On Sale: Pens, Pencils, and Ephemera

Perfection in vintage pens is such an elusive target. This Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal gets awfully close. Its "Brazilian Green" or "Bronze Green" finish is stunning without much, if any, discoloration. There is no brassing on the oversized fountain pen except for a tiny sliver on the edge of the lever. Fully restored, both the vintage pen and pencil work well. Under a bright light you can see some shallow scratches on the caps and barrels. You also can see some marks where the pen's cap rubs against the barrel when it closes. Very minor wear, but it didn't just roll off the assembly line. You will write a smooth extra-fine (or fine, depending on how you define extra-fine) line with its 14k gold nib that screws in and out of the pen. You will notice it is not a "Signature" nib, but it was likely a replacement nib the store that sold it used to customize the nib for the original owner. The pencil takes 1.1mm leads. Its biggest flaw is brassing on the nose cone. Pen measures 13.4cm capped.

Perhaps our favorite color combination on the Parker 100 pencil is this sky-blue and brushed-gold design. Our preowned luxury pencil is in great working order with a new eraser and spare .5mm leads. You'll see some scratches on the brushed gold cap and nose cone. Twist the cap to advance the lead or close up/retract the lead mechanism. Makes math, crosswords and sudoku more fun. 13.8cm.

We have often pondered if the "Great Characters" series by Montblanc was a slightly derisive title for a series of pens based on real people and not fictional characters in a book or movie. However, I think most people would define Andy Warhol as one of the great characters of pop culture, no matter how you define it. Our Montblanc Andy Warhol rollerball pen is in like-new condition and complete with all of its original boxes and papers. Featured on the cap are Warhol's famous Campbell's soup cans. This pen comes with a working blue refill. Not all the boxes are featured in this image.

Cartridge fillers are not a new phenomena in fountain pens. The first ones date back to around the turn of the 20th century. However, those early ones were not entirely practical and prone to their glass and clay cartridges breaking. On the American market, Waterman C/F pens introduced what we have come to know as the first cartridge pens with disposable plastic cartridges. These pens were Waterman's last hit in the 1950s and until the company was revitalized in the 1980s. This rare New Old Stock set is unused and pristine. From the "Fine Flex" chalk mark on the barrel of the pen to 4 unopened, still waxed shut original cartridges, this vintage pen belongs in a museum. Click the headline for close-ups. The steel nib doesn't feel flexi to us, but that is how it was advertised.

Here it is! One of the Granddaddies of Grail Pens: the Waterman Patrician. We've restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. What makes this pen really stand out to us is its black hard rubber (ebonite) cap and barrel. It has a little oxidation and moderate wear, but it isn't a mess of chocolate hazing, either. No cracks. Click the headline for close-ups. You'll write a nice, firm medium line with a little feedback with its original 14k gold Patrician nib. There's a little brassing on the cap band, and there's a slight bulge under the left-side of the clip (as you face it) where it attaches to the pen. The big golden Waterman's seal on the flat tail of the pen looks like a baseball with "Waterman's" written inside it. This is the big 'un. 13.9cm capped.

We don't know the first thing about this brace of Cross mini pencils. They are very skinny and just about as wide as a tie clip pencil, but they don't have tie clips. The front writing instrument is made of solid sterling silver. It has some dents in the nose cone but it seems to work well. You twist the nose cone to advance or retract the lead that we think is .9mm. Its matching pencil is "1/30 10k Gold RGP." We think that mean Rolled Gold Plating. It works well, too, and there is much less damage or wear to the RGP pencil. Both measure 8.8cm.

Oh, Milord! You are going to love this great burgundy Omas Milord rollerball pen. It is still such a shame this great Italian penmaker went out of business several years ago. Our preowned luxury pen is in great working order and was given a brand new black, capless rollerball refill. The pen shows only light wear plus a little tarnish or brassing on the exterior trim. No cracks or any significant damage. Looks and works great. Comes with its original box and papers. 13.5cm capped.

Omas pens remain among the hottest writing instruments at the moment, especially since the original company went out of business several years ago. Their pencils are among the hardest to find of their writing instruments, as they didn't make as many. This burgundy Omas Milord pencil is a real treat that comes with its original box and papers. We think it is a .5mm lead pencil. Spare leads are under the cap, which unscrews...so don't try to yank it off. With the exception of a tiny bit of brassing on the cap bands, this pencil has only some light wear from use, which is difficult to see unless you examine it closely. Works well. The click action works with a side twist of the tail cap. 14cm.