Vintage Pens with Nib Size: XF

Sheaffer Statesman fountain pens were part of the 1950s blast of snorkel pens. We restored this vintage pen with a new O-ring, point seal and ink sac. What makes these a little different is the "palladium silver" Triumph nib. We find it firmer than the gold conical nibs. Ours writes a dry, extra-fine line with a little feedback. There are no cracks or brassing. Some light wear from use. Its snorkel sticks out a little farther than we would like, but it works well. Pen measures 14.2cm capped.

Starting in the 1950s, Sheaffer began making cartridge-only pens with disposable plastic cartridges. Our Sheaffer Lady Skripsert was one such pen. It is quite attractive in its black-and-gold Tulle design. The cap and barrel only show a little wear from use, which is pretty good for a purse pen. The section shows more wear, and the nib is missing a fair amount of its gold plating. Click the headline for close-ups to see the extra-fine nib is just tweaked a little out of line. You'll write a very sharp extra-fine line with some scratch. The inkfeed seems a little out of alignment, and we couldn't slip it back into place without causing more damage. Sheaffer discontinued the slender cartridges for this pen, but the woman we got this from found a way to rig a standard international cartridge to fit. We left it in the pen as a demonstration to be reused. 13.7cm capped.

Sheaffer Balance pens can get a little confusing when you look at the imprints. This Sheaffer Balance has a 350 under the usual imprint, just like another pen we recently posted. However, our striated green version is a fully inch shorter than the striated golden brown. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. No cracks nor brassing. There's a tiny chip in the lip of the cap. You will write a dry, extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. The barrel has the name "Beatrice L. Best" imprinted on it. We don't know who she was, but she had a cool pen. 12.1cm capped.

Arguments might be had about whether this Sheaffer Balance comes with an extra-fine nib or an accountant nib. Whatever it is, no one will mistake this 14k gold nib for a fine, medium or broad. It is a sharp #3 nib that has a little feedback, too. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. No cracks nor brassing. But light wear from use. Long and slender, it looks good with Sheaffer's golden-brown striated design. Click the headline for close-ups. 14cm capped.

New to vintage pens and looking for a reliable daily user? Old to vintage pens and looking for a reliable daily user? Either way, this Parker 51 Special is a reliable daily user. Burgundy with a polished steel cap, it is a handsome pen with only light wear from use and neither cracks nor dents. Its aerometric filler is original and working well. Specials are different from standard 51s in that they have steel nibs. However, this pen writes as smooth an extra-fine to fine line as any gold nib. There is a black jewel in the top of the cap. 13.9cm capped.

Paul E. Wirt pens were the most popular of the late 1800s. They continued on into the 20th century, and this is a Wirt ringtop from the 1920s. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. We also worked to de-oxidize the chocolate hazing. We didn't get it back to perfect black, but it nice and the chasing is clearly visible. You will write a really nice, smooth extra-fine to fine line. It has a tiny bit of flex, but we wouldn't call it a semi-flex nib. No cracks or deep scratches. 11cm capped.

Oversized carmine Sheaffer Premiers are a real treat when they have fully restored Vacuum-Fil systems. We had the great Sherrell Tyree restore this exceedingly handsome vintage pen. No cracks, no deep scratches, minimal brassing. This pen is a beaut with only minor wear from use. We've filled it and written with it to make sure it is working well. You will write a very nice extra-fine line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. A treasure for any Sheaffer collector and lover of vintage writing instruments. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.7cm capped.

If there was one pen that taught Americans how to write with a fountain pen, it was the Esterbrook J-model. Required by many high schools and professional schools in the 1950s, these vintage pens were attractive, easy to use, easy to customize and very affordable. We restored this J-model pen with a new ink sac. If you have a spare Esterbrook nib, these are easy to customize by simply unscrewing the old nib and screwing in a new one. Its steel 1555 Gregg was designed for practitioners of the Gregg Shorthand Method. Mostly stenographers, secretaries and journalists. You will find it is extra-fine with some feedback. No cracks or deep scratches. Staining to the barrel threads and the pocket clip isn't flush against the side of the cap. 12.7cm capped.