Mabie Todd Swan S.F. – Super Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a made in England Mabie Todd Swan self filler (“S.F.”) in black chased hard rubber. The chasing on the pen is in near perfect condition as are the imprints with no discernible fading. There is a little bit of fading to the rubber, so the black is muted a bit. Unfortunately, at some point an owner of this pen decided to etch their own name into it. There is an attempt at a name on the barrel (I can’t make it out). The scratches are not very obvious. I didn’t even realize it was more than some random scratches until I started taking photos. There is a little brassing on the edges of the lever. There is also some wear on the nickel filled clip. Apart from the relatively light scratches, the pen is in good condition. The 14kt. Swan nib is a very wet writing F (0.4mm) that is quite smooth and enjoyable to use. The flex comes pretty easy with this nib and ranges up to 1.9mm (BBB). The nib puts down a lot of ink which will make for some nice sheen with the right ink.

SIZE:  5 7/16″ Capped

NIB: 14kt. Swan #2, F to BBB (0.4mm-1.9mm)  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Fair

Restration Work:

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

Wahl-Eversharp Ring Top Coral Red – Super Flex (On Ebay)

This is a beautiful ring top from Wahl in the stunning “coral red.” The color of the pen is still very good with minimal color change. The gold filled trim (bands, lever, and ring top) are all in good shape with no brassing. There is really no significant flaw to speak of. It’s in superb condtion. The 14kt. Wahl-Eversharp “Signature” nib is smooth juicy writing F (0.4mm). It has some nice flex going from F to BBB (0.4mm to 1.8mm). The flex comes fairly easily. Overall, just a stunning vintage ring top that writes and flexes beautifully.

SIZE:  4 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Wahl-Evershap “Signature”, F-BBB (0.4mm-1.8mm), SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Near Mint

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

Waterman 12 Red Mottled – Wet Noodle  (See Price Here)

Here is a Waterman 12 in Red Mottled hard rubber. The pen is in very nice condition. There is a little bit of fading to the hard rubber. More so on the cap than then body. There are also a few light teeth marks on the section. The latest patent on the pen is 1884 dating this to likely to the late 1880s-90s, so it’s well over a 100 years old. The side imprint is still very good and crisp. The number imprint on the end of the barrel. The 14kt. Waterman #2 is a gorgeous nib. This a rare, true XXF. It writes rather smoothly for how fine it is. It also has some fantastic flex. On this wet noodled nib, the flex comes easily. It’s not a paintbrush, but you don’t want quite a paintbrush for it will lack this nib’s control. The responsiveness is fantastic. It definitely has a dip nib feel. The range of flex is also very good going from XXF (0.2mm) to BB+ (1.6mm). These XXF wet noodles are in very high demand, so I doubt that this will last long.

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: 14kt. Waterman #2, XXF to BB (0.2mm-1.6mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eyedropper

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

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

Wahl-Eversharp Skyline – Super Flex – (On Ebay)

This is a standard size Skyline in brown with gold-filled trim. The body of the pen is in nice condition. There is some very light scratching throughout, but most of it disappeared when I buffed and polished the pen. The derby is slightly faded to a lighter brown than the body. The name “Don Higley” is etched in the side in very small print. The gold-filled trim is in good condition as well. A tiny bit of plate loss on the crown of the lever. There are also two small dings  on the gold-filled cap. The 14kt. Eversharp nib is a smooth and wet writing F/M (0.5mm). It’s definitely wet, but I wouldn’t call it a gusher. The flex on it comes pretty easily and has a great range going up to BBB (Sorry, the picture is wrong. It goes to 1.8mm). The responsiveness is decent but not amazing. Overall, a fantastic Skyline.

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Eversharp 14kt., F to BB (0.5mm-1.4mm) SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Excellent

Restoration Work:

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

Wahl Ring Top – Good/Super Flex – (On Ebay)

Here is a Wahl ring top in beautiful celluloid pattern. There is some color change, particularly on the body, where the original greenish pearl pattern has browned. The gold filled trim is in beautiful condition with no brassing, and even every little scratching or indications of it’s age. The imprint still looks good as new. The 14kt. Wahl #2 is a beauty. It’s a wonderful writing XF that is smooth, soft and elegant. It also has some very nice flex. I have graded it “Good/ Super” only because the ease of flex is a bit stiffer than what I’d like for a “Super Flex”. However, the responsiveness and ink flow still make this a very nice flex nib capable of some very nice work. And the range (0.3mm to 1.5mm) is good enough especially considering it’s responsiveness. This is still a beautiful pen with a lot of years left in it.

SIZE:  4 1/2″ Capped

NIB: Wahl #2, XF to BB (0.3mm-1.8mm) SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Excellent

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