All Pens and Ephemera

It is nearly impossible to tell if the Esterbrook Transition pen is an authentic one or a repairman's marriage. We aren't sure, ourselves, but this pen does have a rarer cap with a three-banded black "jewel" on top and no "Esterbrook" written in the clip. We restored it with a new ink sac and new 1461 steel nib. Our vintage pen has some wear from use, but there are no cracks. The clip has a little jiggle, but it doesn't spin. You will write an extra-fine to fine line that is surprisingly smooth for a 1000-series nib. Mind you, that there is still a little feedback, but this isn't a bad nib by any means. 12.6cm capped.

Germany is known for its emphasis on quality and luxury, and we think the German brand Pelikan is antithesis of writing excellence. The Pelikan Souveran R800 is a large rollerball pen that is very sophisticated. Our preowned luxury pen is in almost-new condition with minimal wear. Included are its original box and a fancy, cream-colored carrying pouch. We just installed a new blue rollerball refill. The company logo features a frosted golden field with a mama pelican and a single chick. 14.2cm capped.

Not necessarily rare, Waterman LeMan fountain pens are highly sought luxury pens. Elegant, smooth, dependable...what's not to love. Our preowned pen is in excellent condition with only minimal wear from use. It also includes its box and converter. Especially nice is its two-tone 18k gold nib. You will write a very smooth medium line with it. One of the things we really like about these lux pens compared to other brands is that it has a brass barrel and cap under the black lacquer. It won't shatter when you drop it. 14.3cm capped.

Don't be so quick to blow past this rather average looking Parker 51 set. More than a double-jewel set from 1946, these writing instruments offer something extra special. A very close examination will reward you with hallmarks for solid 14k gold. The caps are gold-filled, but the pocket clips, tail-jewel tassie and pencil's nose cone are all solid 14k gold! This was a special upgrade feature that is rather uncommon in the wild these days. We are selling these pens for our friend and legendary pen repairman Stuart Hawkinson who replaced the diaphragm in the vintage pen. No engravings mar the caps. The pen cap is dent free. The pencil has a small impression on the back of the cap. Under close examination the pen shows a fair amount of wear from use but no cracks or ugly scars. You will write a nice extra-fine line with the 14k gold nib of the pen. The pencil uses 1.1mm leads. Click the headline for a close-up.

As if bronze arco celluloid wasn't enough to get you excited, this is the grand poobah Omas Grand Paragon pen. Larger than a standard Paragon, ours measures 14.75cm long. The height of Italian luxury pen making, this is a stunner for any collector. It is tough to see at a glance, but there is some wear on this pen that is quite visible up close. No cracks, deep scratches, brassing or other serious flaws. Just lots of wear from daily use. We found it by luck, as it came in an Omas Milord box with a leather sleeve. This was obviously not a Milord the second we set eyes on it. Click the headline for a close-up. You will write a medium-broad line with its 18k gold nib. There's a little light feedback, too. Its piston still operates smoothly.

Now if you really like Parker pens, this early Parker 20 made between 1906 and 1910 out to be the pen for you. It is a mottled hard rubber design with super crisp imprints. You won't find many pens this nice from this long ago. It is an eyedropper pen with its original "Lucky Curve" inkfeed intact. Click the headline and you can see its cap imprint and nib. No cracks. Museum worthy. We haven't dipped the nib, as we don't know who would actually want to write with such a pristine early Parker. Using the thumb-nail test, the nib separates easily from the feed meaning it loses inkflow. The feed can be heated to get tighter against the nib, but, again, this is so old and nice, why risk doing damage? 13.6cm capped.

New Old Stock Sheaffer Snorkel fountain pens are a rare treat. This Sheaffer Admiral is actually our favorite kind of snorkel. We prefer the open 14k gold nibs as smoother, more responsive nibs than the firmer conical Triumph nibs. We replaced the pen's O-ring, but the point seal and sac performed as good as new with water. There might be a little shop wear on this pen, but there are no significant blemishes. Click the headline for close-ups. 14.2cm capped.

Our parade of Sheaffer Imperial II fountain pens continues with this vintage pen. Click the headline for close-ups. It is a nice grey model, but you can see a scar on its section. You'll also see the top of its nib tipping area is a bit chewed up. You will find the nib writes a smooth medium line at a low angle of attack. However, the more vertically you hold the pen, the finer and scratchier the nib gets. We restored the pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. 13.6cm capped.