All Pens and Ephemera

Parker 51 fountain pens are the corner stone of any vintage pen collection. This is likely a married combination. While there are plenty of black 51s with gold-filled caps, as best we know the gold-filled caps with amber jewels only went with the cordovan-color pens. This pen is in great working order, but it has its share of wear and scratches. We restored it with a new diaphragm. Clearly this was someone's well-loved writing companion. You will write a very nice, smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib. This pen is 80 years old according to its 3rd quarter date code from 1944. 14.3cm capped.

Prepare for classic adventure with the Montblanc Jules Verne fountain pen. An homage to the French author who gave us "Around the World in 80 Days," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth," this pen has a nautical vibe from his early submarine. The fine guilloche work under the blue enamel makes the cap and barrel look as if it has capture the ocean in miniature. Its 18k gold nib is plated in rhodium and features the image of an old diving helmet. Click the headline for close-ups. This pen remains in unused mint condition from the modern million-selling author Bill Adler Jr. The pen comes just with its book box, no papers. Guaranteed authentic.

Even fountain pens can find their true love. That must be what happened with this Sheaffer Snorkel. It combines the parts of at least two different--slightly different shade--burgundy pens. Please notice that the cap and blind cap are the same color but the barrel is a few shades darker. There is plenty of wear and possibly some burn spots on them. Nevertheless, it persists. We restored this pen with a new O-ring and point seal. The ink sac was still pliable. It works well, and you will write a smoother-than-you-think fine-medium line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. It has a little feedback but very light. Click the headline for close-ups. 14.2cm capped.

The business uniform of the 1950s was a grey-flannel suit. This handsome Sheaffer Admiral would have matched one nicely. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac, O-ring and point seal. Its only flaws are doozies. There is a nasty crack on each side of the loose pocket clip. Click the headline for close-ups. We showed the worst crack in the main photo. However, the pen works great. It is marked an F2, but we find it to write more of a smooth extra fine. 14.2cm capped.

Production of the Montblanc Edgar Allan Poe is ceased and nevermore, quoth the Raven. Yet, we love this 1998 Writers Series pen that is in mint condition and never used. Click the headline for close-ups. The Raven on the 18k gold nib is a wonderful touch. We find the piston to move smoothly, in the event you'd want to fill and write with this preowned luxury pen. As we think it is New Old Stock, we did not dip the nib to verify it is a fine point. Even Montblanc fine-points often write a medium line, so keep that in mind. From the dedicated Montblanc collection of top-selling author Bill Adler Jr. Guaranteed authentic. 09715/17000. 14.6cm capped.

We often wonder if the authors of the Montblanc Writers Series pens would actually appreciate a pen being named after them. Would the surrealist author who railed against the corporate world really approve of the Montblanc Franz Kafka? We don't know, but we suspect that he would love a cockroach imprinted on a luxury nib made of rhodium-plated 18k gold. Montblanc pays tribute to the author of "The Metamorphosis" with this stunning wine-red, art deco-inspired fountain pen. The sterling silver accents really pop. Our pre-owned pen once belonged to the author Bill Adler Jr. who wrote the 1-million-copies-selling book "Outwitting Squirrels." He says he never filled the pen, and the pen certainly looks mint in its original box. The papers and outer box have gone missing. Guaranteed authentic. 14.8cm capped.

Sheaffer Statesman fountain pens were part of the 1950s blast of snorkel pens. We restored this vintage pen with a new O-ring, point seal and ink sac. What makes these a little different is the "palladium silver" Triumph nib. We find it firmer than the gold conical nibs. Ours writes a dry, extra-fine line with a little feedback. There are no cracks or brassing. Some light wear from use. Its snorkel sticks out a little farther than we would like, but it works well. Pen measures 14.2cm capped.

Perhaps the most prized fountain pen among Montblanc collectors is the Montblanc Hemingway. It is the first of the Writers Series pens and came out in 1992. Our pen is in like-new condition with no trace of wear. We suspect it was filled once, cleaned and left alone as a collectible. There is just the trace of black ink around the piston. The piston moves smoothly. Our pen comes with its book box, reply card and booklet. We do not have the outer box. Everything is in the photo. Click the headline for a close-up. Just in the case the pen is N.O.S., we didn't dip the 18k gold nib that looks like a fine point. Obtained from a dedicated Montblanc collector; guaranteed authentic. Based on the pen author Ernest Hemingway once owned. A nice tribute to the writer of "A Farewell to Arms," "The Sun Also Rises" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls." 13.3cm capped.