Vintage Pens

Orange hard rubber just looks so much better than the later "Permanite." It is more vibrant on this Parker Lady Duofold, and we love it. Better yet, this vintage pen almost looks new. Nice crisp imprint. No brassing on the wide cap band. Only a little brassing on the ball of the pocket clip. Really sharp milling on the ends of the pen. The tail cap is as black as the day it was made. The top of the regular cap has a little chocolate hazing but not much. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. In some different lighting situations the cap and barrel show a degree or two of contrast with each other. You will write a smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib. Also present is its original Christmas-tree inkfeed. 12.1cm capped.

Oh so sleek and glassy finished, our oversized Sheaffer Balance Lifetime fountain pen is a beautiful vintage pen for many a collection. Ours has been restored with a working "vacuum-fil" system. The piston rod feels a little stiff, but it pushes out air and draws in water when we tested it. Not visible in the photo is an impressive double-helix design visible through the ambered ink-viewing window. Minimal if any wear. You will write a firm, extra-fine line with its two-tone 14k gold nib. Expect a some feedback. Not terrible but noticeable. No brassing, cracks or deep scratches. Nice crisp imprint. 14cm capped.

A ruby-red vintage pen is just what this holiday season needs. Our Esterbrook LJ has been fully restored with a new ink sac. It sports a steel 1555 Gregg nib, which meant the nib was originally for anyone who took shorthand. Think secretaries and journalists. This can be thought of as the long, slender version of the J-model pen. The cap and barrel have some wear from use, but there are no cracks or major scars. Nice, clean imprint. You will write a surprisingly smooth extra-fine line, if you have a light touch with this firm nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

One could argue that the Parker 75 was the last of the golden era fountain pens Parker made with the intention of it being a daily luxury pen. Our preowned pen is a later model that was made in France. No dents mar the sterling silver cap and body. The top and bottom element looks like a dinner plate. We fitted this pen with a more modern Parker converter. It also takes Parker cartridges. The cap has a tight closure. You will write a nice, fine line with a little feedback while engaging its 14k gold nib. 12.9cm capped.

At first glance, you miss the hidden awesomeness of this Canadian Sheaffer Craftsman fountain pen. More than a plain black vintage pen, it is a plain black vintage pen with a surprisingly flexi 14k gold nib! You will write a very nice fine line that flexes up to about 1mm wide. As with so many flexi nibs, there is a little feedback. We restored this pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. No cracks nor brassing. The black gleams through the light surface wear on the pen. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.2cm capped.

Due to their unique filling systems, Parker Vacumatics remain a perennial favorite for us. We restored this World War II era vintage pen with a new ink sac and really went to town wet-sanding it to restore its factory luster. No cracks. No brassing. No deep scratches. The only imperfection is an impression on the cap where the pocket clip dug into the celluloid. The blind cap aligns with the barrel about 99% of the way it should. You will write a wet, fine line with its 14k gold nib. The lighter your touch as a writer the less feedback you will feel. We can get it to be almost feedback free, but if you are more heavy handed you will feel a little more. Made in 1944, this one is a beaut that should work well for decades to come. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

New Old Stock fans, rejoice. Check out this still-stickered Sheaffer Admiral from the 1940s! We restored this chocolate-brown beauty with a new ink sac. The rest is as it was and has always been. There is definitely some shop wear from rattling around for nearly 80 years, but there isn't any egregious damage. The ink-view window is still its factory fresh yellow-green clarity. You will write a nice, smooth fine line with its two-tone 14k gold "Feather Touch" nib. The sticker says it is a medium, but it only seems to write something we think is closer to a fine on a dip. Its matching pencil also is stickered. Similar light shop wear as the pen. Works perfectly. Includes spare .9mm leads. The eraser has hardened and shows a little use. Click the headline for close-ups.

Hailing from Canada is another great Sheaffer Craftsman. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. Click the headline for close-ups. It is easy to read the Canadian imprint, but you will also see some wear from use. No cracks nor brassing. We love the simplicity of the TouchDown filler. You will write an extra-fine to fine line that is a little on the drier side with some feedback. The tip of the nib seems aligned well, and we suspect regular use will help smooth out the feedback with a little time. 13.1cm capped.