Vintage Pens with Nib Size: M

We love the ease of the pneumatic filling of a Sheaffer Valiant TM. This vintage pen is better known as the thin model of the TouchDown filler. We replaced the O-rings and ink sac. This classic Sheaffer from the early 1950s shows a little wear from use but no cracks or deep scratches. Click the headline for close-ups. It comes with a conical "Triumph" nib. It is a two-tone 14k gold nib, and you will write a smooth, wet medium line with it. A great daily driver and an excellent addition to get started on using vintage pens. 13.6cm capped.

As ballpoints were gaining popularity in the 1950s for their no-mess filling and writing, Sheaffer got clever with its TouchDown filling system and upgraded it to have a "snorkel" that dipped in ink and never needed wiping down. Quite the feat of engineering, it was a brilliant and popular solution for people who preferred writing with fountain pens. This is the Sheaffer Sentinel model of that snorkel pen in the less-common color known as "buckskin beige." Our vintage pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac, point seal and O-ring. Aside from a little mark on the barrel and a hint of a dimple left of the pocket clip on the cap, this pen look pretty sharp. You will write a nice medium line with its two-tone 14k gold "Triumph" nib. 14.1cm capped.

In the second quarter of 1942, the United States was getting its tail kicked pretty hard around the Pacific and U-boats were making a mess of our shipping efforts in the Atlantic. Nevertheless, this Parker Duofold was made and has persevered ever since. We found it in a well-cared for collection in good working order, so we didn't replace the diaphragm. Its blue-and-grey stripes really stand out as an art deco beauty. The pocket clip and clip ring are pretty chewed up, but the celluloid is in very good shape. Nice aluminum speedline filler. You will write a smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib. Slightly smaller and more slender than some Duofolds. 12.3cm capped.

Following up the huge success of the Eversharp Skyline pen was the Eversharp Symphony. This first edition of the pen featured another great cap design by Rey Loewy. Although it is called the "slipper cap," we think it looks more space-agey. We restored this great green-and-gold-filled vintage pen with a new ink sac. It has a little wear from use, but it is still a pretty amazing pen. You will write a very smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib. 13.9cm capped.

Some pens fall into the grey area where naming them is concerned. Is this the Esterbrook CA Deluxe or Esterbrook Safari Deluxe? We aren't sure, but it is an attractive grey pen. It also is cartridge only...and they stopped making the cartridges for these nearly 70 years ago. Unfortunately, this one does not come with an old cartridge. It does come with an amazingly smooth medium nib made of steel. Once you find its sweet spot, you'll want to write all day with it. Click the headline for close-ups. The nib might be marked fine, but it is definitely a medium. There is only light wear to the cap and barrel, too. 12.7cm capped.

Here's a rare treat for you. Welcome to the Waterman 7 Yellow! These pens were especially easy to identify by the colorful ring around the top of the cap. The ring corresponded to a nib named for the color. Each color represented a different use case for the pen. Yellow was designated for left-handed writers and anyone wanting a lot of tipping and customization. We find it writes a smooth, wet medium line. Better yet, we love that it has enough flex to go to about 2mm wide! Click the headline for a close-up of the pen and nib. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. It has a fair amount of brassing on the pocket clip, cap band and lever box. Luckily, no cracks or significant wear to the orange rippled hard rubber has been discovered. 14.2cm capped.

We don't think we can call this a pure-bred Parker Challenger. It seems to us that some long-ago repair person fitted it with a new cap band and section. We don't think that Parker Challengers ever came with an ink-view window. And although this section fits well in the barrel, the grip seems a size to small for the barrel. Regardless, we restored it with a new ink sac. ANNNND, it is a great writing pen with a delightfully smooth medium-point 14k gold nib! Our vintage pen shows the wear of past hard work, but there are no cracks. Ready for more hard work, this pen can make for a great daily driver. 13cm capped.

Golden Pearl is always one of our favorite Parker Vacumatic colors. This Parker Vacumatic Debutant set looks stunning. The vintage pen is fully restored with a new diaphragm, and the cap and barrel sport minimal wear from use. No brassing, but the barrel is a bit ambered. The dating on this set is great, as it was made on the cusp of 1939. The barrel imprint on the pen says 1st quarter 1939. The two-tone 14k gold nib sports a 1938 date. And the working clicker pencil has a Q4 1938 date code. You will write a nice medium line with the nib, by the way. Remember, the Debutants are the smallest of the Vac models. Pen measures 12cm capped.