All Pens and Ephemera

Streamlining gave the Parker Duofold a fancy edge in the late 1920s. These red-marble celluloid models were even hotter. We just restored this one with a new ink sac. We also got the topper to the cap much darker, as it had substantially more chocolate hazing than it does now. Heavy brassing on the ball of the pocket clip and on the bottom cap band. No cracks, but there is a wear mark around the barrel where the cap posted. You will write a firm, fine line with its 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. The pen isn't junior sized...nor is it oversized. 12cm capped.

If we lived in a world in which one could only have one fountain pen, the Pelikan Souveran M800 would be the one for us. Well built, always reliable, holds a ton of ink, large but not oversized. Perfect. Our preowned luxury pen is a great daily driver and it looks great with only a little light wear from use. This one sports the two-tone 18kt gold nib. It is marked fine point, but it writes closer to a medium, as most German pens do. We tuned this one a bit, and it is mostly smooth. You might find that it squeaks a little as it writes. 14.1cm capped.

Married sets aren't uncommon, but this set features a mixed set of stickered new-old-stock Parker 51s. The fountain pen is likely from the 1960s with its black jewel in the cap. Nevertheless, it is stickered and the ink sac is completely clear. The pencil is a click-advance .9mm variant with a grey-pearl jewel from the 1950s. We found this set in the leftover merchandise of an old general store that closed decades ago. Maybe the original shopkeeper mixed around the pens and pencils. The vintage pen's sticker is marked "M" for a medium nib made of 14k gold.

The Sheaffer Snorkel enthusiast in us wants to call this a Sheaffer Valiant, but sometimes the earlier Sheaffer TouchDown pens are different from the later snorks. We restored this elegant vintage pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. No cracks mar its surfaces, but there are a couple little nicks that the gleaming black helps hide. You will write a very nice fine line with its firm "Triumph" nib made of two-tone 14k gold. Class up your daily work routine with this classic pen.

Sheaffer Cadet? Sheaffer Admiral? We never fully grasped the naming conventions for the Sheaffer TouchDown pens before they switched to Snorkels. Yet, a rose by any other name...we can still restore. We replaced the ink sac and O-ring in this vintage pen, and now it works great. You will write a dry extra-fine line with its two-tone, 14k gold Feather Touch nib. The pen looks great on a passing glance. Yet a close inspection will show it has many scratches and a little discoloration. No cracks. No brassing. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm capped.

There's a Van Gogh "Starry Night" quality to this Sailor 1911 fountain pen in a lapis-like blue. It looks to be almost new, but we know it has been used, as we flushed some old ink out. A Sailor converter is included. Click the headline for close-ups. You will see its 14k gold nib is marked "H-M" for hard medium...no flex. As it is a Japanese nib, it writes finer than an American or European medium nib. There is a little feedback from the rigidity. 14cm capped.

Easily mistaken for a Parker Challenger Deluxe, this appears to be a large Parker Thrift Time pen...or possibly another Depression era vintage pen from Parker. We restored it with a new ink ink sac. We find it to be a really handsome pen with some wear from use back in the day. No cracks but heavy brassing on the pocket clip. You will write a nice, wet medium line with some feedback using its 14k gold nib. These pens helped sustain Parker during the Great Depression when most people couldn't afford their premium Vacumatics. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm capped.

If you like a preowned luxury pen with nice girth and a smooth 1mm stub nib, you are going to love this Aurora Talentum fountain pen. Golden trim and a brick-red cap and barrel make a handsome combination. Only light wear can be seen on the pen. It is way more fun to focus on its dynamic 14k gold nib. Included with the pen is its Aurora converter. We believe these also take Parker converters and cartridges, in case you can't fine Aurora ones. 13.6cm capped.