All Pens and Ephemera

On the surface, there might not be a lot to get you too excited about this Parker Vacumatic. And then you write with it. Wow! With a light touch it is a nice medium nib that leans toward fine, but with a little gentle pressure you can get about 1mm line variation! Not a common trait in a Vac from 1942. We restored this vintage pen with a new diaphragm. Its grey pearl design is nice with nickel trim. Dark ambering still permits a little light to see through the empty barrel. It has some wear from use, but there are no cracks or deep scratches. The blind cap-barrel alignment is just a little off. 13cm capped.

Far from being the rarest of Eversharp Skylines, this bandless cap version is definintely uncommon. Happily enough, the cap on this vintage pen is crack free, but it does look as if it had a brush with a lit cigarette on the back of the cap. Unfortunately there's a 2"-crack leading out of the point of the tail of the green barrel. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. The tail crack seems very stable. You will write a smooth medium to medium-broad line with its 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.3cm capped.

Fans of Sailor pens know that ZOOM nibs are a special treat, and we are happy to report that this standard-size Sailor 1911 has a Zoom nib! For the uninitiated, the Zoom nib is a 14k gold broad nib. In the world of Japanese nibs, it might be considered a double or triple broad. For American and European nib enthusiasts, we dipped it and it looks mostly like a regular broad nib. Regardless, aside from a scuff on the pocket clip, this pen looks like new. It also comes complete with its original boxes and converter. 13.6cm capped.

Pelikan first developed the Pelikan Graphos system for technical drawing in the 1930s. This appears to be one of those sets from before the war, although we aren't certain. In theory this pen fills with ink, but we aren't sure how or if this one does. It is a large boxed set with what appear to be 4 nibs that are missing. There are 3 widgets of some sort to the right of the pen in the box, and one of them is potentially missing...unless it is installed in the pen and we are too ignorant to know. Click the headline for a better look, and for a look at the top of the slightly beat up original case/box.

Quite possibly the best daily driver fountain pens out of Japan, the Sailor 1911 is a must have for most all fountain pen enthusiasts. Also extremely popular are the demonstrator model. This green Sailor 1911 demonstrator looks about as close to new as a pre-owned pen can look. Best of all, it comes with its original boxes and a leather carrying pouch! Click the headline to see the close-up of the nib. It is marked H-M. This means it is a "hard" (firm) medium writer. It is a Japanese medium, which means it is closer to a European or American fine. We also find it to be a dry writer that sounds and feels a little scratchy as it writes. 13.5cm capped.

Brilliantly turning the bow of a violin into the pocket clip of this limited edition Montblanc Johann Strauss rollerball pen, the world's most famous pen maker "scores" another great hit. New Old Stock, this luxury pen pays tribute to the great composer. Not only do you get a booklet about him, you also get a little hand-crank music box playing his "Blue Danube" waltz. Clearly, the set comes with its original box. Guaranteed authentic.

Sleek black gleams against the silvery trim of this Dunhill Cubist ballpoint pen. It has a great faceted design for an easy grip and unique look. Complete with its original box and papers! It comes with a working refill that writes a nice black line. 13.8cm.

One of our most tragic presidents, John F. Kennedy gets honored with the Montblanc JFK ballpoint pen. This special edition pen comes complete with its original boxes and book. This is the burgundy model and about as large as a LeGrand ballpoint, maybe a shade larger. We just installed a new turquoise ballpoint refill. Our preowned pen has a nice heft to it, too. Minimal wear, but we're sure you can see it is engraved with "FIZ" in the photo. Guaranteed authentic. 14.4cm.