Vintage Pens

We love finding vintage pen packaging. We just discovered this winter scene Waterman box with the pencil below inside of it. The matching Waterman 3V fountain pen was elsewhere in the collection, so we decided to put it all together. The vintage pen and pencil are in remarkably good condition. A little wear and marking from use, but no cracks or long scars. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. You will write a very nice semi-flex line from fine to 1mm wide with its 14k gold nib. The pencil remains in good working order and takes 1.1mm lead. The box is in pretty good condition. The name "Gerard J. Inguagiato" is beautifully written in pencil with a lovely cursive script. Gerard might have been a tween or teen at the time, as his name is repeated in the less confident hand of a younger person still mastering cursive. Click the headline for close-ups.

Waterman made a ton of pens in the 1940s that all looked very similar but gave them a ton of different names. We think this is the Waterman Stalwart, but you are welcome to correct us, if we are wrong. Blue flames shoot through its beautiful celluloid cap and barrel. No cracks mar this beauty, but you can see a deep scar made by the pocket clip to the right of the bottom of the clip. There are other signs of wear, and the section has lost all of its luster. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. Its 14k gold nib writes a nice fine, maybe fine-medium line with a little bounce. Not a true flex of any kind, you can get a touch of line variation from it. 12.2cm capped.

There is something especially attractive about this all-grey with gold trim Eversharp Skyline pen. It is an uncommon color combination, though not impossible to find. This one was restored before it came to us and has a very fresh ink sac. No cracks but a little brassing and some surface wear. The name "Evelyn Williams" is engraved on the side of the pen. Click the headline for close-ups. There are many Evelyn Williams in this world, and we doubt it was the pen of the famous British painter when she was a teenager. You will write a very smooth fine or extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib...depending on how you define the two nib sizes. 12.3cm capped.

Spring is almost here. Why not celebrate with this perky green Esterbrook SJ fountain pen? We restored it with a new ink sac. The cap and barrel are nearly perfect, except for the big chip missing from the top black cap jewel. Its fine-point steel Venus nib is a later replacement nib. We find it writes a little dry and closer to the extra-fine spectrum. 12cm capped.

We have featured many Esterbrook SJ fountain pens over the years, but this is our first with an Osmiroid nib. Osmiroid made a threaded nib assembly the same size as Esterbrook's. Osmiroid typically made nibs for calligraphers. As such, this nib is an extra-fine italic. You will write a surprisingly smooth extra-fine line with subtle line variation. We restored the vintage pen with a new ink sac. No cracks or deep scars on the pen. Justexpected wear from use. 12cm capped.

We don't think we can call this a pure-bred Parker Challenger. It seems to us that some long-ago repair person fitted it with a new cap band and section. We don't think that Parker Challengers ever came with an ink-view window. And although this section fits well in the barrel, the grip seems a size to small for the barrel. Regardless, we restored it with a new ink sac. ANNNND, it is a great writing pen with a delightfully smooth medium-point 14k gold nib! Our vintage pen shows the wear of past hard work, but there are no cracks. Ready for more hard work, this pen can make for a great daily driver. 13cm capped.

Some pen historians blame the Eversharp CA line of pens for effectively bankrupting the company. Spending millions on the rights to the Biro ballpoint refill patent, the company rushed their ballpoints into production without perfecting their manufacture and use. It also slapped a lifetime warranty on the pens, and nearly all the pens failed, resulting in crippling refunds. This is the Eversharp CA from the Fifth Avenue line, the second model to include a ballpoint design. Click the headline for close-ups. This pen is burgundy with golden trim. It shows light wear but no cracks or dents. The pocket clip jiggles. Notice the coiled refill? It was the company's effort to include even more ink in each pen. We don't think there is a replacement refill that will work in this pen. 13.4cm capped.

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.