All Pens and Ephemera

It is nearly impossible to tell if the Esterbrook Transition pen is an authentic one or a repairman's marriage. We aren't sure, ourselves, but this pen does have a rarer cap with a three-banded black "jewel" on top and no "Esterbrook" written in the clip. We restored it with a new ink sac and new 1461 steel nib. Our vintage pen has some wear from use, but there are no cracks. The clip has a little jiggle, but it doesn't spin. You will write an extra-fine to fine line that is surprisingly smooth for a 1000-series nib. Mind you, that there is still a little feedback, but this isn't a bad nib by any means. 12.6cm capped.

Not necessarily rare, Waterman LeMan fountain pens are highly sought luxury pens. Elegant, smooth, dependable...what's not to love. Our preowned pen is in excellent condition with only minimal wear from use. It also includes its box and converter. Especially nice is its two-tone 18k gold nib. You will write a very smooth medium line with it. One of the things we really like about these lux pens compared to other brands is that it has a brass barrel and cap under the black lacquer. It won't shatter when you drop it. 14.3cm capped.

As if bronze arco celluloid wasn't enough to get you excited, this is the grand poobah Omas Grand Paragon pen. Larger than a standard Paragon, ours measures 14.75cm long. The height of Italian luxury pen making, this is a stunner for any collector. It is tough to see at a glance, but there is some wear on this pen that is quite visible up close. No cracks, deep scratches, brassing or other serious flaws. Just lots of wear from daily use. We found it by luck, as it came in an Omas Milord box with a leather sleeve. This was obviously not a Milord the second we set eyes on it. Click the headline for a close-up. You will write a medium-broad line with its 18k gold nib. There's a little light feedback, too. Its piston still operates smoothly.

New Old Stock Sheaffer Snorkel fountain pens are a rare treat. This Sheaffer Admiral is actually our favorite kind of snorkel. We prefer the open 14k gold nibs as smoother, more responsive nibs than the firmer conical Triumph nibs. We replaced the pen's O-ring, but the point seal and sac performed as good as new with water. There might be a little shop wear on this pen, but there are no significant blemishes. Click the headline for close-ups. 14.2cm capped.

Our parade of Sheaffer Imperial II fountain pens continues with this vintage pen. Click the headline for close-ups. It is a nice grey model, but you can see a scar on its section. You'll also see the top of its nib tipping area is a bit chewed up. You will find the nib writes a smooth medium line at a low angle of attack. However, the more vertically you hold the pen, the finer and scratchier the nib gets. We restored the pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. 13.6cm capped.

Many people go ga-ga for the stunning Omas Arco designs, but the blue-and-orange "Saffron" design really blows our mind. This is the large Omas Paragon at 14.1cm in length while capped. It is in good working order, with a smooth piston fill. It does have some wear from use but no cracks, brassing or deep scratches. Also included are its original boxes and papers. Beyond the stunning celluloid is a delightfully smooth two-tone 18k gold nib that writes a juicy medium line. This one sports the year 1997 on the section. Click the headline for close-ups.

Who says teens shouldn't have a good pen for school? The Sheaffer Cadet was aimed at the beginners fountain pen market. With a great TouchDown filler, this is a more sophisticated way to ink up a basic pen. We replaced the ink sac and O-ring. You will write a very smooth fine line with its steel F1 nib. Overall, the pen looks pretty good. There is a little wear. Worst of all is some chrome plating missing from the cap band. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.3cm capped.

Here's a real granddaddy of vintage pens. It is a black hard rubber Sheaffer Lifetime Senior with etched pinstripes in the cap and barrel. It also has no white dot. It is that early! Fully restored with a new ink sac, it is ready to write. Brassing can be found on the ball of the pocket clip, but the rest of the pen is free of the blight. Click the headline for close-ups. There is a little chocolate hazing on the cap and barrel. It is worse on the cap, which is a little more faded in its pinstripe imprints. No cracks, chips or serious scratches. You will love its nib the most! Smoothly write from extra fine to more than 1mm wide with its semi-flex properties! A very rare semi-flex nib. Notice that the Lifetime nib has a serial number? This might indicate it is an early replacement nib, as the original nib had no serial numbers. 13.6cm capped.