All Pens and Ephemera

There's nothing like writing with a junior-sized Sheaffer Lifetime. Possibly a little overlooked, these are fantastic pens with great nibs. Yes, the nibs are firm, but they also are smooth. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. It shows some wear from use and some brassing on the pocket clip and cap band. However, it remains a solid pen nearly 100 years after it was made. You will write a smooth, wet fine to extra-fine line with its thick 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. The nib photo shows a hairline crack in the nib from the section through the second 6 in the serial number and into the U of U.S.A. on the imprint. The nib seems stable and still writes well. The pen measures 11.2cm capped.

Everyone talks about the Montblanc 149 as being the uber-pen of the boardroom, but we love the Montblanc 146 size better. This is still a large pen, by most measures, but it fits the hand much more comfortably. The piston filler operates very smoothly. Smoother still is its two-tone 14k gold nib. You will write a buttery smooth medium line with just a touch of line variation. Almost a stub but not quite. A lovely writer. No cracks or substantial wear. Comes from a dedicated Montblanc collector. There is a serial number in the cap band but no Pix under the clip. Guaranteed authentic. 14.6cm capped.

We don't know the model name for this black-hard rubber Wahl pen, but it is a very nice example of the company's 1920s manufacturing. The pattern is still crisp and there is minimal brassing. We couldn't get it open, but it does still have a working ink sac inside it. There is a little chocolate hazing overall with some larger spots of it on the cap. You will write a dry, extra-fine line with a little feedback...but the 18k gold nib also flexes just a little to give you about a half millimeter of line variation. Long and slender. 13cm capped.

Who says highlighting has to be dull or basic? Step up your game with the luxury of a Montblanc LeGrand 166 Document Marker. Guaranteed authentic, our preowned writing instrument sports a serial number but was made before "Pix" was included under the clip. A little wear from past use can be seen, but there are no cracks nor any deep scratches. We include a brand-new highlighter refill when you purchase it. We just didn't want it to dry out by installing to early when this photo was taken. 14.5cm capped.

Wahl-Eversharp took the fountain pen world of the 1940s by storm with its very modern looking Skyline pens. This pencil was a match to one of those pens, although Eversharp didn't always give pencils the same name as the pens. We love the contrast of black and the green striped upper half of this vintage pencil. It is an early clicker that still works well. It comes with spare 1.1mm leads. A hardened eraser is under the clicker. You'll see some wear and a touch of brassing on this pencil, but we suspect everyone shows a bit of wear and brassing after 80 years on earth. 13.2cm.

Never underestimate the joy of a Cross Townsend pen. We think these rollerball pens are vastly underrated. Green marble with gold-plated trim looks great. There is light wear on the trim but nothing especially egregious. The worst of the wear is on the nose-cone where the refill emerges. Somehow, some of it has been chewed away. Yes, the metal seems chewed away! Nevertheless, the brand-new refill seems stable for writing. Click the headline for a close-up. 15cm capped.

Italian artisans resurrected the lost are of orange-hard-rubber pens with woodgrain designs when developing the Stipula Novecento fountain pen. Sterling silver accents turn this pen from simply functional to a functional work of art. The piston filler is a little stiff but still works well. We restored the finish by removing all the chocolate hazing. The finish about 98% haze free and looking really sharp. You will write a fine line with its two-tone 18k gold nib. It has a little feedback. A delightful preowned luxury pen that can be a real highlight for any collection. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

A true classic for any pen collector or writer, the Sheaffer Balance Lifetime is an unstoppable force of American manufacturing in the 1930s. Our oversized model is fully restored with a new ink sac. No cracks, no brassing, no deep scratches. Our pen only has light wear from use. Its monster 14k gold nib writes a very nice extra fine line with only the lightest of feedback for such a stiff nib. 14.2cm capped.