All Pens and Ephemera

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.

Cashing in on the enormous success of its Parker 51, Parker decided to create a more affordable version of the pen to reach even more customers. This pen is the Parker 21. One of the biggest differences between them is that the 21 has a steel nib, and the 51 has a gold nib. Our vintage pen is in good working order, complete with a working original pli-glass ink sac. Its nib is more of a fine-medium that has a little feedback at the tops and bottoms of letters. You should be able to see a big crack in the barrel where it threads to the section. Don't grip it too hard or use to much pressure, as you will get it to wiggle in your hand a bit. Click the headline for a close-up. 13.4cm capped.

Not every vintage pen is going to be the belle of the ball. Today's Parker Duofold from 1942 seems to have been somebody's loyal workhorse. A great deal of the cap band is heavily brassed. There's a hairline crack in the cap lip running up under the cap band. The pen shows overall wear, and the 14k gold nib looks a little wonky. Click the headline for close-ups. HOWEVER, we restored it with a new diaphragm, and it writes surprisingly well. You'll find it is a wet medium with a touch of feedback. It actually writes much better than it looks. Perfect for a daily driver that doesn't mind another ding or two. 13.2cm capped.

Moxie the cat is helping to model this handsome Waterman Carene Deluxe rollerball pen. It has a bronze barrel and vermeil cap. In this case, vermeil is a silver plated cap that has been plated over in gold. It is one of the less common Carene models. There are no dents or long, deep scratches. There are a few very short shallow scratches and other marks of light wear. Happily enough, these preowned luxury pens take regular Waterman rollerball refills AND Pilot G2 gel refills. This one sports a blue G2! There is just enough weight in the pen to really make it write smoothly with some gentle momentum. These are among our favorite rollerball pens. Click the headline for close-ups. Meowy Christmas. 14.5cm capped.

It is difficult, in this day and age, to imagine a time when wealthy, sophisticated young ladies were brought on to the more genteel dating scene as debutantes. Nevertheless, it wasn't that long ago. This Parker Vacumatic Debutante set was made in 1938 and intended for young women of class and culture. Fully restored with a new diaphragm the fountain pen is in good working order. There are no cracks, and its grey pearl design is lovely with nickel trim. The barrel has ambered and is difficult to see through. We think this is a replacement filler unit, as it is plastic instead of aluminum. The nib is a little tarnished, but we also think it still has a shadow of its two-tone look. You will write a nice extra-fine line with a touch of feedback. We can polish it for you, but that will guarantee it is a monotone 14k gold nib. The matching pencil still works and clicks to advance lead. 11.7cm capped.

Building off the nostalgia for the Parker 51, the company launched what they hoped would be a more modern version of the pen in the Parker 100. This set included both the rollerball and ballpoint version of the pens in the original box. To be honest, it is quite possible they were never sold as a set in the box when they first came out, but that is how we found and are selling them. Each instrument looks great and works well. There's a little scuffing from the cap snapping to the section of the rollerball. Otherwise, they are still cosmetically beautiful. Each has its respective working, black refill.