Fountain Pens with Nib Size: XF

Sheaffer Cadet? Sheaffer Admiral? We never fully grasped the naming conventions for the Sheaffer TouchDown pens before they switched to Snorkels. Yet, a rose by any other name...we can still restore. We replaced the ink sac and O-ring in this vintage pen, and now it works great. You will write a dry extra-fine line with its two-tone, 14k gold Feather Touch nib. The pen looks great on a passing glance. Yet a close inspection will show it has many scratches and a little discoloration. No cracks. No brassing. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm 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.

We've been making Parker grail pen dreams come true all month. This offering is a 1941 Parker 51 with a sterling silver cap. Yes, it is an elusive first-year pen in dove grey. It is about as minty fresh as a 80-year-old pen can get. No dents or dings in the cap. Minimal wear on the body. The imprint on these double-jewel first year pens is on the tail cap and is crisp and easy to read. The vacumatic filler has been restored with a working diaphragm. You will write a slightly scratchy extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. We don't really count it as a flaw, but you'll see the hood is lighter than the rest of the pen...a product of age. No aluminum jewels, unfortunately.

Remember when everyone was soooo worked up about the year 2000? The late 1990s were loaded with all kinds of items to commemorate the new millennium. It was kinda fun and exciting. Italian penmaker Delta got in on the act with the Delta Y2K. Its frosted silver and "champagne" gold cap and barrel were undoubtedly signifying the party of a lifetime. Unfortunately, this pen didn't hold up as well as we'd have hoped. Heavily worn and pitted from use and time, it is still a functional reminder of those heady days. You'll write a slightly scratchy extra-fine line with its two-tone steel nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 14cm capped.

We love finding Parker Vacumatics that are still in close-to-new condition. This vintage pen still has a light-yellow barrel clarity! It is no longer that green-yellow from right off the line, but it is still pretty good. No cracks, minimal--if any--brassing. We restored this pen with a new diaphragm. The biggest "flaw" is that its pocket clip spins, even though it is securely on the pen. The blue diamond was Parker's indicator that this pen was guaranteed for the life of its first owner. You will write an extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. There is a little feedback, but this is a pretty good XF writer. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

New Old Stock Esterbrook CA fountain pens are not an everyday occurrence. This vintage pen still has its original sticker, and the nib does not show any sign of ink. Depending on how your screen is calibrated, this is definitely a bright orange pen. It is close to day-glo orange. Click the headline for close-ups of the nib and sticker. This is a steel 1555 Gregg nib for the famed Gregg shorthand method. No cracks. No cartridge, either. We don't know a modern cartridge that would fit this. Light wear from rattling around a drawer for 60-odd years. 13.2cm capped.

Would the American Automobile Association get more customers today if they handed out free fountain pens with memberships? That would appear to be the story behind this 1950 Esterbrook J-model. Who knows? Maybe it got its kicks in a 4-door Packard rolling down Route 66. It might have rattled around some classic glove compartment given its light wear from use. No cracks, but the cap ring is a tad loose. We restored it with a new ink sac. This vintage pen sports a steel upgrade nib marked 2668. We find it writes a nice extra-fine line with light feedback. 12.6cm capped.

Get in a festive mood with an emerald pearl Parker Vacumatic Maxima fountain pen. We restored this vintage pen with a new diaphragm. It is a beautiful writing instrument with no cracks or deep scratches. There are a few faded bite marks on the blind cap. The double-jeweled cap end are also emerald green stripes like the cap and barrel. No brassing on the gold filled trim. The two-toned 14k gold nib is excellent with most of its original platinum plating. You will write a smooth extra-fine to fine line. The celluloid's see-through barrel is ambered, but you can still see through it a little. 13.4cm capped.