Filling Mechanism: Lever Filler

If there was one pen that taught Americans how to write with a fountain pen, it was the Esterbrook J-model. Required by many high schools and professional schools in the 1950s, these vintage pens were attractive, easy to use, easy to customize and very affordable. We restored this J-model pen with a new ink sac. If you have a spare Esterbrook nib, these are easy to customize by simply unscrewing the old nib and screwing in a new one. Its steel 1555 Gregg was designed for practitioners of the Gregg Shorthand Method. Mostly stenographers, secretaries and journalists. You will find it is extra-fine with some feedback. No cracks or deep scratches. Staining to the barrel threads and the pocket clip isn't flush against the side of the cap. 12.7cm capped.

Black ripples on orange hard rubber look fantastic on this Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal fountain pen. Our vintage pen is fully restored with a new ink sac. We think people will be most interested in its semi-flex 14k gold nib. It has a couple of small dents, but it writes a nice fine line to 1mm wide. There's a little feedback, as many semi-flex nibs do. There is a tiny chip in the lip of the cap but no cracks. You will find some brassing on the trim. We aren't sure that is the original section. Be very careful putting the cap back on the pen. Sometimes you will engage the wrong threads and touch the nib to the cap, as the nib seems too long. Yet, there is one engagement point where the tip of the nib does not touch the cap. Pen measures 12cm capped.

Among the epic failures of the golden era of vintage pen is the story of the Eversharp Symphony. Designed to replace the wildly popular Eversharp Skyline, this Eversharp Symphony is a handsome pen. We love the dark-blue barrel paired with the chrome and gold-plated cap. Unfortunately for Wahl-Eversharp, its Symphony never quite caught on with the writing public. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. The barrel has some moderate wear but no cracks or nasty scars. No dents mar the cap. You will write a really wet medim--some might call it broad. It has some feedback but not hideous. 14.1cm capped.

Bonjour, Waterman #3. We love it when we get French pens from the 1940s. This Waterman #3 is a post-World War II model that we don't think was officially released here in the U.S. We restored it with a new ink sac, and it is a very attractive example. No cracks nor deep scratches. Light wear at worst. You will write a firm, extra-fine line with its 18k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.6cm capped.

A ruby-red vintage pen is just what this holiday season needs. Our Esterbrook LJ has been fully restored with a new ink sac. It sports a steel 1555 Gregg nib, which meant the nib was originally for anyone who took shorthand. Think secretaries and journalists. This can be thought of as the long, slender version of the J-model pen. The cap and barrel have some wear from use, but there are no cracks or major scars. Nice, clean imprint. You will write a surprisingly smooth extra-fine line, if you have a light touch with this firm nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

New Old Stock fans, rejoice. Check out this still-stickered Sheaffer Admiral from the 1940s! We restored this chocolate-brown beauty with a new ink sac. The rest is as it was and has always been. There is definitely some shop wear from rattling around for nearly 80 years, but there isn't any egregious damage. The ink-view window is still its factory fresh yellow-green clarity. You will write a nice, smooth fine line with its two-tone 14k gold "Feather Touch" nib. The sticker says it is a medium, but it only seems to write something we think is closer to a fine on a dip. Its matching pencil also is stickered. Similar light shop wear as the pen. Works perfectly. Includes spare .9mm leads. The eraser has hardened and shows a little use. Click the headline for close-ups.

Suddenly playing catch-up to Parker with its transparent barrels, Waterman developed its own see-through barrel pen. The Waterman Ink-Vue was introduced in the mid-1930s. This is an insanely rare demonstrator model of that classic vintage pen! It has some ambering, but it is in really amazing condition. Crisp imprints. No cracks in the main cap or barrel. It appears the inner cap has some fractals. In truth, it is mostly a bulb filler, only it has a cover over the rubber bulb and a lever system pumps the bulb. This pen is so rare and delicate, we've left the petrified original bulb in it. Click the headline for close-ups. The name Val Steiniger is engraved on the tail of the barrel. We don't expect you to write with this museum piece, but its 14k gold nib has a little flex and feedback. 12.8cm capped.

Golden Brown striations make for a very handsome Sheaffer Balance Lifetime fountain pen. The clear imprint finishes with the number 875. Though not a model number, it helps to identify its slender but standard-length size. It also represented the original price of $8.75. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. Closely examine the pen and you will see wear and a couple of deep scratches that are small. However, the design pattern obscures most of that at a casual glance. No cracks. Light brassing on the ball of the pocket clip. You will write a very smooth extra-fine line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.7cm capped.