Vintage Pens

Every now and again we are faced with an inky mystery. Today that mystery is this De La Rue Everybody's Stylo 800/60. The imprint is shallow but clear enough to read. At first we thought it was a pencil, but its "lead" turned out to be an Ink-O-Graph-style tube without the pin in it to regulate ink flow. Even more confusing is that we don't see how it opens to refill it with ink. As such, the pen is unrestored. Nevertheless, the mottled orange hard rubber design is still stunning with no cracks and only light wear from history and past use. Perhaps this is a steal for someone who knows it better. 11.6cm capped.

First-year Sheaffer TouchDown pens are difficult to find, but first-year Sheaffer Autograph TouchDowns are really rare. Made in 1949, these first-year pens had a much wider body than the 1950s' "Thin Model" pens. What makes the Autograph pen especially unique is its solid 14k gold pocket clip and solid 14k gold wide cap band. Our cap band reads "EAD to HFS." At least we think the "F" is an "F." It is a unique cursive script that we haven't seen in decades. We restored this pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. The pen has a little rust stain under the clip and normal wear from use. You will write an extra-fine line with its two-tone 14k gold nib with a little feedback. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.5cm capped.

Many consider the Waterman C/F to be the first of the modern-era pens, although it is a classic vintage pen. Why? It was, effectively, the first pen to use disposable plastic ink cartridges. Although a success, it was short lived. The biggest problem for vintage collectors is that the Waterman C/F doesn't use any modern cartridges or converters. Waterman wasn't using standard international cartridges in the 1950s, as the concept was yet to be invented. If you find a 1950s cartridge, you can refill it with a syringe to use this pen. Unfortunately, it doesn't include an original cartridge. The pen looks great, except for that big crack in the tail visible in the photo. You will write a medium line with its 14k gold nib. There is a some feedback. 13.2cm capped.

At the turn of the 20th century the Franklin Pen Company was thriving. It was based in Philadelphia and was specializing in a "self-filling" system known today as a syringe filler. This Franklin Safety Pen has the syringe filler, as you can see in the photo. Click the headline for close-ups. Ours is not working and unrestored. Back in the day, what set these pens apart from other syringe fillers was that you could adjust the pressure of the seal as it wore out so that it didn't make a mess. Its 14k gold nib is a size 3 that is very flexible going from a fine to around 2mm wide. You can still use it easily as a dip pen. The chasing and imprint in the black hard rubber is a bit worn but still visible. There's a little brassing and discoloring of the golden decorative trim. Hairline crack in the lip of the cap going under the cap band. 12.5cm capped.

Here's a chance to get a relative bargain on a fairly rare vintage pen. Look closely. Click the headline for close-ups. Notice anything unique about this oversized Sheaffer Lifetime flattop in black hard rubber? No white dot. No serial number on the 14k gold Lifetime nib. This pen was made before Sheaffer developed its famed white dot logo for Lifetime pens! And it was before Sheaffer lost an early lawsuit to black-market dealers of its pens because the Lifetime nibs had no serial number to track the pens. There is a fair amount of brassing on the trim. Also visible is a little triangle chip in the lip of the cap that some long-ago repair person super glued. A hairline crack sprouts out of the right side of the pocket clip mount. There are scratches and faded imprints. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. You will write a deliciously buttery smooth broad line with its early original 14k gold nib. 13.6cm capped.

Persian blue is one of our Sheaffer favorites. This Sheaffer Sentinel is an especially attractive vintage pen. The vacuum-fil filling system has been restored and works well. However, we are noticing an issue with it as it writes. The firm extra-fine 14k gold nib writes nicely, but it seems to deposit a little blob of ink every couple words. There is a dent on the right side of the cap, too. The rest of the pen looks fine with a little wear from use. This pen sports its White Dot on the tip of the blind cap! Really neat feature. 12.7cm capped.

The original Sheaffer Valiant came with a vacuum-fil filler system. The color is a rarer umber brown. There is a little light wear from use. There is no brassing, no cracks or deep scratches. You can see in the photo that the cap pushed a little of the softer barrel plastic back where it closes. This vintage pen was restored by the great Sherrell Tyree, who is a renowned Sheaffer expert. You will write a smooth fine-medium line with its two-tone 14k gold Triumph nib. Oh, and it has nice ink-view window clarity. Click the headline for close-ups. Wide bodied and 13.3cm capped.

We don't often get excited about ringtop fountain pens, but this Parker Lady Duofold is something else. It is pretty close to mint for a 100-year-old pen. Really crisp milling on the top of the cap and blind cap. Deep, sharp imprint that is kinda uncommon for Lady Duofolds. Our vintage pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac. The only real imperfection with the pen is that the cap is several shades lighter than the barrel. Yet, it has a raised cap band, which is often desired. Click the headline for close-ups. Its 14k gold nib writes a smooth fine line with a hint of feedback. It has a "Christmas tree" inkfeed. No brassing. 12cm capped.