All Pens and Ephemera

Montegrappa Extra 1930 is a confusing name for a pen, as it made many decades after 1930. Nevertheless, it was made with all of the elegance of that decade's luxury design. Montegrappa is easily our favorite Italian pen manufacturer. It uses the most beautiful of celluloids, solid precious metal trim and its nibs are soooo damned smooth. This preowned luxury pen sports a "green marble" design and sterling silver trim. It was gently used and looks like it is in mint condition on a passing glance. Yet, a very close inspection reveals some wear to the celluloid where it rattled around a desk drawer for a little while. However, you really need to look closely to see it. You will write a delightfully smooth medium line with its 18k gold nib. Oddly, we don't see the gold purity stamp on the nib, but these pens all came with 18k gold nibs to the best of our knowledge. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.8cm capped.

Remember when everyone was soooo worked up about the year 2000? The late 1990s were loaded with all kinds of items to commemorate the new millennium. It was kinda fun and exciting. Italian penmaker Delta got in on the act with the Delta Y2K. Its frosted silver and "champagne" gold cap and barrel were undoubtedly signifying the party of a lifetime. Unfortunately, this pen didn't hold up as well as we'd have hoped. Heavily worn and pitted from use and time, it is still a functional reminder of those heady days. You'll write a slightly scratchy extra-fine line with its two-tone steel nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 14cm capped.

Who says pens need to be serious all the time. Some can be serious fun! Take our Hechter Travel Pen for example. It is like writing with an entire safari in Africa. As far as quality goes, it is just a basic fountain pen with a steel nib. It comes with a converter, too. The clip seems to have heavy brassing, and the pen has some wear. There is a little crack in the lip of the cap. Do NOT post the cap on the tail. You will write a fine line with a little feedback. 14cm capped.

We love finding Parker Vacumatics that are still in close-to-new condition. This vintage pen still has a light-yellow barrel clarity! It is no longer that green-yellow from right off the line, but it is still pretty good. No cracks, minimal--if any--brassing. We restored this pen with a new diaphragm. The biggest "flaw" is that its pocket clip spins, even though it is securely on the pen. The blue diamond was Parker's indicator that this pen was guaranteed for the life of its first owner. You will write an extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. There is a little feedback, but this is a pretty good XF writer. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

How is it Italian craftsmen and women seem to come up with some of the most beautiful pen designs in modern pens? We love the stunning amber celluloid that seems to an ancient essence found in artifacts from Rome and around the Mediterranean. On really close examination you will find little bits of wear and damage, but it is impossible to see at a passing glance. You fill the pen with a piston activated by the little silver disc on the tail. It writes a very smooth medium line for a steel nib. It also includes its box and papers. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Harkening back to 1920s black hard rubber with "chasing" designs, this Waterman LeMan Opera fountain pen is a stunningly handsome modern luxury pen. The cap and barrel are in nearly perfect condition. The gold-plated trim has just a little schmutz and wear on the tail end. Click the headline for close-ups. Its two-tone 18k gold nib writes a nice fine-medium line. It is a soft nib that responds to light pressure, but this is not a conventional semi-flex nib. The thin 18k gold is easily sprung. The pen includes a box and papers. 14.4cm capped.

Pale blue makes for a handsome Esterbrook CA fountain pen. These were Esterbrook's cartridge-only pens. Unfortunately, there are no Esterbrook cartridges that are officially available. However, we've heard rumor that you can tweak a Sheaffer cartridge into working. No cracks mar the cap or barrel. You will see a little light surface wear, but, overall, the pen is in great shape. It comes with a steel 1551 nib that we find writes a fine-medium line with a little light feedback. 13.1cm capped.

Limited edition pens are always fun, and our Krone Gradient Coral Red is no exception. What makes it especially interesting to us is that it is #4 of 388! We've never had a numbered pen in the single digits before. Mother of pearl blazes into a blazing coral red on the barrel. The brushed steel cap and blind cap serve as nice contrast. Overall, the pen looks great but there are two short but deep scratches on the steel cap. Click the headline for close-ups. You'll write a smooth medium line with its 18k gold nib. We find it makes little scrunching sounds at the top of ascenders and bottom of descenders. You'll also notice it is a bouncy nib capable of line variation. Just be careful, as 18k gold is very soft and easily bent out of shape. 13.6cm capped.