Filling Mechanism: Lever Filler

We don't know what you'll like more, the fact that this is a very nice Esterbrook Dollar Pen or that it comes with a less common 1314 Durachrome Relief nib! Click the headline for close-ups. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. There's a little wear but nothing too bad. No cracks, but there is a teeny-tiny chip in the cap lip. The oblique nib is smooth and writes with nice line variation for a fine-point style oblique. This is an earlier rendition of the 1314, too! 12.1cm capped.

When Esterbrook went from making Dollar Pens to J-model pens, it ran out of Dollar Pen caps and opted to use the new J-model caps on the remaining Dollar Pen barrels. It is difficult to tell the original ones from the repairmen who replaced broken Dollar Pen caps with J-caps. We found this pen this way, but that doesn't mean anything. What is interesting is the top jewel on the cap has 3 lines instead of the usual concentric circles. The color match is pretty close to perfect between the cap and barrel. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. You will this upgraded steel 9461 nib that is firm and very smooth as it writes a fine line. No cracks, deep imprint, some wear from use. 12.4cm capped.

In the 1940s, if you needed a cheap, reliable pen that was easily customized, you got yourself an Esterbrook Dollar Pen. We restored this black model with a new ink sac and new 1555 Gregg Shorthand nib. There are no cracks or deep scratches, but the early plastic cap on this pen has warped a bit. It can be difficult to get the cap on and off. You will write a nice fine line with its steel nib. There is a little feedback, but we wouldn't call this a scratchy pen...not compared to other Esterbrooks with the same nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.1cm capped.

Leading the way with a space-age design is this second-year Eversharp Symphony fountain pen with a Loewy cap design. The legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy created the original cap design for the first year pen. This second-year pen's cap shows a couple of minor alterations. Nevertheless, it still looks stunningly sharp. Eversharp also knew this pen as model 705. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. You'll see some light wear from use on its gold-filled cap. The barrel shows a bit heavier wear. However, you will love the smooth, fine-point 14k gold nib! It is a pretty dreamy writer. 14.1cm capped.

The color match of this married Esterbrook J-model fountain pen looks better in the photo than in real life. The cap is a much deeper red than the barrel. The cap also looks pretty jankety. Nevertheless, there are no cracks and the cap is on tightly. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. We also gave it a new 1461 nib straight out of the box. You will write a firm, extra-fine line with a little feedback. Definitely not a museum piece, but a nice enough daily driver. 12.6cm capped.

Pastels dominated the 1950s' Technicolor landscape, and Esterbrook Purse Pens specialized in those soft colors. This robin's egg blue pen has a great cap and barrel with no cracks but some discoloration. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. The pocket clip is on nice and tight. Click the headline for close-ups. You will see there is a crack in the section near the nib. It is a short crack, and we think we've successfully sealed it with rubber cement. You will write a buttery smooth fine line with an upgraded steel 9556 nib. 11cm capped.

We've seen a lot of cool desk pens in our day, and we really love this frosted-brown-glass pelican made for an Eversharp Doric desk pen. It looks even more impressive with back lighting as the bird looks as if it is standing on rippling water. The glass is perfect without any cracks or chips. There is a very small crack in the celluloid trumpet's bottom, and the gold plating polished off the trim of both the trumpet and pen. We restored the pen with a new ink sac and J-bar. The very tip of the taper has been broken off. The section has a little chocolate hazing. This is a nice thick, larger pen. We love its smooth, fine-point 14k gold nib. It isn't an original Doric nib, but it an Eversharp replacement from a decade later. Click the headline for close-ups. Pen is 20.2cm long. Base 10.5cm L X 9cm W X 12.5cm H.

We think that this is the short-lived Imperial fountain pen made in Nassau, NY. The cap band is imprinted with the Imperial name, much like the very rare Parker Vacumatic pens with a "Vacumatic" engraved in the cap band. We think the trim might be plated-silver that is brassing. A good ink sac has been installed. We love the blue-and-grey design. It comes with an "Imperial" imprinted 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. You will see the bottom side of the nib is cracked in the photo. You will write a semi-flex line that grows from extra-fine to about 1mm wide. It is a big scratchy. 13.3cm capped.