Fountain Pens with Nib Size: F

The late 1940s brought the invention of the Sheaffer TouchDown filler. This pen used pneumatics to fill a standard ink sac using a series of metal tubes and an O-ring seal in the tail of the pen. We love these simple filling systems. We think this pen is called a Sheaffer Craftsman, but we aren't sure. We restored it with a new ink sac and O-ring. Its gold-plated trim shows some brassing, but it isn't hideous. The read of the blue pen shows wear from use but no cracks or serious blemishes. You will write a firm, fine line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. It has a small hint of feedback. Click the headline for close-ups. 13cm capped.

We don't often carry hand-turned pens, but we are helping a close friend sell a collection, and this on is especially attractive. According to its "certificate of authenticity" it is an MRX Designs Green Swirl fountain pen, which was hand turned by Mark Gonzales in Brooklyn, Ohio, in 2021. Made of burl wood and green-and-white resin, it is tricked out with an "antique brass" set of trim. It still looks new, and it was a great Covid lockdown handicraft. Its golden allow nib writes a fine line with a little feedback. It appears to only take standard international cartridges. 13.1cm capped.

Needing a quality pen that was also affordable to help get through the Great Depression, Parker developed the Challenger line. Our Parker Deluxe Challenger is a handsome green marble with the older Duofold-style button filler. It is an average sized pen with a small 14k gold nib. You will write a nice, firm fine line with it. A lower-tier pen they did some cheap plating over a steel clip. Most of the plating has worn away. No cracks, but the pen does have wear from use. Fully restored with a fresh ink sac. It is a nice vintage pen daily driver. 12.7cm capped.

Now if you really like Parker pens, this early Parker 20 made between 1906 and 1910 out to be the pen for you. It is a mottled hard rubber design with super crisp imprints. You won't find many pens this nice from this long ago. It is an eyedropper pen with its original "Lucky Curve" inkfeed intact. Click the headline and you can see its cap imprint and nib. No cracks. Museum worthy. We haven't dipped the nib, as we don't know who would actually want to write with such a pristine early Parker. Using the thumb-nail test, the nib separates easily from the feed meaning it loses inkflow. The feed can be heated to get tighter against the nib, but, again, this is so old and nice, why risk doing damage? 13.6cm capped.

The designers in Japan sure captured the elegance and beauty of a vintage black-and-pearl design. This preowned luxury pen is a real stunner. It was only lightly used and still looks close to new. Click the headline for close ups. You get the box and converter, along with the pen. You will write a nice Japanese fine line, which some customers might think is closer to an extra-fine line. It has a little feedback, but it is the good kind that really lets you feel the point on the page. 13.6cm capped.

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.

Feast your eyes on the Stipula I Castoni Lapis fountain pen. We believe this to be a New Old Stock pen. We dipped the nib in water, and no ink came off it. The converter is still in its little baggie with a standard international ink cartridge. The pen comes with its original boxes and papers. Silver-plated trim and this stunning blue acrylic are very attractive. You can see spots of purple like clouds at sunset mixed in with the blue. Click the headline for close-ups. Its two-toned 18k gold nib is marked fine, but we haven't dipped it, in case this is New Old Stock. No cracks or scratches. However, there are two odd small ovals imprinted into the cap. They seem more like a manufacturing defect than wear to this otherwise pristine pen. 13.8cm capped.

Who says teens shouldn't have a good pen for school? The Sheaffer Cadet was aimed at the beginners fountain pen market. With a great TouchDown filler, this is a more sophisticated way to ink up a basic pen. We replaced the ink sac and O-ring. You will write a very smooth fine line with its steel F1 nib. Overall, the pen looks pretty good. There is a little wear. Worst of all is some chrome plating missing from the cap band. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.3cm capped.