Vintage Pens

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.

There is something especially attractive about this all-grey with gold trim Eversharp Skyline pen. It is an uncommon color combination, though not impossible to find. This one was restored before it came to us and has a very fresh ink sac. No cracks but a little brassing and some surface wear. The name "Evelyn Williams" is engraved on the side of the pen. Click the headline for close-ups. There are many Evelyn Williams in this world, and we doubt it was the pen of the famous British painter when she was a teenager. You will write a very smooth fine or extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib...depending on how you define the two nib sizes. 12.3cm capped.

Some pen historians blame the Eversharp CA line of pens for effectively bankrupting the company. Spending millions on the rights to the Biro ballpoint refill patent, the company rushed their ballpoints into production without perfecting their manufacture and use. It also slapped a lifetime warranty on the pens, and nearly all the pens failed, resulting in crippling refunds. This is the Eversharp CA from the Fifth Avenue line, the second model to include a ballpoint design. Click the headline for close-ups. This pen is burgundy with golden trim. It shows light wear but no cracks or dents. The pocket clip jiggles. Notice the coiled refill? It was the company's effort to include even more ink in each pen. We don't think there is a replacement refill that will work in this pen. 13.4cm capped.

Here's something you don't see every day: the Eversharp Coronet! We think these vintage pens represent the very pinnacle of art deco design in pens. We especially love the red cathedral triangles on the top of the gold-plated cap. We restored this pen several years ago, and it still seems to work well. The barrel is engraved "W.F.D." The cap and barrel only have light wear from use. The 14k gold nib is marked "Semi Flex." You will find it writes more of a smooth fine, but you can push it a little for some line variation. We just urge extreme caution. The pencil design matches perfectly but is engraved "Dawco." The pencil doesn't seem to be working, although it is cosmetically in very good shape. Click the headline for close-ups.

Esterbrook is most famous for it, but Wahl-Eversharp was the first that we know who made nib assemblies that screw in and out of its fountain pens. Click the headline on this Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal to see the word "Flexible" written on the nib. This was just one of a series of nibs that could be screwed in or out to better suit the needs of its writer. We don't find this 14k gold nib to be super flexible. It seems more like a semi-flex these days. You will write a nice fine to roughly 1mm line. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. Its woodgrain hard-rubber cap and barrel sport some wear and hazing. There is a little brassing on the lever, too. 12.1cm capped.

We don't know the model name for this black-hard rubber Wahl pen, but it is a very nice example of the company's 1920s manufacturing. The pattern is still crisp and there is minimal brassing. We couldn't get it open, but it does still have a working ink sac inside it. There is a little chocolate hazing overall with some larger spots of it on the cap. You will write a dry, extra-fine line with a little feedback...but the 18k gold nib also flexes just a little to give you about a half millimeter of line variation. Long and slender. 13cm capped.

Black ripples on orange hard rubber look fantastic on this Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal fountain pen. Our vintage pen is fully restored with a new ink sac. We think people will be most interested in its semi-flex 14k gold nib. It has a couple of small dents, but it writes a nice fine line to 1mm wide. There's a little feedback, as many semi-flex nibs do. There is a tiny chip in the lip of the cap but no cracks. You will find some brassing on the trim. We aren't sure that is the original section. Be very careful putting the cap back on the pen. Sometimes you will engage the wrong threads and touch the nib to the cap, as the nib seems too long. Yet, there is one engagement point where the tip of the nib does not touch the cap. Pen measures 12cm capped.

Among the epic failures of the golden era of vintage pen is the story of the Eversharp Symphony. Designed to replace the wildly popular Eversharp Skyline, this Eversharp Symphony is a handsome pen. We love the dark-blue barrel paired with the chrome and gold-plated cap. Unfortunately for Wahl-Eversharp, its Symphony never quite caught on with the writing public. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. The barrel has some moderate wear but no cracks or nasty scars. No dents mar the cap. You will write a really wet medim--some might call it broad. It has some feedback but not hideous. 14.1cm capped.