Fountain Pens with Nib Size: SF

Suddenly playing catch-up to Parker with its transparent barrels, Waterman developed its own see-through barrel pen. The Waterman Ink-Vue was introduced in the mid-1930s. This is an insanely rare demonstrator model of that classic vintage pen! It has some ambering, but it is in really amazing condition. Crisp imprints. No cracks in the main cap or barrel. It appears the inner cap has some fractals. In truth, it is mostly a bulb filler, only it has a cover over the rubber bulb and a lever system pumps the bulb. This pen is so rare and delicate, we've left the petrified original bulb in it. Click the headline for close-ups. The name Val Steiniger is engraved on the tail of the barrel. We don't expect you to write with this museum piece, but its 14k gold nib has a little flex and feedback. 12.8cm capped.

Parker Vacumatic nibs are notoriously rigid and fine, but this Parker Vacumatic Maxima from 1937 sports a tasty two-tone 14k gold nib that writes a semi-flex line from medium to about 1mm wide! Also awesome is the fact that this vintage pen has some great barrel clarity. Yeah, it's a little ambered, but you can still see through it easily. Click the headline for close-ups. Minimal, if any wear. Has a working diaphragm. The tail cap is about 98% flush with the barrel. The only warning we have about this pen is that its long nib snags on the cap if you overtighten it. Never close the cap tighter than the first evidence of snugging up. 13.6cm capped.

Surviving World War II in England was no easy task, but this Conway Stewart No. 286 seemed to manage. We restored it with a new ink sac and manage to blacken the black hard rubber cap topper and section a little. They still show a little chocolate hazing, but we knocked it down a little. The trim is mostly brassed, showing little of the gold plating, but let's see how much gold-plating you retain during the blitz. ;) Click the headline for close ups. Be careful with the tab at the end of the lever as you lift it. The lever is very snug in the slot. Slowly and gently lift it up. The tab bends too easily to last forever. The 14k gold nib is a little wavy but it writes well. It flexes from fine to about 1mm. The vintage pen is 12.6cm capped.

Conklin Crescent 40 pens are a wonderful mid-size vintage pens. These black chased hard rubber pens just don't quit after more than 100 years. We restored this one with a new ink sac. There are no chips or cracks in this pen, but you there are scratches, worn chasing and imprints, brassing on the clip and crescent. The clip is still attached, but we wouldn't trust it for any use. It seems weakly attached. The cap band is marked "14k 1/5." You will write a fine-medium to 1mm wide lines with its semi-flex Conklin #4 nib made of 14k gold. 13.5cm capped.

You don't find chasing this crispy on pens from the 1920s on a regular basis. However, our Conklin 40P crescent-filler looks almost like it rolled off the assembly line yesterday. The only problem with it is a dent in the gold-filled topper tassie. Originally intended to be worn on a necklace or watch fob this short vintage pen is a powerhouse. We restored it with a new ink sac. The crescent device has "Conklin" written on one side and "Crescent" written on the other side. It has a nice size 4 14k gold nib that writes a smooth extra-fine line. Happily enough, it has a little flex, too. Click the headline for close-ups. 11cm capped.

Here's a real granddaddy of vintage pens. It is a black hard rubber Sheaffer Lifetime Senior with etched pinstripes in the cap and barrel. It also has no white dot. It is that early! Fully restored with a new ink sac, it is ready to write. Brassing can be found on the ball of the pocket clip, but the rest of the pen is free of the blight. Click the headline for close-ups. There is a little chocolate hazing on the cap and barrel. It is worse on the cap, which is a little more faded in its pinstripe imprints. No cracks, chips or serious scratches. You will love its nib the most! Smoothly write from extra fine to more than 1mm wide with its semi-flex properties! A very rare semi-flex nib. Notice that the Lifetime nib has a serial number? This might indicate it is an early replacement nib, as the original nib had no serial numbers. 13.6cm capped.

What makes the Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal fountain pen is it screw-in "Signature" nib system, which allowed customers to be certain they got the nib that was best for them. This lastest vintage pen, also known as a Decoband, comes with a 14k gold nib with an F marked on the inkfeed--indicating a fine point. However, when we dipped it, we found that with a little feedback it could write from an extra fine to just short of a millimeter. Fully restored with a new ink sac, this classic pen is ready for action. You can see some discoloration in the original black and pearl design. No cracks but some wear from use. Its matching pencil is in the same condition, working with a 1.1mm lead that is red! Pen measures 13.7cm capped.

Where to start?! Oversized, blue-on-blue lapis...a buttery smooth semi-flex nib! Admit it. You're already salivating over this Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal/Decoband. It is one of the best vintage pens we have posted this year. Fully restored with a new ink sac, the fountain pen has few flaws. The barrel is clearly still blue, but it is three or four shades darker than the cap and pencil. The only brassing is on the ball of the pocket clip. No cracks nor scratches. The writing experience is second to none. It can be a buttery smooth extra-fine, but with just a little gentle pressure it can write a 1mm line. The pencil still works with a 1.1mm lead. It has a little brassing on the nose cone and pocket-clip ball. The lead only advances; you have to push it in to retract it. No eraser. Pen measures 13.55cm capped.