the point. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Many might consider the Parker 45 as the last Parker fountain pen for the everyday person of the golden age of fountain pens. Ours writes beautifully, but it has some surface wear on its blue pen barrel and hood. The golden cap has some wear, too, but no dents. It doesn't have its original filler, but these still take modern Parker cartridges and some Parker converters. We believe this pen has a 14k gold nib. You will write a nice, smooth fine line with it. 13.6cm capped.

Italian pen makers continue to impress with the Aurora Optima. A bold, reliable luxury pen, this writing instrument looks almost new with minimal wear. We flushed it out, and there as a little ink inside it. Thus, it was used. Yet, its medium-point 14k gold nib still writes as if it needs a little breaking in. The more you write with it, the more it will conform to your hand. Our preowned pen even includes its original boxes and papers. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.5cm capped.

Looking to give customers a chance to have a more affordable version of the Parker 51, the Parker 21 was developed and born. It looks quite similar to the famed vintage pen. However, it has a more basic steel cap and pocket clip along with an octanium nib. It has the same aerometric filler and silicone ink sac...sorry, "Pli-glass" ink sac. This still works well with its original ink sac. There are no cracks in the barrel or hood. Its (essentially steel) nib writes a firm medium line. Some light wear from use, but it is a very good pen, overall. 13.6cm capped.

Many people go ga-ga for the stunning Omas Arco designs, but the blue-and-orange "Saffron" design really blows our mind. This is the large Omas Paragon at 14.1cm in length while capped. It is in good working order, with a smooth piston fill. It does have some wear from use but no cracks, brassing or deep scratches. Also included are its original boxes and papers. Beyond the stunning celluloid is a delightfully smooth two-tone 18k gold nib that writes a juicy medium line. This one sports the year 1997 on the section. Click the headline for close-ups.

Coming from across the puddle is this handsome red-marbled Conway Stewart No. 286 fountain pen. We aren't 100% certain when these were made, but we are guessing the 1950s. We restored it with a new ink sac. There are no cracks, but the pocket clip is completely "brassed" and the cap ring has some brassing issues, too. The barrel imprints are very faded but still legible with a little help from magnification. The 14k gold nib has an odd dent near its base by the section. You will write a dry fine line. 12.5cm capped.