All Pens and Ephemera

We don't often get excited about ringtop fountain pens, but this Parker Lady Duofold is something else. It is pretty close to mint for a 100-year-old pen. Really crisp milling on the top of the cap and blind cap. Deep, sharp imprint that is kinda uncommon for Lady Duofolds. Our vintage pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac. The only real imperfection with the pen is that the cap is several shades lighter than the barrel. Yet, it has a raised cap band, which is often desired. Click the headline for close-ups. Its 14k gold nib writes a smooth fine line with a hint of feedback. It has a "Christmas tree" inkfeed. No brassing. 12cm capped.

Another West German Lamy Safari ballpoint has arrived. It doesn't look 40ish years old. In fact, there are only light traces of wear. Even its West German-made refill still seems to be working. Click the headline for close-ups. It is interesting that it has that little beige band around the top. 13.8cm capped.

If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime grail pen. A true grail-quest pen. This oversized Sheaffer Balance Demonstrator might be it. This beauty is something we have never seen before and likely something we will never see again. No cracks. No matter what your screen indicates, it has discolored to a pale yellow-green. The section jiggles a little. There a touch of brassing on the trim. Possibly a touch of krazing at the ends...could also just be the way things come together on the insides. We don't know if the 14k gold Secretary nib is original...but who cares. That nib alone is quite rare. It has a fresh ink sac. However, we'd never use it. It would be the centerpiece of our museum display...if we had a museum display. We dipped the nib, and it writes a nice medium line with light feedback. Click the headline for a close-up! 14.1cm capped.

Yeah. We get it. It feels weird to us, too. But, hear us out. Lamy Safari pens don't generally wind up being called vintage pens. We struggle with defining vintage all the time, as you'll know from our blog and magazine stories. Buuuut, this Charcoal colored fountain pen was made in "W. Germany." There hasn't been a West or East Germany in roughly 35 years. And this pen was probably made before reunification. Sooo, it ain't exactly new. It is gently used, sports some shallow surface scuffs and scratches and in good working order. The section doesn't have the slots for the modern "red" Lamy converter. This comes with a Lamy "black" converter. Click the headline for a close-up of the nib and W. Germany imprint. You will write a smooth broad line. Cap closure isn't very strong. 13.8cm capped.

Yeah. We get it. It feels weird to us, too. But, hear us out. Lamy Safari pens don't generally wind up being called vintage pens. We struggle with defining vintage all the time, as you'll know from our blog and magazine stories. Buuuut, this 2nd gen Charcoal colored rollerball pen was made in "W. Germany." There hasn't been a West or East Germany in roughly 35 years. And this pen was probably made before reunification. Sooo, it ain't exactly new. It is gently used, sports some shallow surface scuffs and scratches and in good working order. It has a dried vintage black refill marked W. Germany. However, we include a new refill, too. 13.8cm capped.

Yeah. We get it. It feels weird to us, too. But, hear us out. Lamy Safari pens don't generally wind up being called vintage pens. We struggle with defining vintage all the time, as you'll know from our blog and magazine stories. Buuuut, this 2nd gen Charcoal colored ballpoint pen was made in "W. Germany." There hasn't been a West or East Germany in roughly 35 years. And this pen was probably made before reunification. Sooo, it ain't exactly new. It is gently used and in good working order. It has a working black refill in it...but it, too, is marked W. Germany. Don't count on it being too full. 13.8cm retracted.

Carter's Pens are always a vintage pen lover's treat. When we first discovered this pen in the bottom of a box, we were pretty psyched. As we cleaned and polished it, it became obvious that this pen came from 3 different models of pens. The rounded tail of an oversized Carter's Pen is made of plastic. The squared cap with an orange ring and fine pinstriping is definitely a Carter's Pen cap that is made of hard rubber. And when we got a layer of schmutz off the 14k gold nib, it turned out to be a large Conklin Crescent nib. Oh well. It is still a nice pen. We restored it with a new ink sac. You will write a smooth, wet medium line with its gold nib. Heavy brassing on the cap trim and a crack in the lip of the cap. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.6cm capped.

We love giving vintage pens a second chance. This Wahl-Eversharp Gregg has a little bit of a banana bow in it from having once been left in the sun. Nevertheless, we restored it with a new ink sac. Its insides are a bit rusty and it shows plenty of wear. It ain't gonna win any best-in-show awards, but it remains a good daily driver. The thing we find especially fascinating about this pen is its enamel "Gregg" emblem for the top cap jewel and a somewhat rarish 14k gold nib that reads "Gregg" instead of Wahl or Eversharp. To the casual observer, it is easily mistaken for a Wahl-Eversharp Symphony. Click the headline for a close-up. It writes a smooth medium line when you find it sweet spot. It gets a little scratchy outside of its sweet spot. 13.3cm capped.