All Pens and Ephemera

More Americans learned how to use a fountain pen with Esterbrook than any other pen brand. High schools and secretarial schools often demanded Esterbrook pens for their students because these pens were so affordable and easily customized. This copper colored Esterbrook LJ is a long slender vintage pen. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. It comes with a steel 2968 nib. It writes a smooth medium line if your write slowly, but it gets scratchy on ascenders and descenders when you write quickly. Regardless of what you think of this nib, it is easily replaced by unscrewing. Esterbrook made roughly 3 dozen different nib points. 12.7cm capped.

If the engraved pattern on this pre-owned pen looks familiar, it is inspired by the Lismore pattern on Waterford crystal goblets! It should come as no surprise then that it is indeed made by Waterford and called the Lismore pen. Silver plated, it sports only light wear from use. Advance and retract the working blue Parker-style refill with a twist of the tail cap. 13.5cm capped.

Parker 180 nibs swing two ways, so to speak. On this particular vintage pen, the 14k gold nib writes a smooth fine line on one side and an extra-fine line with a little feedback on the other side. Some people might take umbrage at calling it vintage, but these first came out more than 40 years ago. Our Parker 180 Imperial is a gold-filled model with pin stripes. It has only light wear from use that is barely noticeable. It comes with an original converter, but it also takes modern Parker cartridges. 13.2cm capped.

Montblanc 146 pens are amazing pens, but we especially love getting one in the rarer Bordeaux wine color. These were discontinued in the early 2000s, and it is great to be able offer this preowned luxury pen from the early 1990s. We can date it by the fact it has a serial number in the clip band and no "Pix" under the clip. Guaranteed authentic. We got it from a friend who is a dedicated Montblanc collector who only bought from authorized dealers. Best of all this pen looks almost like brand new. The original owner likely only used it once, as the piston head is still very clean looking. Works perfectly. Its two-tone nib is made of the superior 14k gold. It is a medium point, and the point still has a little feedback, as if it hasn't been broken-in yet! It is almost like buying a brand new pen. Too bad it doesn't come with a box. 14.6cm capped.

Bordering true flexi, this semi-flex Mabie Todd Swan 142/1 is a remarkable vintage pen. Fully restored, we installed a new ink sac. It has a chased black hard rubber cap and barrel. The cap is a little more discolored with chocolate hazing than the barrel. It also sports beautifully engraves initials and a deep scar visible in the photo. Click the headline for close-ups. The pen is long and about as wide as a Waterman 54...wider and easier to grip than the 52. Its imprints are sharp and easy to read. Its 14k gold #2 nib is scratched up on top, but it writes very well with flex from fine to 1mm. There's a little feedback, which is expected on many semi-flex nibs. 13.8cm capped.

Like thick fog whispering through the night, the undulating grey tones wisping through the celluloid are stunning to look at on this luxurious Signum Carina fountain pen. Our preowned pen is complete with a standard international converter. The pen is in like-new condition. Its 18k gold nib writes a smooth medium line. 14.2cm capped.

Parker's last real fountain pen for the entry-level masses during the golden age of fountain pens was the Parker 45. This vintage pen is in good working order. It comes with a working original converter, and it also uses modern Parker cartridges. We like the fact this one comes with the gold nib option. You will write an extra-fine line with some feedback. The barrel has moderate wear. 13.6cm capped.

More than just an awesome Omas Milord pen, this is a vermeil version with a gold-plated sterling silver tail cap. This is even an older model! It uses the earlier Omas refills, and comes with a working black refill. No dents or deep scratches mar the pen, but it looks as if the silver is starting to show through the gold in places. It comes with a nice leather pouch in excellent condition. 13.9cm.