Favourite Vintage Fountain Pen?

[Pimdtaun86]

So I've decided that I want to add some vintage pens to my collection in 2016. I'm watching a few 1950s Conway Stewarts on eBay, have my eye on a vintage Conklin Glider, and generally want to try out a variety of old pens from the 20s to the 60/.

 

What are your favourite vintage pens from this era, and why? And where do you find good quality vintage pens and reasonable prices, without taking the risk of buying from a random seller on eBay?

[peterg]

There are various reliable sellers on e-bay such as Rutland pens, David Thal, Fishing Mullet, eckiethump ('there are others whose names escape me).

 

Plus dealers such as Deborah (Goodwriterspens) and henrysimpole, Carneil pens and Penworkshop.

 

Finally there will be a Pen show somewhere near you during the year which is the best place to view large numbers of vintage pens. For me it is a question of do I like the look of the pen and is it the right size for my (large) hand?

 

Most gold nibbed vintage pens write well, but it is down to the particular nib on the pen you want. Again it is down to preference. I prefer medium nibs that give expression but many prefer fine nibs (especially Americans?). Get down to a pen show and be overwhelmed!

[maus930]

My favorite is a Waterman 52 Red Ripple -- marvelous flex

[Water Ouzel]

Sheaffer (40s and 60s): Balance ('34), Balance 500 Military Clip ('42), Triumph ('48), Imperial II ('60-ish).

 

Wahl-Eversharp ('51-'53): Symphony 713

 

Mabie-Todd Swan (early '30s; US-made)

 

Esterbrook J

 

Most of my vintage/aged pens have come from Peyton Street Pens in Santa Cruz, CA, USA.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Water Ouzel

[Chouffleur]

I'm more of a buy-random-pens-on-eBay guy but:

 

Sheaffer Fat Touchdown

 

Parker 51 & 61

 

Eversharp Slim Ventura

 

Waterman Stateleigh (Canadian larger nib version)

 

Esterbrook LJ

[Boniface]

My favorites are vintage Pelican 400s with flex and Parker Vacumatics. Both are great writers and the Vacs have the best feel in the hand of any pen I've used.

[NinthSphere]

Parker 51s. The most numerous fountain pens in my collection. Full size & demi, fines, a couple of mediums, two stubs, one factory & one Minuskin. I have a couple of vacs that need resto, but the aeros are dead reliable, have decent ink capacity & slick styling.

 

I'm also rather fond of Sheaffer's inlaids & Triumph nibs.

 

The key is not just buying from random ebayer, but plenty of good feedback. Minimizes the risk. Most of my buying from ebay has been from a variety of sellers. Peyton Street Pens, nibs.com, & Indy Pen Dance come to mind as good sources otherwise.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I've generally bought from random people on eBay. More often than not, things have been okay, although it is a risk. I've also bought from Peyton Street Pens, Richard Binder's "monthly tray", and another member here through the classifieds. If the restoration job is beyond me, there are a couple of places I know I can send a pen to if it's worth restoring.

 

But that doesn't answer what my actual favorites are. It seems to me that Esterbrooks go almost without saying. Get a couple of J series and some Dollar pens, and if you don't like the way they write, look for different nibs, easily replaceable screw in modules if you didn't know already.

 

Lots of good Sheaffer pens. I'll mention a 3-25 Flat Top and a "Lady" sized Balance, both probably from the 1930s, as my favorites.

 

For interesting old BCHR pens from the 20s and earlier, I like my Waterman's 12 PSF, Moore L-82, and original (not modern reproduction) Conklin Crescents. But I prefer to use these at home and not carry them around.

 

There are others I could mention, but that will do for a start.

[Randal6393]

Never had a great deal of luck with vintage fountain pens. But love modern pens, from the Lamy 2000 and Pelikan M200 level down to Noodler's Ahabs and Konrads.

 

On the other hand, dip pen nibs are excellent from that era -- Especially the Hunt and Esterbrook flex nibs. William Mitchell nibs do very well for broad-edged calligraphy.

 

Enjoy,

[linearM]

I have a fair number of pens in my collection. I like Parker, Wahl Eversharp, and Moore (some great responsive nibs). The majority of my pens are from the 20's, 30's, and 40"s. I've found that I like the quality of nibs from those years to be what I'm looking for.

 

I've had good luck with Peyton Street Pens, Fountain Pen Hospital, and here in the Classifieds on FPN. If you are looking for some good lower priced vintage pens watch for offerings from obnubilator. I've purchased quite a few pens from offerings in the Classifieds and found the sellers excellent. You can also sometimes find a nice pen on Greg Minuskin's site, but I'd suggest watching it for a while to see the types of pens he is offering. Mauricio at vintagepen.net has some beautiful pens as well.

 

If you have questions about a seller here on FPN check out their profile and click on Feedback at the bottom of the column on the left. You will find comments by other purchasers about their experiences.

Edited January 19, 2016 by linearM

[Buzz_130]

My favorite pen is the Parker "51." This inclides all pens from all eras and all countries of manufacture. There is an enormous selection and variety in this iconic pen from the two major filling systems, colors, caps, nibs and more. They are also incredible workhorse pens that just keep writing with any ink you can throw at them.

 

But you can also find incredible vintage deals and enjoyment from Esterbrook pens. There's a devoted following here for very good reason.

 

Finally, look at some of the great Sheaffers from the 40s and 50s. Sheaffer took the time to make some exceptional nibs and filling systems.

 

For buying, I'd recommend a good restorer. There are great ones around, and you will get a great pen without the worries of purchasing a lemon.

 

Buzz

[Vgimlet]

I have not ventured far into vintage pens, but my favorite so far is the inexpensive Parker 51 I got at a pen show. I have a few other vintage pens, but that one is the only one in my always-inked category.

 

I am keeping an eye out for a Mabie-Todd, just because.

[butangmucat]

Top of my list is Parker 45, though these pens were still in production as recent as 2006. They are C-C pens which makes maintainence easy (no sacs like the Sheaffer Touchdowns) and their build are fairly solid. They feature upgradable nibs which can still being purchased now as NOS. I have a 1960s 45 and two more recent 45 Flighters. I installed a 1970s gold nib on one of my Flighter 45s (which is produced in 2000s I believe) and it is now loaded with an Aurora black cartridge. Works well as an EDC pen.

 

Second is probably the Sheaffer Touchdowns, reliable pens with a reliable filler. Opted this over the Snorkles because I can change sacs easily if it fails. I am a bit lazy so I almost only choose NOS touchdowns or restored ones.

[Runnin_Ute]

The Esterbrook J series is great - I have a J, LJ and SJ. And the variety of nibs are just amazing.

 

The Parker 51 is good - I have a Special which is a little later (early 50's), but still a good pen and can be had for a little less than a standard 51.

 

Parker 45 for more of a "semi-vintage" pen. Although the older ones are still 40+ years old. They were made from 1960-2007 (I think that is the right ending year)

[mmg122]

Esterbrook J

Parker 51 Vacuumatic

Wahl Eversharp Skyline

 

All beautiful pens...clasics...reasonable prices...well behaved...easily restored.

 

I usually find at antique shops or places like Peyton Street Pens, Main Street Pens, Pendemonium, Etsy or from Speer Bob.

[inkstainedruth]

I will also say Parker 51. But I'm also really fond of some of my Parker Vacumatics, especially a Junior Red Shadow Wave (which has been an EDC pen since I got it) and a Silver Pearl Major. And I have a bunch of Esterbrook J pens, and a few Sheaffer Snorkels, and have my sumgai Parker 41 and also a blue blue Duofold Laidtone with a semi-flex oblique nib in rotation at the moment.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkandseeds]

Esterbrooks, Parker Vacumatics, Sheaffer Stylists, Sheaffer Imperials.

 

I have bought both from the established dealers mentioned in posts above as well as random sellers on ebay. For the most part, I have only had good experiences.

[bioluminescentsquid]

Perhaps to the eye, early BCHRs, Eversharp Dorics (Of the first generation), Decobands, Non-green Waterman Patricians, and Big Reds look the best - I like flat-topped pens, as opposed to ones with round ends (Most Sheaffers or Eversharp Skylines, for example). Conway Stewarts and English Swans also look marvelous.

 

I've handled 51s (Too ball-pointy), Vacumatics (indifferent), Esties (Indifferent too), Triumphs (as good as they write, I hate the sight of the triumph nib, sorry to report) and other vintage pens during pen shows and visits to Fed Kinke's shop.

 

I had a Sheaffer touchdown, but I never liked it because it was hard to post, felt tiny in my hand and was somewhat dry, and I stowed it away. Snorkels give me the same impression too, although the filling system is quite fun to use. As I've mentioned above, the sight of Sheaffer Triumphs and Inlaids (and on a related line, Pilot Murexes) just make me cringe.

 

My favorite (and only one in use) pen is a 1918 Conklin Crescent filler, and it is a very good balance between aesthetics and function - It doesn't roll off the table due to the famous Crescent, it fits my hand perfectly, and its flexible nib is very nice, although it laid down far too much ink for my notebooks to handle and I later switched it out for a (Cringe) 1.50$ Platnium Riverie pen nib which fits perfectly and lends itself more to fast notetaking. This pen, being my only one, follows me everywhere.

Edited January 19, 2016 by bioluminescentsquid

[Ergative]

I don't have a huge amount of experience, but I have a Parker super 21 that I inherited from my grandfather, and it is really lovely to use: reliable, exactly the right wetness, exactly the right nib width for my preferences, and, of course, my grandfather's. You can't have the last, perhaps, but in terms of pure performance my 21 is excellent.

[ThomasB]

From the 20s: Parker Duofold

From the 30s: Sheaffer Lifetime Balance & 1st Generation Parker Vacumatics

From the 40s: 3rd Generation and on Vacumatics and the 51 Vacs

From the the 50s: 51 Aeros and Sheaffer Snorkels

From the 60s: MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE--PFMs (actually started in the later parts of the 50s)