Vintage Pens

When Esterbrook went from making Dollar Pens to J-model pens, it ran out of Dollar Pen caps and opted to use the new J-model caps on the remaining Dollar Pen barrels. It is difficult to tell the original ones from the repairmen who replaced broken Dollar Pen caps with J-caps. We found this pen this way, but that doesn't mean anything. What is interesting is the top jewel on the cap has 3 lines instead of the usual concentric circles. The color match is pretty close to perfect between the cap and barrel. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. You will this upgraded steel 9461 nib that is firm and very smooth as it writes a fine line. No cracks, deep imprint, some wear from use. 12.4cm capped.

In the 1940s, if you needed a cheap, reliable pen that was easily customized, you got yourself an Esterbrook Dollar Pen. We restored this black model with a new ink sac and new 1555 Gregg Shorthand nib. There are no cracks or deep scratches, but the early plastic cap on this pen has warped a bit. It can be difficult to get the cap on and off. You will write a nice fine line with its steel nib. There is a little feedback, but we wouldn't call this a scratchy pen...not compared to other Esterbrooks with the same nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.1cm capped.

The Sheaffer Snorkel enthusiast in us wants to call this a Sheaffer Valiant, but sometimes the earlier Sheaffer TouchDown pens are different from the later snorks. We restored this elegant vintage pen with a new ink sac and O-ring. No cracks mar its surfaces, but there are a couple little nicks that the gleaming black helps hide. You will write a very nice fine line with its firm "Triumph" nib made of two-tone 14k gold. Class up your daily work routine with this classic pen.

Sheaffer Cadet? Sheaffer Admiral? We never fully grasped the naming conventions for the Sheaffer TouchDown pens before they switched to Snorkels. Yet, a rose by any other name...we can still restore. We replaced the ink sac and O-ring in this vintage pen, and now it works great. You will write a dry extra-fine line with its two-tone, 14k gold Feather Touch nib. The pen looks great on a passing glance. Yet a close inspection will show it has many scratches and a little discoloration. No cracks. No brassing. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm capped.

Easily mistaken for a Parker Challenger Deluxe, this appears to be a large Parker Thrift Time pen...or possibly another Depression era vintage pen from Parker. We restored it with a new ink ink sac. We find it to be a really handsome pen with some wear from use back in the day. No cracks but heavy brassing on the pocket clip. You will write a nice, wet medium line with some feedback using its 14k gold nib. These pens helped sustain Parker during the Great Depression when most people couldn't afford their premium Vacumatics. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm capped.

Perfectly plated two-tone 14k gold arrow nibs on Parker Vacumatics are difficult to find. Click the headline to witness a really beautiful nib up close. You'll write a wet medium line with a little feedback. Our Parker Vacumatic Major is a nice pen in its entirety. Made in the third quarter of 1942, who knows what action this vintage pen might have seen. Yet, we suspect it mostly saw a well protected desk given its lack of cracks or deep scratches. Just some general light wear from use. It was engraved with the name John D. Parks. Decent barrel clarity. It was recently restored before we obtained it. It comes with a 1947 version of the pencil that comes preloaded with a 1.1mm lead. It is a little more worn. Pen measures 13.5cm capped.

The color match of this married Esterbrook J-model fountain pen looks better in the photo than in real life. The cap is a much deeper red than the barrel. The cap also looks pretty jankety. Nevertheless, there are no cracks and the cap is on tightly. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. We also gave it a new 1461 nib straight out of the box. You will write a firm, extra-fine line with a little feedback. Definitely not a museum piece, but a nice enough daily driver. 12.6cm capped.

We love finding Parker Vacumatics that are still in close-to-new condition. This vintage pen still has a light-yellow barrel clarity! It is no longer that green-yellow from right off the line, but it is still pretty good. No cracks, minimal--if any--brassing. We restored this pen with a new diaphragm. The biggest "flaw" is that its pocket clip spins, even though it is securely on the pen. The blue diamond was Parker's indicator that this pen was guaranteed for the life of its first owner. You will write an extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. There is a little feedback, but this is a pretty good XF writer. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.