All Pens and Ephemera

Parker VP pens heralded many great innovations in their short production run. Without these pens, the Parker 75 would never have been the mega hit it became. Our favorite innovation is the adjustable nib. You can carefully pinch the nib and turn it to the left or right to better suit how your hand grips its ergonomic section. Click the headline for close-ups of the pen and nib. Our vintage pen is in good working order. It comes with an original aerometric filler with the see-though window. Many of these are broken in other pens, but our's is still intact! There are cracks in the cap or barrel, just some light to moderate wear from use. The only dent is under the arrow clip. Its 14k gold nib writes a fine line with a little feedback. 13.7cm capped.

One of the most popular fountain pens of the 1950s was the Esterbrook J-series line of pens. Required by many high schools and trade schools, these steel-nibbed beauties helped to teach the Baby Boomer generation how to write with an "ink pen." We restored this shorter Esterbrook SJ model with a new ink sac. It is quite possibly a married pen, as the cap is a shade or two darker than the barrel. Its 2556 nib is considered an upgrade nib. You will write a fine line with a little feedback with this nib. The nib has a lot of pock-marked damage around the breather hole, which is clear in the photos. Click the headline for close-ups. The pen also has light to moderate wear from use. The best part about these pens is how easily customized they are. You unscrew the nib to replace it with one of three dozen point sizes! 11.8cm capped.

Japanese Maki-e designs are one of the hottest trends in pens, these days. This Trio Cumlaude fountain pen has one such design with a koi pond in mind. It is a lovely pen with great, textured art work. It fills using standard international cartridges. You will write a smooth medium line with its 18k gold nib. The cap and barrel only have the lightest of wear, if any, from use. 14.2cm capped.

Extra-fine-nib fans, we have a special treat for you. Check out our Platinum #3776 fountain pen in black and gold-plated trim. OMG! This is a real treat to write home about. Precision Japanese engineering helped to make this extra-fine, 14k gold nib a true Japanese-extra-fine-writing joy! There's a touch of feedback, but it isn't a scratchy writer. Our pen was gently used and has minimal to light wear. Click the headline for close-ups. It comes with a proprietary converter. 14cm capped.

Good luck finding a more perfect oversized black-and-pearl than this 1935 Sheaffer Lifetime Balance. There isn't a hint of brown discoloration, and there are no cracks or deep scratches. It is fully restored with a new ink sac. Obviously, no one is perfect, and this--to us--has two nearly insignificant flaws and one big one. A tiny piece of the gold plate chipped off the flat-ball pocket clip. AND, a previous repair person shaved the lip of the cap a little to eliminate a small chip...most likely. The big flaw is this has the wrong section, nib and flat feed, most likely from a late 1920s Lifetime flattop. You will write an insanely dry, extra-fine line with what we suspect was an accountant's nib. It barely writes at all and might need to be broken in a little, IF you want to write with it. However, this pen looks so amazing, we totally understand if it would be for display only. 14cm capped.

Something just clicks instant gratification inside our obsessive-compulsive soul at seeing a Conklin Word Gauge fountain pen. It can't possibly be accurate in any way, but it makes one feel so accomplished as the ink level drops to each new hash mark on the clear barrel. Our modern Conklin Word Gauge fountain pen is a beautiful recreation of the vintage pen. This pre-owned pen looks just shy of mint condition. It has silver plated trim and a working piston filler. You will write an extra-fine line that is a little dry on ascenders, while sensing some light feedback. The two-tone 14k gold nib is marked fine, but it looks a lot closer to extra-fine to us. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

If you are looking for an oversized Sheaffer Lifetime Balance pen that is bordering on perfection...you can stop looking. Our shining black beauty is scratchless and crackless. It has a strong imprint. Naturally, it is restored with a new ink sac. It only has two minor flaws. First, a shade of plating missing from the bottom of the pocket clip. Second, the cap band jiggles a little. We don't think the cap band is in danger of coming off; it just wiggles a little. Click the headline for a close-up of the rarish two-tone 14k gold nib over a flat feed. If you like dry, extra-fine lines, you'll love this pen. It is so dry we worry it might have a flow problem, but if you're an extra fine fan, you might already know how to work around that. Otherwise, it is close to museum worthy. 14.1cm capped.

We were so excited to see the Wahl-Eversharp Skyline brought back to life in the early 2000s. The resurrected Wahl-Eversharp company updated the best-selling pen of the 1940s with a clever converter insert. The company also catered to the trend in demonstrator pens with this see-through orange design. Its cap is plated silver. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a wet medium line with its smooth 18k gold nib. This pen has seen a little use, and there is only minimal wear. Also remarkable is that it is almost as light in the hand as the original pens! 13.5cm capped.