Vintage Pens

Nearly mint parts for French Safety Fillers don't come around every day. We have an incomplete pen with this Gold Starry No. 257. There is the cap, barrel, inner part and a tail piece that is not closed on either end. No nib or feed or other missing parts. Sold as is, no returns.

Conklin broke their own mold by releasing the stunning Endura line of pens and pencils in the mid-1920s. Our Conklin Endura is an early variant, as it is made of orange hard rubber with a woodgrain design. There is some wear from us and brassing on the cap band and trim. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. No cracks. You will write a juicy broad line with its 14k gold nib. A fun user for any vintage pen fan. 12.2cm capped.

We don't get many Onoto de la Rue pens on this site. This old black hard rubber pen is a bit of a mystery. We think this vintage pen has an early version of the plunger vacuum filler...similar to what Sheaffer began using in its Vac-fil technology. Our pen is unrestored and not working to fill the pen. No cracks nor deep scratches. Lots of wear from use. The pin strips on the cap and barrel are mostly gone. The two decorative bands on this pen are solid 18k gold. We dipped the 14k gold nib and found it just barely counts as a semi-flex nib working from extra fine to about broad. Don't smush the slip cap on too hard because you will break the slightly too long nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 14.5cm capped.

Almost perfect but not quite. There are a couple little dimples in the gold-plated cap band of this oversized ebony-and-pearl Sheaffer Balance Lifetime. It is a stunningly handsome pen that is actually made with abalone shell flakes, not pearl. No cracks or deep scratches. No brassing. Looks amazing. It also feels great in your hand, if you have larger hands. You will write a very nice, smooth fine line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. It is a firm nib, so you will feel the paper under your pen, but we don't think it is scratchy. There is ambering in the ink viewing window. Still, it is an amazing vintage pen. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

Our Palmer Method Woodgrain pen was undoubtedly sold by or for the school of handwriting also known as the Palmer Method. We have not previously seen a Palmer Method pen that didn't have some other branding on it. We strongly suspect that this pen was made by the Wahl-Eversharp company, but there are no markings to verify that beyond the shadow of a doubt. It just has similar design touches. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. No cracks or deep scratches. There is brassing on the cap bands and lever. You will write a razor-sharp extra-fine line that can flex out to about 1mm. This 14k gold nib is on the stiff side for a semi-flex nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.3cm capped.

The 1920s were THE decade for amazing semi-flex nibs. This Swan Mabie Todd 142/1 fountain pen has a fantastic semi-flex nib made of 14k gold. Not a wet noodle, this vintage pen still writes a great extra-fine to 1mm wide line. No cracks or chips. However, the chocolate hazing is obvious, as is the wear on the chasing of the black hard rubber. It does not appear this pen ever had a pocket clip. Initials are engraved in the wide cap band. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

Leboeuf invented the celluloid pen. Prior to this company from Springfield, Mass., pens were only made from hard rubber, metal or glass. Celluloid broadened the spectrum of colors and shapes pens could take. Our Leboeuf Unbreakable is actually quite breakable, but it also is an interesting piece of vintage pen history. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. This is a standard-size pen, not one of the hyper-expensive oversized pens. Unfortunately, the section has tons of scars and damage from past repairs. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a slightly varied line with its small-stub point 14k gold nib. It is a smooth writer, but we don't think it has any tipping. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.4cm capped.

Mandarin yellow Parker Duofold Juniors are not the most common of colors. Yet, streamlined versions are even more difficult to find. Our vintage pen was fully restored with a new sac several years ago. The photo doesn't showcase the nuance of the colors in the cap and barrel. The of the cap is a couple of shades lighter than the barrel. However, the barrel is inconsistent with some spots darker or lighter than others. The imprint is fairly well worn. No cracks. Minimal, if any, brassing. You will write a buttery smooth, wet fine line with its 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 11.5cm capped.