All Pens and Ephemera

Let's face it, sometimes we just buy the pen for the nib. Our Parker Sonnet is a hearty and loyal daily writer, but it has a ton of deep scratches and is even missing some of its finish on the tail of the pen. Click the headline for close-ups. Its brass-barrel construction makes it far more durable than other preowned luxury pens. The real treasure of this pen is its bouncy, fine-point 18k gold nib. It doesn't qualify as a true semi-flex nib, but it does have some nice bounce to it. Also included is a Parker converter. This pen also takes Parker cartridges. 13.3cm capped.

We think that this is the short-lived Imperial fountain pen made in Nassau, NY. The cap band is imprinted with the Imperial name, much like the very rare Parker Vacumatic pens with a "Vacumatic" engraved in the cap band. We think the trim might be plated-silver that is brassing. A good ink sac has been installed. We love the blue-and-grey design. It comes with an "Imperial" imprinted 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. You will see the bottom side of the nib is cracked in the photo. You will write a semi-flex line that grows from extra-fine to about 1mm wide. It is a big scratchy. 13.3cm capped.

How is it Italian craftsmen and women seem to come up with some of the most beautiful pen designs in modern pens? We love the stunning amber celluloid that seems to an ancient essence found in artifacts from Rome and around the Mediterranean. On really close examination you will find little bits of wear and damage, but it is impossible to see at a passing glance. You fill the pen with a piston activated by the little silver disc on the tail. It writes a very smooth medium line for a steel nib. It also includes its box and papers. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Harkening back to 1920s black hard rubber with "chasing" designs, this Waterman LeMan Opera fountain pen is a stunningly handsome modern luxury pen. The cap and barrel are in nearly perfect condition. The gold-plated trim has just a little schmutz and wear on the tail end. Click the headline for close-ups. Its two-tone 18k gold nib writes a nice fine-medium line. It is a soft nib that responds to light pressure, but this is not a conventional semi-flex nib. The thin 18k gold is easily sprung. The pen includes a box and papers. 14.4cm capped.

Parker Royal Challengers are handsome vintage pens that offered a slightly less expensive option for pen users who couldn't afford the flagship Vacumatics. This pen is nearly perfect, except for its nickel-plated trim, which is heavily worn. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. It is a button-filler like the older Parker Duofolds. Its ink viewing window is ambered. You will write a nice fine line with its 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. It has a clean imprint that states it is from the first quarter of 1940. 12.2cm capped.

Pale blue makes for a handsome Esterbrook CA fountain pen. These were Esterbrook's cartridge-only pens. Unfortunately, there are no Esterbrook cartridges that are officially available. However, we've heard rumor that you can tweak a Sheaffer cartridge into working. No cracks mar the cap or barrel. You will see a little light surface wear, but, overall, the pen is in great shape. It comes with a steel 1551 nib that we find writes a fine-medium line with a little light feedback. 13.1cm capped.

New Old Stock Esterbrook CA fountain pens are not an everyday occurrence. This vintage pen still has its original sticker, and the nib does not show any sign of ink. Depending on how your screen is calibrated, this is definitely a bright orange pen. It is close to day-glo orange. Click the headline for close-ups of the nib and sticker. This is a steel 1555 Gregg nib for the famed Gregg shorthand method. No cracks. No cartridge, either. We don't know a modern cartridge that would fit this. Light wear from rattling around a drawer for 60-odd years. 13.2cm capped.

A sense of irony must have been in the minds of the executives at Krone when they named this rollerball pen the Krone Vintage Pen. Nothing says vintage like modern rollerball refills. LOL! Our preowned pen is in excellent condition with only light, if any, wear. Unscrew the black tail cap to replace the P8126 capless rollerball refill. Our pen has a working black refill, but we don't know how much ink is left. As such, we include a spare refill. 11.8cm capped.