Filling Mechanism: Cartridge/Converter

Discontinuance has made the Montblanc 147 Traveler one of the most popular luxury pens on the collector market. Better yet, this is an even more rare "Bordeaux" color. What made the 147 unique in the Montblanc catalog was that it is a cartridge-only luxury fountain pen. It ONLY takes standard international cartridges. The pen looks to be in near mint condition with only minimal wear. You will write a fairly smooth medium line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. But wait, there's more. It includes its special, custom leather case. The pen is about the same size as a 146 and measures about 14.5cm capped.

Bright light gleams like the sun off the brilliant Wancher Dream Pen Rising Sun maki-e fountain pen. Our pen appears to be in mint or near-mint condition and never used. It doesn't show any staining from ink. We love the dragon winding its way down the pen. Click the headline for close-ups. Its 18k gold nib is marked "M" for medium. We have not dipped it, as we think this pen is new old stock. We wish we had the box and papers. Includes its original standard international converter. 15.5cm capped.

Try finding a more Spring-friendly color scheme than the swirling pastels of this Wancher Shizuku Earth fountain pen. Instead of a traditional gold or steel nib, it uses a glass nib. However, it fills with an included converter...standard international. There doesn't appear to be a speck of ink on or in this pen, leading us to believe it is new old stock. No trace of wear either. It comes from the collection of best-selling author Bill Adler Jr. We think the tip of the glass nib is fine, yet, we haven't tried writing with it so as to not mess with its N.O.S. status. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.8cm capped.

Sahara models of the Graf von Faber-Castell line really stand out for their color and design. The barrels are plastic with a barley design and texture. The ends are likely rhodium-plated. The writing experience is everything you expect from this German luxury brand. You will write a fine-medium line with its 18k gold nib. The fountain pen looks to be in excellent condition. Just some light wear from use, and it includes its converter. The rollerball pen is a little more worse for wear with brassing/pitting in the back of the top of the cap and nose cone. Original box and papers included. 13cm capped.

Carbon-fiber designs were hot during the early 2000s. Our Monteverde Invincia sports such a design, though we doubt it is real carbon fiber for the price it originally sold at. Our preowned pen looks good with only minor wear from use. You will write a smooth, fine, dry line with its steel nib. Click the headline for close-ups. Includes a standard international converter. 13.9cm capped.

Starting in the 1950s, Sheaffer began making cartridge-only pens with disposable plastic cartridges. Our Sheaffer Lady Skripsert was one such pen. It is quite attractive in its black-and-gold Tulle design. The cap and barrel only show a little wear from use, which is pretty good for a purse pen. The section shows more wear, and the nib is missing a fair amount of its gold plating. Click the headline for close-ups to see the extra-fine nib is just tweaked a little out of line. You'll write a very sharp extra-fine line with some scratch. The inkfeed seems a little out of alignment, and we couldn't slip it back into place without causing more damage. Sheaffer discontinued the slender cartridges for this pen, but the woman we got this from found a way to rig a standard international cartridge to fit. We left it in the pen as a demonstration to be reused. 13.7cm capped.

Black with platinum-plated trim...or is it rhodium plating...always looks sharp on a luxury pen. Our preowned luxury pen is a Pelikan Ductus. These handsome beauties were only made for a short while. For Pelikan aficionados it is an 800-size pen. Click the headline for a close-up of the unique design of its 18k gold nib. It is marked "B" for broad, but when we tested it, we thought it felt more like a buttery smooth medium with a little line variation. Also unique to this pen is that it is cartridge only. Unscrew the blind cap in the tail to reveal a cartridge carriage that hold two standard international size cartridges...no converters. The cap logo is a frosted, silvery mama pelican with one chick. 14.3cm capped.

Few cheap pens really impress us much, but our Parker Reflex definitely surprised us. We found its steel nib to be a very smooth fine-point writer. The wider rubberized grip made for easy holding and writing, too. The 1990s successor to the Parker Vector, this pen is in great condition with minimal wear. It takes Parker cartridges or converters, but it comes with neither. Ya can't beat the price, though. 14.1cm capped.