All Pens and Ephemera

Lamy Logo ballpoint pens are often overlooked, but they are great additions to any fan of post-modern design and a nice writing experience. Our pen was gently used, but it still looks pretty close to new. It has a nice, strong clicker. Its proprietary Lamy ballpoint refill writes a nice blue line. The fact it was made way back in "West Germany" is an added bonus. 13.5cm

Stunningly well restored by Sheaffer repair super star Sherrell Tyree, our Sheaffer Admiral is a great example of the company's "ebony & pearl" design. They actually used flakes from abalone shells harvested from the kelp beds off the California shoreline. It looks gorgeous set in that polished ebony celluloid. As you can see in the photo, the barrel's barber pole viewing window is a little ambered but still clear enough to see through. Click the headline for a close-up. Extra-fine nib aficionados will be excited to learn the pen's 14k gold nib has an "accountant" point. (Not marked accountant nib but we've handled enough to know the real thing.) Better, yet, it writes a smooth extra-extra fine line with a "feather touch" to the paper. If you love Japanese extra-fine nibs, this is a rare American vintage nib that gets THAT fine. Overall, the pen has a little wear from use. No cracks but a few nibble marks on top of the cap. 13.9cm capped.

We picked up an unused 5-pack of Lamy Charged Green ink in a collection. This ink was only made for a year. We think we remember that year as being 2016. You can see the cartridges are starting to dry out. Use it up quickly. Lamy cartridges are proprietary to Lamy pens only.

We don't often get excited about ringtop fountain pens, but this Parker Lady Duofold is something else. It is pretty close to mint for a 100-year-old pen. Really crisp milling on the top of the cap and blind cap. Deep, sharp imprint that is kinda uncommon for Lady Duofolds. Our vintage pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac. The only real imperfection with the pen is that the cap is several shades lighter than the barrel. Yet, it has a raised cap band, which is often desired. Click the headline for close-ups. Its 14k gold nib writes a smooth fine line with a hint of feedback. It has a "Christmas tree" inkfeed. No brassing. 12cm capped.

How about a blast from the past with this Parker 20 eyedropper. Aside from being really old, it has many other reasons for being cool. Our favorite reason is the the bakelite barrel and hard rubber cap! How do we know it is bakelite? It says so right on the barrel imprint that is still pretty crisp. No cracks in the cap or barrel. Some mostly light wear from use for its age. There's brassing on the ball of the pocket clip. Click the headline for a close up of the 14k gold nib. It says "Parker / Lucky Curve / Pen / 2 / Made in U.S.A." There appears to be a crack running from the breather hole about halfway down the "k" in Parker. Be gentle with this nib, but it is flexi and goes from fine to about 1.5mm wide. 12.4cm capped.

Looking for an affordable, smooth-writing stub nib? Look no further than this Monteverde Ritma fountain pen. We love the dark-metal and reddish-pinkish-purpleish color. It is nicely weighted for smooth writing. It only shows a little wear from use. The cap is a magnetic snap closure that is quite secure. We love the blued-steel of the nib. It comes with a standard international converter and uses like cartridges. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Another West German Lamy Safari ballpoint has arrived. It doesn't look 40ish years old. In fact, there are only light traces of wear. Even its West German-made refill still seems to be working. Click the headline for close-ups. It is interesting that it has that little beige band around the top. 13.8cm capped.

If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime grail pen. A true grail-quest pen. This oversized Sheaffer Balance Demonstrator might be it. This beauty is something we have never seen before and likely something we will never see again. No cracks. No matter what your screen indicates, it has discolored to a pale yellow-green. The section jiggles a little. There a touch of brassing on the trim. Possibly a touch of krazing at the ends...could also just be the way things come together on the insides. We don't know if the 14k gold Secretary nib is original...but who cares. That nib alone is quite rare. It has a fresh ink sac. However, we'd never use it. It would be the centerpiece of our museum display...if we had a museum display. We dipped the nib, and it writes a nice medium line with light feedback. Click the headline for a close-up! 14.1cm capped.