Vintage Pens

Premier New York sculptor James Cady Ewell created the bronze golfer on this desk base for Parker in 1927. It was known as "The Drive." This Parker Duofold desk set holds two senior-size pens. The two Duofold trumpets appear to be in good condition, as is the onyx base. A price sticker under the base reads that it is a Parker set that originally cost $53.50, which is nearly $1,000 in today's money. No model I.D. number. We restored two Duofold senior desk pens with new ink sacs. Click the headline for a close-up. The 14k gold nib on the black pen is a smooth stub that has lovely line variation. The lapis pen's Lucky Curve 14k nib is semi-flexible and writes extra-fine to almost 1mm wide! The base is about a foot long and 8 inches high. It weighs about 5 pounds and will cost extra to ship internationally.

GARAGE SALE ITEM 8: Ever say to yourself, "I need to pour out a dirty bag of third tier pens and parts and just revel in the joy of it all?" Well, then, my friend, today is your lucky, lucky day. There's nothing special in here. It is literally a dirty bag of parts. If you ever wanted some cheap old pens to tear apart to learn how to do pen restoration, this is ideal. No Refunds. No Returns.

Esterbrook J-model pens are fun to collect for all of the dozens of nibs the company sold. Overall, this is a standard black J-model. Remarkably, it still has a functional Esterbrook imprinted ink sac. More impressive is that it comes with an upgraded 2284 steel nib. This was intended as a "Signature Stub" nib. It has some gentle oblique and stub qualities, but, overall, it writes more like a double-broad nib. Take it easy on some corners, as it can dig in a little. However, the nib can be extremely smooth when you get it angled correctly. The cap and barrel have some wear from use but no cracks. 12.8cm capped.

We think this was an early version of the Sheaffer Student Pens that would be better known as cartridge fillers in the 1960s-'80s. This one sports a TouchDown filler that was first introduced in 1949. We restored this 1960s' pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. You will write a medium line with its slightly scratchy steel nib. Click the headline for close-ups. Overall, the pen is in decent cosmetic condition. Only the top of the nib looks scratched up. 13cm capped.

Needing a quality pen that was also affordable to help get through the Great Depression, Parker developed the Challenger line. Our Parker Deluxe Challenger is a handsome green marble with the older Duofold-style button filler. It is an average sized pen with a small 14k gold nib. You will write a nice, firm fine line with it. A lower-tier pen they did some cheap plating over a steel clip. Most of the plating has worn away. No cracks, but the pen does have wear from use. Fully restored with a fresh ink sac. It is a nice vintage pen daily driver. 12.7cm capped.

Coral is one of the most sought-after colors in the world of vintage pens. We restored this junior-sized Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal pen in coral with a new ink sac. The coral is a little discolored, which you can see in contrast to its matching pencil. The pen has a 14k gold "Signature" nib that unscrews and is marked as a medium. You will write a nice medium line that is both smooth and has a touch of feedback. No chips or cracks. Light brassing on the cap bands and lever. The pencil has some light brassing but is otherwise stunning. We think it works and will update after tracking down our 1.1mm lead. Pen measures 12.1cm capped.

It is nearly impossible to tell if the Esterbrook Transition pen is an authentic one or a repairman's marriage. We aren't sure, ourselves, but this pen does have a rarer cap with a three-banded black "jewel" on top and no "Esterbrook" written in the clip. We restored it with a new ink sac and new 1461 steel nib. Our vintage pen has some wear from use, but there are no cracks. The clip has a little jiggle, but it doesn't spin. You will write an extra-fine to fine line that is surprisingly smooth for a 1000-series nib. Mind you, that there is still a little feedback, but this isn't a bad nib by any means. 12.6cm capped.

Don't be so quick to blow past this rather average looking Parker 51 set. More than a double-jewel set from 1946, these writing instruments offer something extra special. A very close examination will reward you with hallmarks for solid 14k gold. The caps are gold-filled, but the pocket clips, tail-jewel tassie and pencil's nose cone are all solid 14k gold! This was a special upgrade feature that is rather uncommon in the wild these days. We are selling these pens for our friend and legendary pen repairman Stuart Hawkinson who replaced the diaphragm in the vintage pen. No engravings mar the caps. The pen cap is dent free. The pencil has a small impression on the back of the cap. Under close examination the pen shows a fair amount of wear from use but no cracks or ugly scars. You will write a nice extra-fine line with the 14k gold nib of the pen. The pencil uses 1.1mm leads. Click the headline for a close-up.