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Pens and Ephemera

Inkwells come in so many different beautiful shapes and sizes. This one appears to be white milk glass with brass trim. The lid to the antique inkwell has what looks like a polished amethyst stone (or polished glass, we aren't sure, but it is a pretty purple) on top. We don't know who made it. The only marking on it is inside the lid with a patent date of Dec. 28 1897. The bottom has a dried leather or paper pad to protect the desktop surface. It is a discreet but attractive desk piece. The round base measures 3 inches across. The whole piece's height is only about 2.5 inches.

GARAGE SALE ITEM 8: Ever say to yourself, "I need to pour out a dirty bag of third tier pens and parts and just revel in the joy of it all?" Well, then, my friend, today is your lucky, lucky day. There's nothing special in here. It is literally a dirty bag of parts. If you ever wanted some cheap old pens to tear apart to learn how to do pen restoration, this is ideal. No Refunds. No Returns.

GARAGE SALE OFFERING #3: The theme of this pairing is silver and broken clips. There is a sterling silver Tiffany (as in Breakfast at....) ballpoint pen and a likely silver plated Wahl-Eversharp pencil, also missing a clip. The pen has a black refill. We don't know how well the ballpoint actually works, and we aren't sure if the pencil works at all. Fix 'em. Melt 'em down. We don't care. It is a garage sale bargain. No returns. No refunds.

We don't often carry hand-turned pens, but we are helping a close friend sell a collection, and this on is especially attractive. According to its "certificate of authenticity" it is an MRX Designs Green Swirl fountain pen, which was hand turned by Mark Gonzales in Brooklyn, Ohio, in 2021. Made of burl wood and green-and-white resin, it is tricked out with an "antique brass" set of trim. It still looks new, and it was a great Covid lockdown handicraft. Its golden allow nib writes a fine line with a little feedback. It appears to only take standard international cartridges. 13.1cm capped.

Asian themes rise in the relief work of what we are calling the Rosetta Pagoda pen. The only identifying mark we recognize on the pen is "Rosetta" on the steel nib. The golden pagoda roof on the cap is the reason we opted for the name. The barrel has dragons on it, among other things. The high spots seem a little worn or darkened. We don't know what was used to make the pen, but it is fairly heavy. It comes with a Schmidt standard international converter. You will find the nib to be a buttery smooth broad. UPDATE: We've been told this might be a modified Jinhao with an improved Rosetta nib. 14.7cm capped.

Kick up your desk's fashion sense a notch with an attractive rocker blotter. We think the top of this blotter is made of pewter, but we aren't sure. A steel bottom bends like a spring to remove and replace the blotter paper. This model comes with blue blotter paper that was used twice and is ready for more action. The metal topper gives it some nice heft. There is some wear on the "pewter" topper. 9.2cm L X 5.2cm W X 3.3cm H.

Every desk could use a classic rocker blotter to complete the look of a fountain pen lifestyle. This wooden blotter shows a little wear from use. You unscrew the knob to access and replace the blue blotter paper held within. It has a little ink staining from use but still has a long life of blotting ahead of it. 4 1/4 inches wide by 2 1/8th inches tall.

Who says pens need to be serious all the time. Some can be serious fun! Take our Hechter Travel Pen for example. It is like writing with an entire safari in Africa. As far as quality goes, it is just a basic fountain pen with a steel nib. It comes with a converter, too. The clip seems to have heavy brassing, and the pen has some wear. There is a little crack in the lip of the cap. Do NOT post the cap on the tail. You will write a fine line with a little feedback. 14cm capped.