Filling Mechanism: Cartridge/Converter

Here it is! The granddaddy of the Jade Parker Duofold Centennial fountain pen. The largest of the modern Duofold line is in nearly mint condition with little to no wear from use...except for possibly a light ring of wear around the center of the golden cap bands. Our preowned luxury pen comes with a working Parker converter. You will write a very smooth, wet fine-medium line with its two-toned 18k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. Our pen was made in the third quarter of 1996--the first year these pens in this color were made. The Centennials were the "oversized" version of the pen at 13.6cm capped. However, oversized might be overstating how big it is. It certainly isn't as fat as a Montblanc 149 or Pelikan 1000.

Jade isn't the rarest color in the modern Parker Duofold line, but it was only made from 1996 through 2001 and was not a big seller. Our jade Parker Duofold International is the more slender version of the pen and was made in the 2nd quarter of 1996, the first year of this design. Our preowned pen is in like-new condition with minimal, if any, wear. When we dipped its two-tone 18k gold nib, it wrote a very nice fine line on what we felt was the dry side. A Parker converter is included with the pen. 13.1cm capped.

Stately luxury is the theme of this Cartier Gordon fountain pen. Plated in palladium and gold there is a dash of art deco design. A preowned pen, close inspection shows lots of light wear from use but no dents or deep scratches. You will write a nice, fine-medium line with its two-tone 18k gold nib. There is a hint of feedback, but it isn't bad. Our pen comes with a working standard international converter, but it isn't the original Cartier converter. A little heftier than most pens, it measures 14.2cm capped.

Germany is a tough market for luxury pens, and it is a shame that Faber-Castell often gets overlooked. This is their Graf von Faber Castell fountain pen. Sterling silver plates its cap, section and tail end. Pernambuco wood handsomely furnishes the barrel. Its two-tone 18k gold nib writes a smooth medium line. However, we think it will write even better after you've used it for a little while. On our brief testing, it had the occasional hard start and random hint of feedback. Yet, the longer we wrote with it, the more these ticks in its behavior went away. No dents or scratches. Includes a standard international converter. 13.7cm capped.

Splashing blue and violet flakes that capture the light at all angles against a black background, the Namiki Custom Impression fountain pen is a real looker. Namiki calls this the "Medley" design, and it certainly plays on our hearts. Our preowned pen is in like-new condition. Better yet, you will write a buttery smooth broad line with its remarkable 14k gold nib! Perhaps a hair more fine than standard American and European broad nibs, this beauty remains a juicy competitor for full broad status. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Cross Townsends have to be one of the most unfairly underrated luxury pens on the market today. Amazingly smooth and dependable--plus they have the classic look of a fountain pen. This Cross Townsend is especially special as a limited edition made with real jade. Although we do not have the original box and papers, it does not appear to have been inked. When we filled it with water to test it, the water was clean. Click the headline for close-ups. You will see its two-tone 18k gold nib is marked as a fine point. However, in case it is new old stock, we did not try writing with it. 15cm capped.

In the early 2000s, Sheaffer Intrigue fountain pens offered one last clever twist on filling mechanisms. Instead of doing a boring old "twist the section to open the pen" for replacing a cartridge or refill the converter, the Sheaffer Intrigue has a special back quarter of the pen that unscrews to slide out a little carriage that holds either a cartridge or a modified converter. Behind that is a little blind cap that can activate the converter while it is still hidden in the barrel. This pen comes with one of those unique converters and its original box. Only light wear can be seen on the cap or barrel. You will write a smooth fine line with its inlaid 14k gold nib. However, the nib is marked M for medium. It just doesn't seem to write that way. 13.7cm capped.

At one point in yesteryear, there was no transnational travel more glamorous than the train route known as the Orient Express. Royalty and celebrity hobnobbed on its cars from Paris to Istanbul over an approximately 3-day run. It was considered "The train of kings and the king of trains." Our S.T. Dupont Orient Express pays tribute to that great locomotive. In like-new condition, we think this pen has only been dipped once or twice. Not a mark appears to have blemished the glittering blue cap and barrel. You'll write a very smooth fine line with its rhodium-plated 18k gold nib. Comes complete with its original boxes and most of its papers. (Not sure if it had a large square booklet or not.) Click the headline for close-ups. 15.2cm capped.