Vintage Pens

Spring is almost here. Why not celebrate with this perky green Esterbrook SJ fountain pen? We restored it with a new ink sac. The cap and barrel are nearly perfect, except for the big chip missing from the top black cap jewel. Its fine-point steel Venus nib is a later replacement nib. We find it writes a little dry and closer to the extra-fine spectrum. 12cm 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.

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.

Parker Duofolds were the most popular pens of the 1920s, but not everyone could afford one. The Parker Lucky Curve was a more affordable option. It is the thinner, less flashy version. We don't know if this is its original box, but it is a great vintage box with instructions. We restored the vintage pen with a new ink sac. The main part of the cap and barrel are black permanite, and the section and end caps are black hard rubber. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a nice fine line with its 14k gold nib that also flexes just a little. Light wear on the cap and barrel. Looks pretty sharp. 13.4cm capped.

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.

There's nothing like writing with a junior-sized Sheaffer Lifetime. Possibly a little overlooked, these are fantastic pens with great nibs. Yes, the nibs are firm, but they also are smooth. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. It shows some wear from use and some brassing on the pocket clip and cap band. However, it remains a solid pen nearly 100 years after it was made. You will write a smooth, wet fine to extra-fine line with its thick 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. The nib photo shows a hairline crack in the nib from the section through the second 6 in the serial number and into the U of U.S.A. on the imprint. The nib seems stable and still writes well. The pen measures 11.2cm 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.