Fountain Pens with Nib Size: F

Probably the most successful fountain pen model of all time is the Parker 51. Efficient, effective and easy to use these pens are elegant workhorses. Our vintage pen is in excellent working order with its original "pli-glass" ink sac. The pen shows moderate wear from regular use, but there are no cracks or scarring deep scratches. You will write a very nice, smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib. An ideal pen for someone who is vintage-pen curious or an experience pen lover who wants a pen that just won't quit. 13.8cm capped.

Bespoke Sailor fountain pens are difficult to find. However, Sailor only makes ribbed pens for special custom orders. This is the Sailor Professional Gear Ribbed fountain pen. Stunningly attractive, like the early Waterman 100-Year Pens, this pen has an extra-special feature in its 21k gold nib. (Click the headline for close-ups.) Designed for Japanese Kanji characters, this pen is known as the Naginata Togi MF nib. We aren't sure if Sailor means "Medium-Fine," but we don't think this pen was custom made for Samuel L. Jackson. (If you know, you know.) We find it to write a very nice European/American fine line, which some might find to be a Japanese medium. Minimal wear. Includes a Sailor converter. 12.8cm capped.

Black and red make for a striking combination on this Delta Icon Fusion fountain pen. It is truly handsome, and the pen comes with its original box! Delta is a great Italian pen company, and this is another classic gem. You will write a smooth fine line that leans a little toward medium with this steel nib dressed up in 18k gold. Our preowned pen comes with a standard international converter, and it also takes like cartridges. There is a little wear from use but no cracks or gouges. Easy to grip with some nice girth. 14cm capped.

Abalone shells from California's kelp forests of the 1930s dapple this black cap and barrel of this classic Sheaffer Balance. We believe Sheaffer called the design Ebony and Pearl, but it was really abalone. Our slender, full-length vintage pen looks pretty good for 80-odd years. You'll see some scratches, wear and brassing, but there are no cracks. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. The ink-viewing window is ambered, but you can still see through it. You will write a nice fine line that some might think leans toward medium with its 14k gold nib. You might feel a little feedback on ascenders and descenders. 13.7cm 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.

One of the top sellers of the early 1940s, the Eversharp Skyline was a modern-design superstar. In fact, it was designed by Henry Dreyfuss who also designed famous items such as the 20th Century Limited steam engine, the princess phone, the Royal Quiet Deluxe typewriter, a couple of oceanliners, nearly a dozen tractors and even the famed Polaroid SX-70 instant camera. We restored this "executive-size" vintage pen with a new ink sac. The cap and barrel show a little wear from use but no cracks or deep scratches. The green-striped cap has an optical illusion on the side of the cap that looks like a mini-wormhole to a different plane of existence, but it is just a trick of the translucence in the celluloid. We tried to capture it in the photo but it is photographically shy. You will write a very smooth fine line with its 14k gold cap. Click the headline for close-ups. 14.3cm 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.

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.