Filling Mechanism: Piston Filler

German author Herman Hesse is best known for his masterpiece novel "Siddhartha." An Italian pen maker pays tribute with the Omas Herman Hesse fountain pen. The sterling silver cap is scratch and dent free with a Hesse quote following a barber-pole ribbon down the cap: "Ohne schrift gibt es nicht den begriff der Menschheit." In English, this translates to: "Without writing there is no concept of humanity." The cornflower-blue barrel of the pen bares his name, and it has a working piston filler. We dipped its 18k gold nib and found it writes more of a smooth, dry, fine line than the "M" medium it is marked as. Numbered 0528 or 1877. Click the headline for close-ups. 14.7cm capped.

Everyone talks about the Montblanc 149 as being the uber-pen of the boardroom, but we love the Montblanc 146 size better. This is still a large pen, by most measures, but it fits the hand much more comfortably. The piston filler operates very smoothly. Smoother still is its two-tone 14k gold nib. You will write a buttery smooth medium line with just a touch of line variation. Almost a stub but not quite. A lovely writer. No cracks or substantial wear. Comes from a dedicated Montblanc collector. There is a serial number in the cap band but no Pix under the clip. Guaranteed authentic. 14.6cm capped.

Italian artisans resurrected the lost are of orange-hard-rubber pens with woodgrain designs when developing the Stipula Novecento fountain pen. Sterling silver accents turn this pen from simply functional to a functional work of art. The piston filler is a little stiff but still works well. We restored the finish by removing all the chocolate hazing. The finish about 98% haze free and looking really sharp. You will write a fine line with its two-tone 18k gold nib. It has a little feedback. A delightful preowned luxury pen that can be a real highlight for any collection. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

Blue-and-orange "Saffron" designs in the Omas Paragon never get old. We love the rich, almost granite-like quality of the celluloid's patterns. Our pre-owned luxury pen is in good working order with no cracks or deep scratches. Only a little wear from use. The piston is a little stiff but works well. You will find the 18k gold nib is marked medium and writes more of a drier fine line. We thinks it needs some breaking in from use. It sat unused for too long and needs a little TLC. A 1997 imprint is in the barrel, just behind the section. 14cm capped.

Hardcore Pelikan collectors, today's your lucky day! Here is a genuinely limited edition Pelikan that is off-catalog from the standard Pelikan fare. The Swiss watch company called Chronoswiss contracted with Pelikan to make a limited edition run of 999 company-themed pens for its very high-end clientele. Thus the Cronoswiss Styloscope pen was born. Our preowned luxury pen is new old stock and complete with all of its boxes and papers. Not only do you get a leather carrying case and mini pad of paper. You get not one but two 18k gold nibs! The nib installed in the pen is a medium point, and the spare nib is an Oblique Broad! The pen has sterling silver trim and is numbered 725 of 999. It is basically the same size as a Pelikan 800. Click the headline for close-ups.

The most iconic pen of the Pelikan line is the green-striped Souveran. Our Pelikan Souveran is an M800. For our hands, it is the most comfortable size. Not oversized nor mid- or small, either. This preowned pen has a smooth operating piston. Light wear is visible on the cap and barrel, but there are no cracks or deep scratches. Its two-tone 18k gold nib might need a little breaking in with daily use. It writes a fine line with a little feedback, but we think it will smooth out the more it is written with. 14cm capped.

Like waves fighting with the tide, the limited edition Pelikan Souveran Blue O' Blue fountain pen looks like a stunning force of nature. Our preowned luxury pen is nearly perfect with minimal--if any--wear. Its piston operates smoothly, too. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a very nice fine line with its two-tone 18k gold nib. The logo on top of the cap features a frosted-gold field with a shiny mama pelican with a single chick. 14.1cm capped.

Smoky blue makes for an elegantly dynamic barrel on our Pelikan Souveran M200 fountain pen. Aside from a little light wear from use, our preowned pen is in excellent condition. Its piston works smoothly, though it is a little reluctant to give up some stubborn green ink. You will write a very nice extra-fine line with its golden alloy nib--even though it is marked "F" for fine. As long as you don't write with any pressure, there is no feedback. The black logo on top of the pen features a golden mama pelican with two chicks. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.5cm capped.