Unbranded Vintage Pen with Gold-Filled Overlay – Wet Noodle (Near Mint Condition)

Unbranded Vintage Pen with Gold Filled Overaly – Wet Noodle 

Here is a well made unbranded vintage pen with a lovely gold-filled overlay. The pen is very similar in style to a Parker Lucky Curve button-filler. Not only is it also a button filler, but it has a very similar “Christmas tree” style feed. The pen is in near mint condition. The black hard rubber is shiny jet black with no signs of fading. The gold filled overlay has alternating sections of pinstripe and crosshatching. The pen has the look and feel of quality pens of its day. The Warranted 14kt. nib is a soft, paintbrush like wet noodle. It is difficult to judge the “normal” writing line width as the least pressure causes line variation, but I have graded it about a 0.3mm or XF. The nib is quite snappy and responsive for how soft it is allowing for not only ease of flex but also crisp quality of flex. Not all the great pens of the past were by the big names. Here is a prime example. ( See Price Here)

SIZE:  4 5/8″ Capped

NIB: Warranted 14kt., XF to BBB (0.3mm-2.0mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Button-Filler

CONDITION: Near Mint

Restration Work:

• Pen (barrel, section, nib, feed, & cap) thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• New Ink sac installed
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• GF overlay buffed and polished
• New pressure bar installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Parker “Jointless” Eyedropper  – Wet Noodle (See Price Here)

Here is a rare jointless Parker eyedropper. The Jointless was an attempt to make an eyedropper that could not leak from any joint. The feed and nib are harnessed in a collar that pulls out from the barrel (no threads). You simply grab the feed and nib (with a cloth, I’d recommend) and pull it out. It removes quite easily. These pens began to be manufactured in 1899, so this was likely made in the first few years of the 1900s. The pen is in overall good condition. The body is smooth BHR (no original chasing) that is still quite black on the body, but has faded to a brown on top of the cap. Imprints are still crisp with a pat. date of 1894. The pen has an accommodation clip from 1910. It looks to be nickel plated and has some wear, but it still looks pretty good. Unfortunately, the original Lucky Curve nib was badly damaged when I found this pen. I have replaced it with a 14kt. Moore nib, and it’s a great nib. It writes nicely as an XF, but it has some great flex on it. Ease of flex is not quite paintbrush status, but it is still very easy. It flexes from XF to BBB (1.8mm), and it is quite responsive and the flow keeps up very well. A great and rare pen to do some high quality flex writing.  (See Price Here)

SIZE: 5 3/4″ Capped

NIB: Moore #2., XF to BBB (0.3mm-1.8mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eyedropper

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Flushed and cleaned pen
• Nib and feed ultra sonically cleaned
• Installed new Moore Nib
• Polished clip
• Aligned nib and feed for optimal flow
• Tuned nib to write smoothly

Wahl-Eversharp Oversize w/ Factory “Oblique” – Super Flex   (On Ebay)

Here is a large, oversize Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal flat top pen. The pen is similar in size to a Pelikan M800, though slightly thicker and a shade shorter. The pen is made of a lovely green with gold/ bronze dust pattern. However, the pen has some flaws. The flip was broken off at some point, and some user of this pen had a bad habit of biting it as the top of the cap and back of the barrel both have teeth marks. There is a bigger chunk out of the back of the black end of the barrel. Gold bands are in good shape (save for the bite marks). The lever does have some brassing. The threads of the pen hold well after a quarter turn, but they feel just a little off. However, the real star of this pen is the huge factory “Oblique” italic nib. It writes (depending on the angle you hold it) at about a 0.6mm broad line that is quite crisp and it flexes all the way up to 2.3mm. This nib is hard to come by and has tremendous value by itself. An oblique italic nib with flex gives this pen some real potential.

SIZE:  5 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Wahl-Eversharp “Oblique”, Med Italic -BBB (o.6mm-2.3mm), SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Fair

Restoration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Body and trim cleaned and polished
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Parker Vacumatic Double Jewelled Junior (Standard Size)  (On Ebay)

Here is a Parker Vac Junior in a Standard size. It was probably made in the mid to late 30s. It has lockdown filler, silver/ black flake pattern celluloid, and silver trim. It’s in excellent condition. Maybe some light scratching most of which has buffed right out. Barrel transparency is still excellent. It has an orangish hue (though it looks more orange in the pics because the ink loaded in the pen is orange as well). Trim has minor wear but looks great. Imprints are crisp. Even the lockdown filler looks great. It has a butter smooth F nib that writes a nice 0.4mm wet line. Great writer. The nib also has a slight amount of flex. Great vintage pen.

SIZE:  4 7/8″ Capped

NIB: Parker 14kt. “Arrow nib F  (0.4mm)

FILLING: Vac Fill

CONDITION: Excellent

Restration Work:

• Restored Vac filling system
• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned
• Pen thoroughly cleaned and polished
• Nib and feed adjusted for optimal use
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Aikin Lambert “Capitol Cabinet” – Medium Flex (On Ebay)

Aikin Lambert was a quality pen maker that was eventually bought out by Waterman. This “Capitol Cabinet” is very close in design to the Waterman 52. The BCHR has faded to a dark brown on the body and a lighter brown on the cap. The pen was originally clipless and has a Mercantile accommodation clip. The clip has significant plate loss with brass underneath. The lever on these pens are very thin. This one has wear to the nickel plating, but it’s still there. Imprints are a little worn, but still easily readable. The section also has some bite marks (see pic). The 14kt ALCO (Aikin Lambert Co.) nib is an butter smooth writing F. It does have a decent flex range going all the way to 1.7mm. However, it’s a little stiff are really lacks the responsiveness of higher grade flex nibs. Still a good vintage pen with some flex.

SIZE:  4 1/4″ Capped

NIB: ALCO 14kt., F-BB (0.4mm-1.7mm)  MEDIUM FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Trim polished up
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Rexall RGP Pen – Wet Noodle (On Ebay)

Here is a very interesting third tier pen. Rexall did no manufacture high end pens, but somehow this one has been kept in like new condition. The body of the pen is 1/40 14kt. which classifies as Rolled Gold Plated (RGP). There are no real dings or scratches on the pen that I could find. It really looks to have hardly ever been used. The Warranted 14kt. nib on this pen is most interesting. It writes normally as a very wet, soft fine. The flex on this comes very easily, however. Like near paintbrush easy, which is why I’m classifying it as a wet noodle. The feed, however, doesn’t do a fantastic job of keeping up. If you know what you are doing, and you are using a good, wet ink (like the Tsuki-Yo I used for the pics) you can do some nice writing without a lot of railroading. But turn your wrist while flexing or use a drier ink and you will get railroading. Still a very interesting third tier wet noodle in great condition.

SIZE:  5″ Capped

NIB: Warranted #2,F to BB (0.5mm-1.6mm) WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Excellent

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Body thoroughly polished .
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly.
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Moore Gold Filled Ring Top – Good Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a vintage Moore gold filled ring top. I haven’t restored many Moore gold filled ring tops, and I am impressed with the quality construction of this one. The lever mechanism feels especially stout and smooth and the pen overall feels more solid than it’s Wahl and Waterman counterparts. The back of the barrel and top of the cap does have brassing. There is some light scratching throughout the pen but no dings or dents. It has the initials “V.M.F.” imprinted on the cap. The Moore 14kt nib is a smooth writing XF/ XXF (0.25mm) that is quite smooth. Unfortunately, the nib does have a small crack extending from the back of the breather hole to just short of the “E” in “THE.” The nib has good flex and is on the border between good and super flex. It has good range from XF to BBB (1.8mm). It doesn’t quite have the ease of flex and steady flow of super flex, but it has a responsiveness that is as good or better than most super flex nibs.

SIZE:  3 3/4″ Capped

NIB: Moore #2, XXF/XF to BBB (0.25mm-1.8mm),  GOOD FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Pen body buffed and polished
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Mabie Todd Swan w/ Over/Under Feed – Super Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a made in New York Mabie Todd Swan made sometime between 1906 and 1915. This is a well made pen with gold-filled repousse band and ends and complete with chain. The BCHR body of this pen has faded a little, though it is still mostly black. The chasing has been worn mostly smooth, though visible, and the imprints are only partly visible. The cap interior is actually brass making it heavier and sturdier and it keeps the hard rubber from loosing the tight fit the slip cap needs to stay on. Unfortunately, the brass inner cap has scratched up the section through the years of use. The 14kt. Mabie Todd nib is a delightfully soft, smooth writing XF/F. Great writing experience. These old over/under feed eyedroppers are much sought after, but they tend to be extremely wet. This nib, however, manages to be just about right (5/10 of wetness). That is until you flex it and then the ink flows generously. Evern my worst inks flex without railroading in this pen. The range of flex isn’t huge (tops out at 1.6mm), but it is quite easy to flex and pretty snappy allowing for good flex without much effort. Still a very good super flex nib in my opinion, and a great pen.

SIZE:  5 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Mabie Todd Swan #2, XF/F to BB (0.35mm-1.6mm)  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Body buffed and polished
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterman 52V – SUPER FLEX (On Ebay)

Here is an interesting Waterman. It’s technically marked a 54V on the end of the barrel, but the girth of this pen is no bigger than a 52 and the section does not fit a 54 feed or #4 nib. Perhaps the section is a replacement. Not sure, but it’s definitely a Waterman section and fits snuggly in the barrel. The pen is made of an originally smooth black hard rubber that has faded to a dark brown. It has a few spots (more like dots) of lighter fading. The side imprint is worn and almost unreadable. There is brassing on the top edge of the gold-filled band and a little on the edges of the globe on the lever. It’s also missing the ring top. The 14kt. Waterman #2 nib is a wet writing F that writes a very nice, smooth line normally. Great writer. It has pretty good ease of flex and decent responsiveness. It’s not an upper tier super flex nib, but it is still quite good. I love this size of pen and this one can do it all.

SIZE:  4 5/16″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, F to BB (0.4mm-1.7mm),  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Trim polished
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Unbranded Vintage Eyedropper with Gold Filled Filigree – Wet Noodle ( See Price Here)

Here is an unbranded eye dropper most likely made during the first twenty years of the 1900s. It’s a well made pen with just a few flaws that use and time have added. Overall, the pen looks very nice. The gold-filled filigree overlay looks very nice with little to no brassing. The black hard rubber under the overlay is pretty black on the barrel, but has faded some to a dark brown under the filigree on the cap. There is a a beautiful engraving that reads “MJM” in a lovely script. The pen appeared to have had a clip at one point where there is now just a small hole in the cap and a small crack coming from the hole. The filigree overlay protects the cap from the crack spreading any further. There are some scratches on the hard rubber parts of the barrel between the filigree, and marks at the end of the barrel where the cap has been posted. The 14kt. Conklin #3 nib is not original to the pen, but it is a lovely wet noodle. It has an almost paintbrush ease of flesh and is extremely responsive. It allows for tremendous control of your flexing. It writes normal as a soft, smooth XF. A fantastic writer for everyday use so long as you don’t use a lot of pressure when you write. The only downside to the nib is that it requires really wet ink for the feed to keep up. The pictures are of Sailor Souten and Iroshizuku inks also work great. But my Diamine Turquoise, for example, did railroad too much for my taste. ( See Price Here)

SIZE:  5 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Conklin Toledo #3., XF to BBB (0.3mm-1.8mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eye-Dropper

CONDITION: Excellent

Restration Work:

• Pen (barrel, section, nib, feed, & cap) thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• GF overlay buffed and polished
• Test driven for a week to insure quality