All Pens and Ephemera

Foggy grey streaks through a charcoal-grey barrel of this Levenger True Writer fountain pen. Click the headline for close-ups. The dark-grey steel nib might look a little off, but it writes a very smooth, wet and broad line. Our preowned pen is great shape with no cracks or deep scratches. It comes with a standard international converter. Mostly, we just love the way it writes. 13.7cm capped.

We love that moment when we pour cream into our coffee and watch it swirl about until it is fully integrated with the rich, dark nectar of the morning. This Levenger True Writer fountain pen seems to capture that split second in time. It also appears to be made from a slightly different material as most True Writer pens. The gunmetal trim looks nice, plus it comes with a box. If you love smooth-writing broad-point steel nibs, you are going to love our juicy friend on this preowned pen. Comes with a converter and uses standard international cartridges. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.8cm capped.

Karas Kustoms Vertex pens are a bold acrylic addition to the world of fountain pens. Black veins flow through red and orange flames in the cap and barrel. The snap cap is super strong. Only minimal wear will be found on the pen. You fill it with an included converter, but it also accepts standard international cartridges. Click the headline for close-ups. Its steel nib has a great design, and it writes a nice broad line with a little feedback. You'll see the nib is marked double broad, but we never got it quite that thick. nice wider grip and light weight. 13.2cm capped.

Every now and again we are faced with an inky mystery. Today that mystery is this De La Rue Everybody's Stylo 800/60. The imprint is shallow but clear enough to read. At first we thought it was a pencil, but its "lead" turned out to be an Ink-O-Graph-style tube without the pin in it to regulate ink flow. Even more confusing is that we don't see how it opens to refill it with ink. As such, the pen is unrestored. Nevertheless, the mottled orange hard rubber design is still stunning with no cracks and only light wear from history and past use. Perhaps this is a steal for someone who knows it better. 11.6cm capped.

Many consider the Waterman C/F to be the first of the modern-era pens, although it is a classic vintage pen. Why? It was, effectively, the first pen to use disposable plastic ink cartridges. Although a success, it was short lived. The biggest problem for vintage collectors is that the Waterman C/F doesn't use any modern cartridges or converters. Waterman wasn't using standard international cartridges in the 1950s, as the concept was yet to be invented. If you find a 1950s cartridge, you can refill it with a syringe to use this pen. Unfortunately, it doesn't include an original cartridge. The pen looks great, except for that big crack in the tail visible in the photo. You will write a medium line with its 14k gold nib. There is a some feedback. 13.2cm capped.

We got this pen from a friend who loves to tinker. When we got this pen to sell, we said, "Wait a second, what's this Danitrio Brillante doing with a 14k gold Sailor nib?" Then we remembered where we got the pen. This preowned pen is a limited edition numbered 101 of 200. Given that the pen originally came with a steel nib, we think this wrong nib is an upgrade. Click the headline for a close-ups. The pen is otherwise in great shape with minimal wear. It comes with its original converter. You will write a fine line with a hint of feedback, which makes sense given it is stamped H-F. 14cm capped.

The German luxury pen market is rather flooded, and Xezo is frequently overlooked. Nevertheless, this is a really handsome pen with platinum-plated trim and a mother-of-pearl design. It is numbered 204, but we don't know how many were made. You'll fine its two-tone steel nib writes a smooth line that we think is closer to medium, though the nib says it is a fine point. It comes with a Limited Edition box, although we aren't certain it is the correct box. It also comes with a converter and polishing cloth. Minimal wear from use. 14.4cm capped.

Twist the tail cap on this Lamy Logo one way, and you get a working blue ballpoint pen refill to write with. Twist it the other way, and a .5mm lead pencil emerges! I'm not sure what the official name of this writing instrument is, but we're calling it the Lamy Logo Duo. Both sides work well. It shows a little wear from use. This also is the last of our West German Lamys for a little while. Twice as fun as the other Lamy Logos! 14.2cm.