Conklin
Pens and Ephemera

Red herringbone designs are among the most sought after by Conklin Nozak pen collectors. Here is a rare vintage pencil to match! Aside from a little brassing and wear, this writing instrument looks pretty sharp. It uses 1.1mm leads, and there are plenty of spares under the tail cap and hardened eraser. Twist the tail cap to advance and retract the lead. The imprint is fairly weak. 13.7cm.

Conklin pen fans and lovers of art deco might thrill in the unique "M"-shaped chasing between pinstripes on this late-model Conklin Crescent from the 1920s. Probably one of the last hard-rubber models, it doesn't have an identifying model number or nib number. Its 14k gold nib looks like a size 3 or 4. You will write a really nice fine line with it. A passing glance reveals perfection, but if you take a really close scrutinizing look at this Conklin Crescent fountain pen, you'll see a tiny dimple in the cap band and wear marks from putting the cap on either end. The clip isn't flat against the barrel, either. Otherwise, its perfect. No cracks or brassing. Fully restored with a new ink sac. 12.8cm capped.

Something just clicks instant gratification inside our obsessive-compulsive soul at seeing a Conklin Word Gauge fountain pen. It can't possibly be accurate in any way, but it makes one feel so accomplished as the ink level drops to each new hash mark on the clear barrel. Our modern Conklin Word Gauge fountain pen is a beautiful recreation of the vintage pen. This pre-owned pen looks just shy of mint condition. It has silver plated trim and a working piston filler. You will write an extra-fine line that is a little dry on ascenders, while sensing some light feedback. The two-tone 14k gold nib is marked fine, but it looks a lot closer to extra-fine to us. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.9cm capped.

Conklin was cruising along at the height of its power when it made the Conklin Endura Jr. We especially love this earlier orange hard rubber version with a woodgrain finish. The company soon switched to celluloid. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. The finish on the pen is crack free, but you can see it is a little oxidized. Not hideously so, just a little. Heavy brassing on the cap band, which wasn't uncommon for Conklin. Naturally, the nib remains the soul of the pen. You will write a very smooth fine line with its original 14k gold beauty. A nice widish barrel for a junior model that is only 11.3cm capped.

We aren't sure what Conklin called this pinstriped pencil made of rolled gold, but it is a very handsome taste of the 1920s. It is marked "Patented July 6, 1920." We suspect is was made a couple years later. This pen is a little more slender than the 4B and 5V models, but it is the same length. New Old Stock, it is dent and damage free. Twist the nose cone to advance and retract the 1.1mm lead. Pull off the tail blind cap to reveal a hardened eraser. Unscrew the eraser to reveal some spare leads. 13.3cm capped.

Jazz Age style and sophistication shines through on this new old stock Conklin 5V pencil. A "w" pattern flys down the barrel of this vintage pencil on finely wrought pinstripes. Marked rolled gold, all of the imprints and design features are strong and crisp. Patented on July 6, 1920, we suspect this one was made more likely in 1924 or '25. Twist the nose cone to advance and retract the 1.1mm lead. Pull off the tail cap to reveal an unused hardened eraser. Unscrew the eraser to reveal spare leads. No brassing, dents or scratches. Looks like it just left the factory in Toledo, Ohio. 13.3cm capped.

Direct from the Roaring '20s comes this green-gold Conklin 5V pencil. New Old Stock, this pencil is in mint condition and comes with its original price sticker! Its classic chevron design is dent free with minimal, if any, wear. Pull off the blind tail cap to reveal its original hardened eraser. Unscrew the eraser to reveal the spare leads. To advance and retract the 1.1mm lead, twist the nose cone to the right or left. No engravings. 13.3cm.

It took us a while to track down some answers for this pen. We finally discovered, courtesy of David Isaacson's inimitable website, that this was an unnamed model Conklin pen. He calls it the Conklin Sub Endura, as it was neither a Symetrik nor an Endura. It was meant as a lesser model for those who couldn't afford Conklin's higher end pens. While he had seen many of these pens in the past, he had only seen this maroon-and-pearl-grey pen once before. Ours is fully restored with a new ink sac. No cracks and minimal wear. Its only real problem is brassing on the cap bands. Write a nice fine line with a hint of flex with this original 14k gold nib. 13cm capped.