All Pens and Ephemera

More rarities are on display with this Esterbrook Dollar Pen. Please note the three incised cap bands. Add on the rare 1314 left-foot oblique nib, and you have an interesting classic Estie. No cracks or deep scratches. The only cosmetic issue, other than light wear from use, is the pitting on the lever filler. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. The oblique nib on this one is very sharp and scratchy. Yet, it delivers nice line variation for a trade off. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.1cm capped.

Parker was rather genius for resurrecting its classic Duofold design for a modern luxury pen. Our Parker Duofold Centennial in burgundy is a handsome classic. We love the way the sparkly acrylic burgundy undulates under a light as your rotate the cap or barrel. Our pre-owned luxury pen comes with its original box and papers. There's a Parker converter in it, too. You will write a nice medium line with its two-tone 18k gold nib. No monogram or significant wear. 13.5cm capped.

When Esterbrook went from making Dollar Pens to J-model pens, it ran out of Dollar Pen caps and opted to use the new J-model caps on the remaining Dollar Pen barrels. It is difficult to tell the original ones from the repairmen who replaced broken Dollar Pen caps with J-caps. We found this pen this way, but that doesn't mean anything. What is interesting is the top jewel on the cap has 3 lines instead of the usual concentric circles. The color match is pretty close to perfect between the cap and barrel. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. You will this upgraded steel 9461 nib that is firm and very smooth as it writes a fine line. No cracks, deep imprint, some wear from use. 12.4cm capped.

In the 1940s, if you needed a cheap, reliable pen that was easily customized, you got yourself an Esterbrook Dollar Pen. We restored this black model with a new ink sac and new 1555 Gregg Shorthand nib. There are no cracks or deep scratches, but the early plastic cap on this pen has warped a bit. It can be difficult to get the cap on and off. You will write a nice fine line with its steel nib. There is a little feedback, but we wouldn't call this a scratchy pen...not compared to other Esterbrooks with the same nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.1cm capped.

All mysteries are revealed with a good demonstrator pen. This Sailor 1911 leaves little to the imagination. It is really fun to write with and fill. The fact that it has an M-S ("music") nib made of 14k gold could make this your very favorite preowned pen. In truth, we find this nib to be buttery smooth, but it writes more like a double broad. Its thick tipping does not give it a ton of line variation. Our luxury pen has minimal wear and there are only a couple traces of blue ink trapped in the inner cap. 13.5cm capped.

The Sheaffer Snorkel enthusiast in us wants to call this a Sheaffer Valiant, but sometimes the earlier Sheaffer TouchDown pens are different from the later snorks. We restored this elegant vintage pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. No cracks mar its surfaces, but there are a couple little nicks that the gleaming black helps hide. You will write a very nice fine line with its firm "Triumph" nib made of two-tone 14k gold. Class up your daily work routine with this classic pen.

Sheaffer Cadet? Sheaffer Admiral? We never fully grasped the naming conventions for the Sheaffer TouchDown pens before they switched to Snorkels. Yet, a rose by any other name...we can still restore. We replaced the ink sac and O-ring in this vintage pen, and now it works great. You will write a dry extra-fine line with its two-tone, 14k gold Feather Touch nib. The pen looks great on a passing glance. Yet a close inspection will show it has many scratches and a little discoloration. No cracks. No brassing. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm capped.

There's a Van Gogh "Starry Night" quality to this Sailor 1911 fountain pen in a lapis-like blue. It looks to be almost new, but we know it has been used, as we flushed some old ink out. A Sailor converter is included. Click the headline for close-ups. You will see its 14k gold nib is marked "H-M" for hard medium...no flex. As it is a Japanese nib, it writes finer than an American or European medium nib. There is a little feedback from the rigidity. 14cm capped.