All Pens and Ephemera

At one point in yesteryear, there was no transnational travel more glamorous than the train route known as the Orient Express. Royalty and celebrity hobnobbed on its cars from Paris to Istanbul over an approximately 3-day run. It was considered "The train of kings and the king of trains." Our S.T. Dupont Orient Express pays tribute to that great locomotive. In like-new condition, we think this pen has only been dipped once or twice. Not a mark appears to have blemished the glittering blue cap and barrel. You'll write a very smooth fine line with its rhodium-plated 18k gold nib. Comes complete with its original boxes and most of its papers. (Not sure if it had a large square booklet or not.) Click the headline for close-ups. 15.2cm capped.

A ruby-red vintage pen is just what this holiday season needs. Our Esterbrook LJ has been fully restored with a new ink sac. It sports a steel 1555 Gregg nib, which meant the nib was originally for anyone who took shorthand. Think secretaries and journalists. This can be thought of as the long, slender version of the J-model pen. The cap and barrel have some wear from use, but there are no cracks or major scars. Nice, clean imprint. You will write a surprisingly smooth extra-fine line, if you have a light touch with this firm nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm 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.

Due to their unique filling systems, Parker Vacumatics remain a perennial favorite for us. We restored this World War II era vintage pen with a new ink sac and really went to town wet-sanding it to restore its factory luster. No cracks. No brassing. No deep scratches. The only imperfection is an impression on the cap where the pocket clip dug into the celluloid. The blind cap aligns with the barrel about 99% of the way it should. You will write a wet, fine line with its 14k gold nib. The lighter your touch as a writer the less feedback you will feel. We can get it to be almost feedback free, but if you are more heavy handed you will feel a little more. Made in 1944, this one is a beaut that should work well for decades to come. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm 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.

Glittering yellow dust swirls through the black acrylic of this really stunning Karas Kustoms Vertex fountain pen. Unlike other Vertex pens that we've seen, this one has an amber "jewel" in the top of the pen. We aren't sure if that is from the factory or a former owner's bedazzling. Sporting minimal wear, this preowned pen comes with a standard international converter. You will write a firm extra-fine line with its steel nib. It does have some feedback, as most extra-fine nibs seem to have. 13.5cm capped.

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.