For Sale

Every pen listed for sale has been disassembled, repaired as needed, thoroughly cleaned, and hand-polished. Pens with sacs receive new sacs, and all filling mechanisms are cleaned, polished, repaired, and replaced as needed. Nibs and feeds are thoroughly cleaned, flushed, and tuned to write smoothly. Additional restoration needed for a particular pen is noted in that pen's description. I do not use any waxes or finishes, and do not touch up pen color.

Also, note that I have many more pens than those listed here; if you are seeking a particular pen or characteristic in a pen, don’t wait for that pen to appear here, let me know!

How to buy

To purchase or inquire about a pen, please click on the Contact page above and send me a note.

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Aurora 88

1947

An Aurora 88 hasn’t visited here in awhile, so it’s time! This one, serial number #253135, is most likely from 1947, the first year of their production, although parts interchangeability makes that hard to confirm. This pen is in very nice, but not perfect condition; like their contemporaneous 51s, after which they were modeled, finding one in perfect condition just doesn’t happen. However, its cap does not have pitting or dents, and the use wear is not noticeable. It is interesting to note that the engraving on the gripping section was performed by hand, not stamped by machine, a welcome touch these days. This pen is, like most 88s of my experience, a soft and responsive writer. There is some shading but these are not true flexible nibs. It’s a wet medium, delightful to write with. Feel free to make this pen a daily writer but note that the cap dents easily, so please treat it to a case?
Additional note: Be sure to see the current Thought. It’s about Aurora 88s!

CLICK IN THE TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS!

Price: $155 SOLD

Conway Stewart 236

later 1930s

The 236 was a mid-level Conway Stewart during the late 1930s, 13 cm long as usual for Conway Stewart, in marbled blue and black. This pen was just released from my personal collection to find a new owner, the first Conway Stewart I purchased and restored. It’s an attractive pen that shows a lot of use but cleaned up well. This one writes a smooth medium, and is a relatively fast writer. The CS5 nib is relatively firm, and feels solid. The gold trim is clean but show a bit of thinning, particularly on the clip. This is a pen meant for daily use, so enjoy it without worry!

CLICK IN THE TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS!

Price: $130

Conway Stewart 380

1935-42

This Conway Stewart 380 is from the resources-short prewar era in England. It is a working person’s pen, in black celluloid, with what appears to be a hard rubber gripping section. It is both a longer (12.8cm) and for its length, slimmer (1 cm) pen than most. The gold cap rings, tassie ring/clip, and lever are very attractive against the black body. This pen does show its age with use wear and discoloration in the celluloid but cleaned up very well and has no significant nicks or scratches. The imprint is complete but quite faint. The nib, the original CS 5, writes a full and wet medium, with a bit of feedback, a very nice writer. This is a timepiece from difficult times, enjoy it!

CLICK IN THE TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS!

Price: $105

Conway Stewart Dandy

2010

This is an interesting case, a beautiful, flawed recreation of a classic. Conway Stewart pens have resurfaced a few times in recent years, each time by new manufacturers and marketers. This pen is a limited edition (5/500) Dandy from the modern Conway Stewart company, manufactured around 2010.
It is a strikingly beautiful pen, in a clear brown resin with ochre green marbling. Trim is all gold, and the styling clearly reminds one of the earlier Dandy — a stepped clip engraved with a prominent CS, three matching gold cap rings, a derby crown and handsome gold engraved clip. The imprint is full and legible. Capped, this pen is 12.7cm long and 1.2cm across just below the bap edge. The nib is 18k medium, but it is more a broad nib with a bit of stub, and writes a full, wet line.
So, the flaw? Well, this pen was broken when it came to me, a messy, multiple-part break at the base of the barrel. Luckily, the broken pieces came with the pen, so it was reassembled. The repair work is fixed to a brass sleeve for stability and strength, and the pen’s interior dimensions were necessarily altered to accommodate the sleeve. None of this can be seen with the cap on, and it’s not obtrusive when looked for, but the repair is visible. The cap threads and holds well. This pen is priced at approximately half of the prices seen for these pens when available used, but the price reduction accommodates the decision to not warranty this repair.
In summary, a beautiful pen that can take steady use, but use it with a bit of care.

Price: $145

Esterbrook V-Clip

1932-33

This Esterbrook V-Clip is a rare pen indeed. It’s in the classic early “marine green” celluloid (Sheaffer’s name for it), and shows no evidence of prior use. It is the typical size of an early Esterbrook, 4.7″ long capped and .4″ wide just below the cap edge. It does have a professionally executed personalization, “J.B.”, but this does not mar the pen’s beautiful appearance. Given the pen’s age and the immaturity of the early celluloids, one should suspect there is deterioration; in fact, it’s possible that a few of the brightest pieces of the marbling are lightly deteriorated, but there is no visible cracking or webbing, even under bright magnification. The steel V-clip is not bent, and the crown, cap ring, and lever are all clean. As always with my Esterbrook sales, select a nib from the nibs listing in Tim’s Bargains. This is a pen that would be a perfect present for an Esterbrook collector!

CLICK ON THE CAP FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS

Price: $250

Eversharp Skyline

1943-48

The Presentation style of Eversharp Skylines were most likely intended for, as they were named, presentations at the workplace and honorary societies during a time when this was a common practice. They were found in the standard and demi sizes, all with gold caps and derbies.
This pen is the more common style of Presentation: model 71, standard length (5.25″ capped) gold-filled cap and derby, and the radial grooves along the entire length of the cap. It is in beautiful condition, its only significant flaw being a small dent under the point of the clip. The gold trim cleaned up very nicely and is almost completely free of tarnish. However, even though it cleaned and polished up very nicely, the soft plastic of which the barrel is made shows use and age wear. The full size Skyline nib writes a luscious wet medium.

CLICK IN THE TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS!

Price: $110 SOLD

Kaweco Carat

1950s

The Carat was a mid-level 1950s pen by Kaweco, part of the company’s postwar renaissance in Germany. Like all Kawecos of the era, it is a piston-filler in black resin. At 12.5cm long and 1cm across just below the cap edge, it is typical size for German piston pens. It has two different model designations: 2851 EF, for the nib, and 109 for the pen. It is virtually unmarked, with only a few very minor scuffs on the barrel; there is no layer of use wear that one would expect in a 1950s pen. The green view window is clear. The cork was replaced and the pen fills and holds ink well. This pen’s only blemish is in some roughness under the cap rings, which are believed to have been cemented in place instead of being properly swaged, and are noticeable only under close inspection. The gold trim is all clean and shiny. The nib is an extra fine, and a very precise writer. A very nice pen, good for a shirt or jacket pocket, ideal for quick notes in a small pad.

CLICK IN THE TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS!b

Price: $120 SOLD

Mabie Todd Eternal 54

late 1920s

Mabie-Todd’s Swan Eternal pens were among the nicest of their American production. From the late 1920s, these pens were made both in hard rubber and celluloid, what they called “Eternalite”. This pen is a fine example of their top quality work, in red mottled hard rubber, a ringtop pen. It is virtually unmarked, without scratches or evidence of serious use. The hard rubber’s red coloring emerged with cleaning and is truly handsome. It even has two additional touches not usually seen: a crown ring surrounding the top of the hard rubber cap, and the entire gripping section in mottled red hard rubber. The imprint is complete; with model imprint in the barrel’s base. The trim appears to be gold-filled but is not so indicated; at any rate it is all (ringtop, crown and cap ring, lever) without tarnish and is not missing plate. The nib is probably original to the pen and branded for it, in gold, and writes a firm but wet enough fine. This is a very nice pen, feels great in the hand, and is a very nice writer. Enjoy it!

As with some other pens that were consigned for the purpose, all proceeds from this pen’s sale will be contributed to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

CLICK IN THE TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS!

Price: $115 SOLD

Moore 94-A

early 1940s

The 94-A was a midrange pen for Moore in the early 1940s. Moore had survived the Depression and was still producing decent to excellent fountain pens, although their heyday was long over. This 94-A, at 5” long, is from celluloid rod stock, with a straight-up/down striped pattern in grey and black but with attractive glimpses of brown showing through. Its trim is in ribbed gold plate, with the design showing in the metal crown, clip, cap ring, and lever. The clip has “Moore” clearly engraved; and there is a complete, if small, imprint on the barrel identifying the model. There is no wear to speak of; this is a very clean pen. Moore pens often carry larger sacs, this pen got an 18, so it will hold a generous quantity of ink. The nib is a Moore Life Maniflex, so it is firm, but writes fast and fine with a nice bit of flex. A very nice pen indeed.

Price: $125 $105

Morrison’s Tourist

1930s

This Tourist, a 1930s pen in red hard rubber, is large, easily as large as Sheaffer’s oversize Lifetime, at 5.6″ long and .55″ wide just below the cap edge. It’s a very attractive and clean pen, with no blemishes and very shiny trim. Indeed, this is the nicest big red pen I’ve seen that isn’t a Sheaffer or Parker. The half-inch wide 1/20 18K gold cap ring is very shiny and without deep scratches; it is matched by the Morrison’s imprinted clip and lever. The “M” in the clip, usually worn off, is deep and complete. This pen’s character is completed by a size 8 warranted nib, which writes a wet bold line. It’s not often that a pen starts restoration as a Bargain and moves to the For Sale page, but this is one of those pens. Enjoy its bigness.

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Price: $85 SOLD

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