All Pens and Ephemera

Bonjour, Waterman #3. We love it when we get French pens from the 1940s. This Waterman #3 is a post-World War II model that we don't think was officially released here in the U.S. We restored it with a new ink sac, and it is a very attractive example. No cracks nor deep scratches. Light wear at worst. You will write a firm, extra-fine line with its 18k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.6cm capped.

Modern mechanical pencils don't get much cooler than the Rotring 600. All metal, modern design...this pen is in great condition. Minimal if any wear. It takes .7mm leads. There is a half-used eraser and spare leads under the tail clicker. 14.3cm

SOLID 14k GOLD! That is what an Eversharp Skyline Command Performance pen is made of. Not plating or fill. It is an all gold cap and barrel. We restored this incredible vintage pen with a new ink sac. The cap and barrel have a couple of very small impressions and the lip of the cap rubs against the barrel. Otherwise, there are minimal traces of damage. You will see a rather prominent series of engravings starting with the signature of James E. Gleason and a 75th birthday message. We looked him up, and Mr. Gleason was a mechanical engineer born in 1868 who invented a series of gear-cutting machines that were ultimately heavily used in manufacturing parts for cars and airplanes. Gleason would remain chairman of the board of his company until his passing at the age 95. Set includes the box and working 1.1mm pencil, also made of solid 14k gold. The pen's gold nib writes a smooth, fine line.

In the early 2000s, Sheaffer Intrigue fountain pens offered one last clever twist on filling mechanisms. Instead of doing a boring old "twist the section to open the pen" for replacing a cartridge or refill the converter, the Sheaffer Intrigue has a special back quarter of the pen that unscrews to slide out a little carriage that holds either a cartridge or a modified converter. Behind that is a little blind cap that can activate the converter while it is still hidden in the barrel. This pen comes with one of those unique converters and its original box. Only light wear can be seen on the cap or barrel. You will write a smooth fine line with its inlaid 14k gold nib. However, the nib is marked M for medium. It just doesn't seem to write that way. 13.7cm capped.

Among the less commonly found colors of the modern Parker Duofold line is this beautiful jade. Similar to vintage pens, it is nice tribute to the early Parker Duofolds of the 1920s and '30s. Our modern Parker Duofold pencil works well and sports a .5mm lead. You advance it with a twist of the tail cap. Our preowned luxury pencil does show a little wear from use, but there aren't any cracks or deep scratches. Under the golden blind cap of the tail is a used but still-fresh eraser and spare leads. 13.1cm.

The marbled cobalt blue of the Aurora Optima is one of our favorite colors. We believe this to be the "Mare" version of the luxury pen. Italian for "the sea," these pens came in other colors representing various elements important to life on earth such as the sun and greenery. Our preowned pen is in excellent working order. You will love writing with its smooth 14k gold nib. It is listed as a fine-point nib, but it skews closer to the medium side of writing. Click the headline for close-ups. The pen itself only has light wear from use and looks gorgeous. The perennial problem with these pens is that the ink-view window never seems to get totally clean. We have flushed this pen many times with water, and there is always a trace of black ink that refuses to come all the way out. That ink is so diluted at this point that it shouldn't mess with your preferred ink that much. 12.7cm capped.

We love that Parker Duofolds have made a return in their original design language. This Parker Duofold pencil looks sharp in its black and pearl design. Yet, impressive to us is that it uses the older pusher-style lead-advance system. Just keep twisting the tail cap in a full circle to extend or retract the .9mm lead. There are no clicks. Just smooth, continuous operation. Our preowned luxury pencil shows a little light wear from use but no egregious blemishing. Comes with spare leads and a partially used--but still fresh--eraser under the tail cap. 13.1cm.

Crystal inkwells will always be beautiful accessories for the desk, but we think this Montblanc Life Style inkwell is exceptionally attractive. Aside from its gleaming black, gold and crystal colors, we love that it has a wide 3-inch base to help keep it from tipping over. Click the headline for close-ups of the inkwell both open and closed. This piece includes the Montblanc ink funnel. This device screws onto any Montblanc-brand bottle of ink to help more cleanly fill the inkwell. Device not included in the photo.