All Pens and Ephemera

We don't think a pen has come from an ink manufacturer like this since Carter's Inx in the 1920s. Nevertheless, Noodler's Ink has made this handsome ripple design in burgundy hard rubber. There does not appear to be much--if any--wear on the cap and barrel. Unscrew the barrel to find a piston filling system. You will write a nice semi-flex line with its steel music nib. It goes from around fine to 1.5mm. There is a little feedback but not terrible. A large pen it has nice girth for those who find their hand cramps up too much when writing with skinnier pens. 15.5cm capped.

Adopt some the 1950s style with this Esterbrook CH "Purse Pen." Not quite turquoise, we love this vibrant pastel blue that is very cool, Daddy-O. Unlike so many of these pastel-line pens, there are no cracks! Our pen looks really sharp at writing distance, but a close inspection shows a lot of light surface wear from...likely being carried around in a purse. We installed a new ink sac. You will write a fairly smooth extra-fine line with its steel 1551 nib. There is a touch of feed back, but not bad for an Esterbrook 1000-series steel nib. 11.2cm capped.

We are a sucker for Levenger True Writer fountain pens in the Kyoto design. It takes the classic black-and-pearl look and adds a blue-green flare. Subtle and beautful. Our pre-owned pen appears to be in near-mint condition with minimal wear. It fills with standard international cartridges and like Levenger converters. (We don't have one that fits at the moment.) Included are original Levenger boxes. However, we aren't sure if these were the original boxes to this pen. We put them together after finding them in a much larger jumbled up collection. You will write more of a fine line than the medium marked on the steel nib. 13.7cm capped.

This German-made luxury pen bares a striking resemblance to another--more famous--German-made luxury pen, but make no mistake, this is the Senator President. While it has an likeness similar to the Montblanc 149 in size, shape and general design, it is very much its own pen. Its two-tone 18k gold nib writes a very smooth, juicy medium line. You fill this pen by removing the blind cap to twist a piston-filler knob. Our pen looks close to new with only minimal wear from use. Plus, it comes with a very spiffy black-lacquered box with a working key lock. The box shows more wear than the pen. There is a crack in the lacquer on the lid. Some of the interior appointments are decaying a bit. Pen measures 14.7cm capped.

We don't think we can call this a pure-bred Parker Challenger. It seems to us that some long-ago repair person fitted it with a new cap band and section. We don't think that Parker Challengers ever came with an ink-view window. And although this section fits well in the barrel, the grip seems a size to small for the barrel. Regardless, we restored it with a new ink sac. ANNNND, it is a great writing pen with a delightfully smooth medium-point 14k gold nib! Our vintage pen shows the wear of past hard work, but there are no cracks. Ready for more hard work, this pen can make for a great daily driver. 13cm capped.

We wish we could tell you that this Rotring 600 is one of the classic ones from longer ago, but it is much more modern. You can tell by the crack in the barrel near the tail. You can see the brass beneath the black. Click the headline for close-ups. We've never seen a metal pen crack before. Otherwise, this pen is nearly perfect. The crack won't effect the writing. It has a firm, extra-fine steel nib that is reasonably smooth for an extra-fine nib. It fills with standard international cartridges. There is a silvery disc on the tail that has "EF" in black letters, indicating the nib size. 14cm capped.

Sailor Pro Gear Mini fountain pens are the perfect pen for the writer on the go. From small bags to shirt pockets, they fit anywhere. With the threaded tail, the cap screws on securely to make it a full-size pen when writing. Our preowned pen looks almost like new. Minimal wear, if any. You will write an extra-fine line with its 14k gold H-F nib. It is a very firm nib that has feedback, if you write with any pressure. BUT, it is smooth if you don't use any pressure at all. So extra fine, it is more like an accountant's nib. We think it is Sailor proprietary cartridges only. We include a few spares that are older and slightly dried out. 10.5cm capped.

Probably the most successful fountain pen model of all time is the Parker 51. Efficient, effective and easy to use these pens are elegant workhorses. Our vintage pen is in excellent working order with its original "pli-glass" ink sac. The pen shows moderate wear from regular use, but there are no cracks or scarring deep scratches. You will write a very nice, smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib. An ideal pen for someone who is vintage-pen curious or an experience pen lover who wants a pen that just won't quit. 13.8cm capped.