All Pens and Ephemera

How is it Italian craftsmen and women seem to come up with some of the most beautiful pen designs in modern pens? We love the stunning amber celluloid that seems to an ancient essence found in artifacts from Rome and around the Mediterranean. On really close examination you will find little bits of wear and damage, but it is impossible to see at a passing glance. You fill the pen with a piston activated by the little silver disc on the tail. It writes a very smooth medium line for a steel nib. It also includes its box and papers. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Harkening back to 1920s black hard rubber with "chasing" designs, this Waterman LeMan Opera fountain pen is a stunningly handsome modern luxury pen. The cap and barrel are in nearly perfect condition. The gold-plated trim has just a little schmutz and wear on the tail end. Click the headline for close-ups. Its two-tone 18k gold nib writes a nice fine-medium line. It is a soft nib that responds to light pressure, but this is not a conventional semi-flex nib. The thin 18k gold is easily sprung. The pen includes a box and papers. 14.4cm capped.

Pale blue makes for a handsome Esterbrook CA fountain pen. These were Esterbrook's cartridge-only pens. Unfortunately, there are no Esterbrook cartridges that are officially available. However, we've heard rumor that you can tweak a Sheaffer cartridge into working. No cracks mar the cap or barrel. You will see a little light surface wear, but, overall, the pen is in great shape. It comes with a steel 1551 nib that we find writes a fine-medium line with a little light feedback. 13.1cm capped.

A sense of irony must have been in the minds of the executives at Krone when they named this rollerball pen the Krone Vintage Pen. Nothing says vintage like modern rollerball refills. LOL! Our preowned pen is in excellent condition with only light, if any, wear. Unscrew the black tail cap to replace the P8126 capless rollerball refill. Our pen has a working black refill, but we don't know how much ink is left. As such, we include a spare refill. 11.8cm capped.

Limited edition pens are always fun, and our Krone Gradient Coral Red is no exception. What makes it especially interesting to us is that it is #4 of 388! We've never had a numbered pen in the single digits before. Mother of pearl blazes into a blazing coral red on the barrel. The brushed steel cap and blind cap serve as nice contrast. Overall, the pen looks great but there are two short but deep scratches on the steel cap. Click the headline for close-ups. You'll write a smooth medium line with its 18k gold nib. We find it makes little scrunching sounds at the top of ascenders and bottom of descenders. You'll also notice it is a bouncy nib capable of line variation. Just be careful, as 18k gold is very soft and easily bent out of shape. 13.6cm capped.

Even people who aren't into lady's pens have to shout when they see this Parker Duofold. A streamlined model, it still looks really sharp today in its orange permanite cap and barrel with reblackened hard-rubber end caps. Only the tassie shows brassing. Overall, the pen does show some wear from use, annnnd there is a crack in the barrel threads. However, if you write with a light hand, it should be okay. We restored this pen with a new ink sac, button and pressure bar. It still has its Christmas-tree inkfeed. You will write a fine line with a little feedback using its 14k gold nib. 11.8cm capped.

It is nice to find a Parker Sonnet with an 18k gold nib. We think most of them are plated steel these days. That would seem to date this pre-owned pen a little. Solidly built, this pen shows a some wear in places, but it is in great shape. It comes with a Parker converter, but it also can use Parker cartridges. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a smooth broad line when you find the sweet spot. This pen also squeaks a little as it writes and can get a little scratchy outside of its sweet spot. 13.4cm capped.

Blessed are those who love writing with a pen from Vatican City. This collectible ballpoint from the Vatican Museums sports themes of landmarks and images from all around the Vatican. It comes with its original box and paper. It features a "Vatican Museums" refill, which is really a Parker-style refill easily found anywhere in the U.S....and probably everywhere else. The Holy Pen Designer seems to have had a thing for modern Parker Duofold ballpoints. The pen is nicely weighted and shows a little light wear from use. 12.9cm.