Fountain Pens with Nib Size: M

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.

Looking like it just danced out of the souvenir shop in Emerald City from "The Wizard of Oz" is this stunning Technicolor green Bexley Gemstone fountain pen. At least we think the model name is "Gemstone;" we aren't certain. Borrowing a bit from the Waterman 100-Year Pen in design, it is an absolute knock-out. It shows some light wear from past use, but it is generally pretty amazing. Better yet, you'll write a buttery smooth medium line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. Included is a standard international converter. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

New Old Stock fans, rejoice. Check out this still-stickered Sheaffer Admiral from the 1940s! We restored this chocolate-brown beauty with a new ink sac. The rest is as it was and has always been. There is definitely some shop wear from rattling around for nearly 80 years, but there isn't any egregious damage. The ink-view window is still its factory fresh yellow-green clarity. You will write a nice, smooth fine line with its two-tone 14k gold "Feather Touch" nib. The sticker says it is a medium, but it only seems to write something we think is closer to a fine on a dip. Its matching pencil also is stickered. Similar light shop wear as the pen. Works perfectly. Includes spare .9mm leads. The eraser has hardened and shows a little use. Click the headline for close-ups.

As always, the craftsmen and women of Italy come through with panache. Our Delta Signatore 365 is a masterpiece with its marmalade pearl essence in a pebble formation in the barrel. The cap band appears to be vermeil...sterling silver plated with gold. In almost new condition, it has minimal wear. Comes complete with its box and papers. We had to write with this beauty before putting it up for sale. It writes a nice medium line with a touch of feedback. There seems to be a quirk with its inkfeed, as the ink sometimes stalls in the converter. You need to manipulate the converter to get it flowing again. Yet, it writes a fair amount once you do this. 14.4cm capped.

Another Sheaffer Balance Lifetime has graced our vintage pens pages. This one is the standard size model. It is as long as the Oversized model, but it is thinner. Definitely not a junior-sized model. We restored it with a new ink sac. The sleek black pen shows some wear from use but minimal brassing and no cracks. You will write a firm, wet medium line with its 14k gold nib. It has a touch of feedback. A quintessential black pen for any collector. 14.4cm capped.

There is no getting around the fact that this is the best name for a fountain pen that we've ever encountered. Meet the Levenger Plumpster! No. We did not make up that name. It is an awesome pen, too. Perhaps borrowing a little from the Visconti Opera Cherry Blossom design, this pen has brown veins running through a mother-of-pearl-colored acrylic. Blue and purple shadows flare through it, as you turn it under the light. Click the headline for close-ups. You'll see a little wear from use but nothing egregiously awful. Write a smooth fine line with its steel nib that is marked medium. Fills with a standard international cartridge or included converter. Nice girth. Has a little weight. 14cm capped.

Many consider the Waterman C/F to be the first of the modern-era pens, although it is a classic vintage pen. Why? It was, effectively, the first pen to use disposable plastic ink cartridges. Although a success, it was short lived. The biggest problem for vintage collectors is that the Waterman C/F doesn't use any modern cartridges or converters. Waterman wasn't using standard international cartridges in the 1950s, as the concept was yet to be invented. If you find a 1950s cartridge, you can refill it with a syringe to use this pen. Unfortunately, it doesn't include an original cartridge. The pen looks great, except for that big crack in the tail visible in the photo. You will write a medium line with its 14k gold nib. There is a some feedback. 13.2cm capped.

If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime grail pen. A true grail-quest pen. This oversized Sheaffer Balance Demonstrator might be it. This beauty is something we have never seen before and likely something we will never see again. No cracks. No matter what your screen indicates, it has discolored to a pale yellow-green. The section jiggles a little. There a touch of brassing on the trim. Possibly a touch of krazing at the ends...could also just be the way things come together on the insides. We don't know if the 14k gold Secretary nib is original...but who cares. That nib alone is quite rare. It has a fresh ink sac. However, we'd never use it. It would be the centerpiece of our museum display...if we had a museum display. We dipped the nib, and it writes a nice medium line with light feedback. Click the headline for a close-up! 14.1cm capped.