Fountain Pens with Nib Size: XF

Getting some movie stars autographs can be easier than finding a Sheaffer Autograph fountain pen that is still free of other people's signatures. Our vintage pen is fully restored with a new ink sac. The pen barrel is a standard oversized Sheaffer Balance with 1000 marked under the standard imprint. However the cap has a pocket clip marked 14k gold and an unmarked but still solid 14k gold extra-wide band! Sheaffer had an engraving service that could reproduce a person's actual signature on the cap band, but this band is free of any engravings. Click the headline for a close-up of the 14k gold nib. It writes an extra-fine line with a little feedback, as most extra-fines do. No cracks, minimal wear. Ambering of the ink-viewing window. 14cm capped.

Everyday can be a blue-sky day with this pastel blue Sheaffer Sentinel fountain pen. In excellent condition and fully restored, this vintage pen is ready for lots of writing. For those who don't think an American nib can write as extra-fine as a Japanese nib, we recommend you check out this pen. We don't know if Sheaffer was still making a nib formally known as an "accounting nib" in the 1950s, but that is exactly how extra-fine this nib is. Smooth, too, for such an extra fine nib. It does have a little feedback but not much, all things considered. 14.2cm capped.

Sheaffer Balance pens were what hooked us for the first time on vintage pens. This fully restored Sheaffer Balance Lifetime has a beautiful black-and-pearl barrel without much discoloration. Unfortunately, its cap didn't escape the discoloration. Nevertheless, this pen has a new ink sac and is ready for action. The cap band and pocket clip also have some severe brassing, as well as a hairline crack in the lip of the cap. You will write a nice extra-fine line with its original 14k gold nib and later 1930s' inkfeed. (This pen was likely a 1930s model with an original inkfeed.) You'll notice it is a firm nib with a little feedback, but it is a true-blue writer. This vintage pen is a shade shorter than we are used to for a "standard" size model, but it isn't really short enough to be a "junior" either. 13.7cm capped.

When it comes to core basics, the Esterbrook J-model pens are spot on. Heavily requested by high schools and other institutions for their wide range of nib options and affordable, Esterbrook taught Americans how to write in the 1950s. Our black vintage pen has seen many years of loving use. It has a fair degree of wear, which is obvious in the photos. There's a stable hairline crack in the threads of the barrel, but the section feels good and tight. This classic pen has been restored with a new ink sac. Its steel 2668 nib was marketed as an upgrade for "general writing" with a medium tip. We find this one writes smoothly for a steel nib and with more of a fine point than medium. The pocket clip has a slight jiggle, but it doesn't spin around the cap. 12.8cm capped.

Here's to the person out there who found an empty Conklin Endura desk pen base in an antique store years ago looking for its missing mate. We offer a lovely lapis Conklin Endura desk pen that has been fully restored with a new ink sac. Click the headline for close-ups. It is hard to miss some discoloration and cosmetic damage, but it can still be a dedicated daily driver as a piece of your desk's hardware. You will write a true extra-fine line with its firm, 14k gold nib. In our hands, it feels as if there is a very nice weight and balance in this long-tapered desk pen. It is easy to see why these pens were so popular in the 1920s and '30s. We wish we had the right base for it, but we don't. 20.5cm.

A Duofold or not a Duofold? That is the question. Buuuut, a Duofold by any other name is still a Duofold. Sorry to get so Shakespearian on you as we sort out this classic Parker desk pen. It looks just like a Parker Duofold desk pen, but the imprint doesn't call it a Duofold, only "Geo. S. Parker—PARKER—Made in U.S.A." Either way, it has a beautiful black-and-pearl design with comparatively little discoloration. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. You fill it with a button filler, as with any other Duofold. Click the headline for a close-up. You will write a nice extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. The barrel and taper have wear from use but no cracks nor any deep scratches. The taper looks a little warped. Its golden taper ring is misshapen. The ring has the potential for falling off while refilling. This vintage pen is more of a junior size width. 18.6cm. Base is missing.

In the first quarter of 1946, when this Parker 51 was made, it was a time of boundless optimism. The war was over, the baby boom was just starting, business was thriving and anything seemed possible. Who knows what this vintage pen might have helped record? We do know it has been fully restored with a new diaphragm and that it still looks pretty sharp. Only a few very small marks can be found on the gold-filled cap. Its original blue enamel is missing just a touch in the center of the diamond. The hood and barrel show a little more wear from use, but it isn't bad at all considering it is 76 years old. You will write an extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. Unlike so many vintage American nibs, this really is more like an accountant's nib or Japanese extra-fine nib. You'll feel the paper beneath you as your write, but it isn't scratchy. Genuine feedback and smooth. 13.6cm capped.

Might this vintage pen be doubly hard to find? Not only is it an Esterbrook J-model Demonstrator, it was made in England! Fully restored with a new ink sac, we aren't sure how many people would actually want to write with this museum-quality pen in their collection. No cracks or scratches. Minimal, if any, wear. Looks just about brand new to us. The ruby-red finish really shines. It comes with a somewhat scratchy 2668 steel nib. However, like all J-model Esterbrooks, you can unscrew the nib and swap it out. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.7cm capped.