Filling Mechanism: Cartridge/Converter

Black with platinum-plated trim...or is it rhodium plating...always looks sharp on a luxury pen. Our preowned luxury pen is a Pelikan Ductus. These handsome beauties were only made for a short while. For Pelikan aficionados it is an 800-size pen. Click the headline for a close-up of the unique design of its 18k gold nib. It is marked "B" for broad, but when we tested it, we thought it felt more like a buttery smooth medium with a little line variation. Also unique to this pen is that it is cartridge only. Unscrew the blind cap in the tail to reveal a cartridge carriage that hold two standard international size cartridges...no converters. The cap logo is a frosted, silvery mama pelican with one chick. 14.3cm capped.

Golden Walnut wood makes for a very handsome version of the Conklin All American. Conklin describes the accents as rose gold, but we think they look more like copper. Either way, it looks great. No scratches or cracks. Numbered 318 of 1898. It comes with its original boxes and heavily stained--but working--converter. Click the headline for a close-up. Its steel nib has a blackening that is slightly scratched. It is marked as a flexible nib, but it is a pretty stiff flex-er. You can get a fine to 1mm line out of it, but it is a little on the scratchy side. 14.5cm capped.

Welllll, it looks just like a Parker Vector, but trusty readers have told us that it is a Parker Rialto. It has a brass cap and barrel foundation, unlike the mostly plastic Vectors. We like the two-tone color scheme. You will like the smooth-writing golden alloy nib that lays down a dry, fine line. It comes with an earlier aerometric-style squeeze-bar converter that still works. Takes modern Parker converters and cartridges, too. Light wear from use...not significant blemishes. 13.2cm capped.

Affordable and easy-to-use, Parker Vectors are great gateway drugs into using fountain pens. This preowned pen with a very modern design comes with a super-smooth steel nib that writes a great medium line. It fills with Parker cartridges or Parker converters. It comes with neither, but they are plentiful and easy to find. This dark-blue pen is very light weight. You'll find light wear from use, but there are no significant bits of damage. 13.1cm capped.

Made especially for people who want to take their fancy scripts to the next level, the Namiki Falcon is an excellent fountain pen. Click the headline for a close-up of its unique 14k gold nib. Do you see the imprint that says SF. That means it is a soft fine. In Namiki Speak, that means you will write an extra-fine line to nearly 1mm wide. Our preowned pen is in great condition without any cracks or deep scratches. It does have wear from use. Included is a proprietary converter. It also takes Pilot cartridges. 13.6cm capped.

Looking for the perfect pocket pen? Might we suggest the Pilot M90 fountain pen. This steel wonder fits in any breast pocket, but it can extend to full length when writing! Its long cap and short barrel make it the perfect go-anywhere pen. Another unique feature is is steel barrel that forms into its nib! It is a very clever design. Plus, this pen comes with its original Pilot converter. You also can use Pilot proprietary cartridges. You will write a firm-but-smooth extra-fine line. We also like the blue-jewel accent in the top of the cap. Click the headline for close-ups. 11.8cm capped.

Montblanc Classique fountain pens are a must for any writer. From the impression it makes in the board room to the joy of writing in your journal, these are must-have pens. Also known as the 144, our Montblanc is a slightly older variant from before serial numbers and when the company still used superior 14k gold nibs. Our preowned pen includes an original MB converter, too. These pens also take standard international cartridges. No cracks, some wear from use. You will write a very smooth medium line with that classic 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.4cm capped.

Few cheap pens really impress us much, but our Parker Reflex definitely surprised us. We found its steel nib to be a very smooth fine-point writer. The wider rubberized grip made for easy holding and writing, too. The 1990s successor to the Parker Vector, this pen is in great condition with minimal wear. It takes Parker cartridges or converters, but it comes with neither. Ya can't beat the price, though. 14.1cm capped.