Vintage Pens

Easily confused with a Parker 51, this Parker 17 is actually a British model. Instead of a metal cap, such as the 51, this one has a plastic cap made of the same lovely green material as the barrel. It also sports a wider cap band and a tail jewel. You will see some scratches that were mostly made by the cap in its closed position. There is a tiny dimple in the wide cap band. The original pli-glass ink sac still works well. We get a kick out of how the sac protector instructs to squeeze the sac 5 times just to fill it. Early aerometric 51s were imprinted to squeeze 6 times and laters ones said to squeeze only 4 times. You will write a very smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib.

History forever remembers the winners, but sometimes the losers have the more compelling story. That seems to be the case for the Eversharp Skyline and the Eversharp CA. The Skyline was Wahl-Eversharp's best-selling pen of all time. In an effort to be the first to bring ballpoint pens to market in the U.S., Eversharp CA pens looked just like the Skyline but featured the new and exciting technology of a ballpoint. "CA" represented the "Capillary Action" of the new ballpoint system. Unfortunately, Eversharp nearly went broke obtaining the rights to the first ballpoint refill and to get it to market in a mostly untested state. Once released, most of the pens failed to work as promised and Wahl-Eversharp lost their shirts on the lifetime warranty. This set is in good condition, though it has a little wear. The CA still has an original, nonfunctional, refill. The pencil still works well. A great curio for vintage pen collectors.

The famed Parker Duofold got a fresh makeover in art deco with a Vacumatic filler in the 1930s. Our Parker Duo-Vac, as they are sometimes called, has been fully restored with a new diaphragm. This vintage pen was made in Canada. There are no cracks. It has some wear from use and heavy brassing on the pocket clip. One of the greater features is that it has a semi-flexible 14k gold nib. You will write an extra-extra fine line to nearly 1mm wide. The matching twist-action pencil has the same amount of wear and lots of brassing. Engraved "H. M. Stockder", it is actually an American-made model. There's a hardened eraser under the cap and a .9mm lead loaded in the pencil. Works well.

Among the epic failures of the golden era of vintage pen is the story of the Eversharp Symphony. Designed to replace the wildly popular Eversharp Skyline, this Eversharp Symphony is a handsome pen. We love the dark-blue barrel paired with the chrome and gold-plated cap. Unfortunately for Wahl-Eversharp, its Symphony never quite caught on with the writing public. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. The barrel has some moderate wear but no cracks or nasty scars. No dents mar the cap. You will write a really wet medim--some might call it broad. It has some feedback but not hideous. 14.1cm capped.

We've got a fun mystery for vintage Parker Pen collectors. What is this pen? It looks like a streamlined senior Parker Duofold. Yet, it also has the Parker Televisor pattern in burgundy. Of course, we don't think they made Televisor pens this large. No barrel imprint. We found it in this box from Parker in the UK. However, it might not be its original box. We don't know. We do know it has been fully restored with a new ink sac. Click the headline for a close-up. You'll see the nib is ever-so-slightly bent to the left. However, it is fairly smooth and writes like a firehose. 13cm capped.

Advertising pens don't usually make their way on to our website. However, we think this is an exception you will love! Our hard-to-find Montblanc 334 1/2 fountain pen features the company logo on the top of the cap (instead of the usual Montblanc logo) along with the company name on the side of the cap: Hamburg-Sudamerikanishe Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft. For those who don't speak German, the "Hamburg-South America Steamship Company." We aren't certain, but we think this pen is from the early 1950s. From the collection of a dedicated Montblanc enthusiast, this pen was restored a few years ago and still works well. It has wear and brassing from use but no cracks. The underside of the barrel looks as if it might have a crack, but the barrel is smooth and holds ink well. You will write a buttery smooth line with its 14k STUB NIB. Extra-fine to about 1mm wide! Click headline for close-ups. 12.2cm capped.

Bullet-shaped Eversharp Skyline pens were the darling of many writers of the 1940s. They looked like they were going 100 mph when just sitting on your desk. This burgundy model is a standard size that was well loved. It has a little brassing on the clip and lever, plus wear marks on the cap and barrel. No cracks. No deep scratches. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sack and breather tube. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a very smooth line for an extra-fine 14k gold nib. 13.1cm capped.

We don't normally get so lucky as to have vintage Montblanc pens, but we are very excited to present this Montblanc 234 1/2 G. We think it is from the 1940s, but we aren't certain. This pen was restored about 10 years ago by Montblanc super star Osman Sumer. The piston is still working well, though a little stiff. On the down side, you can see the tail of this barrel has some strange discoloration and possible weakness.. On the plus side, it has a factory oblique double broad nib! The nib matches the marking on the blind cap. Made of 14k gold, this left-foot oblique writes a very juicy line with some nice line variation. It takes a little while to get used to it and find its sweet spot, but it is a blast to write with. No cracks or deep scratches. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.5cm capped.