All Pens and Ephemera

You know that scene in the Jack Nicholson/Faye Dunaway noir movie "Chinatown"? "She's my sister. She's my daughter. She's my sister. She's my daughter." Well, this handsome blue pen has a similar problem. It's an Omas. It's a Levenger. It's an Omas. It's a Levenger. We call it the Levenger-Omas Articula. It was made in partnership by Omas for the famed Levenger pen catalog company. It is much like an Omas Ogiva, though possibly a little more slender. The pen shows a little more wear in real life, but its piston works smoothly and there are no cracks. Some deep scratches and wear spots, though. You actually have tiny bit of flex in its 14k gold nib. It can go from an extra-fine to about a broad, if you are gentle. 14cm capped.

Joining springtime in an electrifying display of green is this mint-green Esterbrook J-model fountain pen. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. It remains youthful looking, as it has no cracks or deep scratches--just light wear from use. Holding fast is its pocket clip. Two "jewels" are complete on each end of the pen. You will write an extra-fine line with healthy feedback (not so much scratch but true feedback) with its upgrade 9550 nib. Of course, the beauty of these 1950s' Esterbrooks is that they have easy-to-replace nibs that screw in and out for more than 3 dozen point sizes. 12.8cm capped.

If you thought that the Montegrappa Modigliani was gorgeous but out of your price range, give this Levenger True Writer Select a close look. The cap and barrel design look nearly identical, without the aquamarine and gold nib. Our preowned pen comes with its original boxes and a converter. You will write a smooth medium...even if the steel nib is stamped broad. Minimal wear will be found on the pen. We think one of the nicer things about these "Select" pens is that they are larger than standard True Writer models. Click the headline for close-ups. 15.2cm 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.

Here's a rare treasure from way back in 1906! We love the gold-filled filigree on this Parker 33. This pen clearly did not experience the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco. However, the top of the cap has some sizable spots of brassing from wear. There's a little brassing near the tail, too. We polished them out, but it won't stay gleaming without continued polishing. Click the headline for a close-up of the original 14k gold nib. We love the old-timey "Lucky Curve" script. There are no engravings on the initial plate of the filigree. Only slight chocolate hazing of the black hard rubber. No cracks. The section unscrews easily. You will write an extra-fine to nearly 2mm wide line with its flexible nib. It isn't a wet noodle. 13.9cm 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.

Here's a real granddaddy of vintage pens. It is a black hard rubber Sheaffer Lifetime Senior with etched pinstripes in the cap and barrel. It also has no white dot. It is that early! Fully restored with a new ink sac, it is ready to write. Brassing can be found on the ball of the pocket clip, but the rest of the pen is free of the blight. Click the headline for close-ups. There is a little chocolate hazing on the cap and barrel. It is worse on the cap, which is a little more faded in its pinstripe imprints. No cracks, chips or serious scratches. You will love its nib the most! Smoothly write from extra fine to more than 1mm wide with its semi-flex properties! A very rare semi-flex nib. Notice that the Lifetime nib has a serial number? This might indicate it is an early replacement nib, as the original nib had no serial numbers. 13.6cm capped.

Blue-pen lovers that we are, we think there is no topping the Pelikan City Series Stockholm pens for looks. It is easily the most attractive of the "cities." Ours is in excellent working worker, showing only minimal wear from use...and some scratches on the piston filler knob and the section grip. We find it rather amusing that it comes in the "Grand Place" city series pen's box. It is the right size and shape box for the Stockholm, just the wrong labels on the box. Click the headline to see close-ups of the pen and nib. Marked "M" for medium, you will find that this two-tone 18k gold nib writes a buttery smooth double broad line. It is a gusher. Located on the top of the cap's black "jewel" is a frosted gold logo of a mama pelican and two chicks. 13.1cm capped.