Vintage Pens

Semi-flex nibs usually go for a premium these days, but you can get a nice one here if you don't mind a small pen. Our chased black hard rubber Conklin 25P actually looks close to mint condition. Crisp imprints and chasing. No cracks. A piece of the crescent lock is missing, but the lock still works. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a nice line from fine to about 1mm wide with its 14k gold semi-flex nib. There's a little feedback, but it won't prevent you from making the most of the writing experience. 11.1cm capped.

Abalone shells from California's kelp forests of the 1930s dapple this black cap and barrel of this classic Sheaffer Balance. We believe Sheaffer called the design Ebony and Pearl, but it was really abalone. Our slender, full-length vintage pen looks pretty good for 80-odd years. You'll see some scratches, wear and brassing, but there are no cracks. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. The ink-viewing window is ambered, but you can still see through it. You will write a nice fine line that some might think leans toward medium with its 14k gold nib. You might feel a little feedback on ascenders and descenders. 13.7cm capped.

Here's something you don't see every day: the Eversharp Coronet! We think these vintage pens represent the very pinnacle of art deco design in pens. We especially love the red cathedral triangles on the top of the gold-plated cap. We restored this pen several years ago, and it still seems to work well. The barrel is engraved "W.F.D." The cap and barrel only have light wear from use. The 14k gold nib is marked "Semi Flex." You will find it writes more of a smooth fine, but you can push it a little for some line variation. We just urge extreme caution. The pencil design matches perfectly but is engraved "Dawco." The pencil doesn't seem to be working, although it is cosmetically in very good shape. Click the headline for close-ups.

Parker Duofolds were the most popular pens of the 1920s, but not everyone could afford one. The Parker Lucky Curve was a more affordable option. It is the thinner, less flashy version. We don't know if this is its original box, but it is a great vintage box with instructions. We restored the vintage pen with a new ink sac. The main part of the cap and barrel are black permanite, and the section and end caps are black hard rubber. Click the headline for close-ups. You will write a nice fine line with its 14k gold nib that also flexes just a little. Light wear on the cap and barrel. Looks pretty sharp. 13.4cm capped.

Esterbrook is most famous for it, but Wahl-Eversharp was the first that we know who made nib assemblies that screw in and out of its fountain pens. Click the headline on this Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal to see the word "Flexible" written on the nib. This was just one of a series of nibs that could be screwed in or out to better suit the needs of its writer. We don't find this 14k gold nib to be super flexible. It seems more like a semi-flex these days. You will write a nice fine to roughly 1mm line. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. Its woodgrain hard-rubber cap and barrel sport some wear and hazing. There is a little brassing on the lever, too. 12.1cm capped.

There's nothing like writing with a junior-sized Sheaffer Lifetime. Possibly a little overlooked, these are fantastic pens with great nibs. Yes, the nibs are firm, but they also are smooth. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. It shows some wear from use and some brassing on the pocket clip and cap band. However, it remains a solid pen nearly 100 years after it was made. You will write a smooth, wet fine to extra-fine line with its thick 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. The nib photo shows a hairline crack in the nib from the section through the second 6 in the serial number and into the U of U.S.A. on the imprint. The nib seems stable and still writes well. The pen measures 11.2cm capped.

We don't know the model name for this black-hard rubber Wahl pen, but it is a very nice example of the company's 1920s manufacturing. The pattern is still crisp and there is minimal brassing. We couldn't get it open, but it does still have a working ink sac inside it. There is a little chocolate hazing overall with some larger spots of it on the cap. You will write a dry, extra-fine line with a little feedback...but the 18k gold nib also flexes just a little to give you about a half millimeter of line variation. Long and slender. 13cm capped.

New Old Stock pens are always fun, even it they are from a lower tier. This Venus fountain pen bares a distinct resemblance to the Parker 51. Certainly, the hooded nib was all the rage. Unlike a 51, this pen is a lever-filler, and we just replaced the ink sac. You will see a little wear on the pen from rattling around an old drawer or box for the past 70 years or so. As it is N.O.S., we haven't dipped or written with it. Its matching ballpoint pen has a click top to engage the non-working vintage refill. Just under the clip is the refill release. A fun early ballpoint pen. Too bad they don't make these refills, any more.