This pen is an Aurora 88, probably from 1953-4, with an 88k cap that could be contemporaneous with the pen. It's a very nice user pen, to be enjoyed. It restored well, is quite shiny and clean, with two north-south scratches on the barrel and stress marks on the gripping section, none of which are at all noticeable without close inspection. The 88k cap has a few smallish dents and some wear to the clip. The pen was fullyh restored, including new o-rings and a refurbished piston chamber. While this pen got significant use in its years, the use was deserved, for it is a very special writer, carrying a typically wet nib that writes a full medium flexible line.
Price:
$175
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This is the 1943-48 Standard Skyline, in brown. It is in very nice user condition -- cleaned up well, shows some wear, is a great writer. It is quite shiny and clean, with none of the typical shrinkage. There are two points of wear that bear noting: a deep scratch at the level of the clip's end, probably from the clip being turned, and a few additional nicks in the cap. The derby/clip mount shows that the clip was twisted at one point. The gold trim is quite clean. The nib is special: this is a full medium writer with pretty substantial flex!
Price:
$90
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This Symphony is from the late 1949-50 Second Generation. It has the "slipper" look, slightly flattened and rounded, added "made in USA" detail in the clip, and a shiny chromed cap. This pen is in black plastic, a lever-filler. Overall, it is in very nice condition, showing less use wear than is seen in most of the early polystryene pens. The cap is generally quite nice, although a row of mild corrosion spots just west of the clip, a couple of other such spots elsewhere on the cap, and a discolored area just below the clip that is only seen in bright light are visible, if not disfiguring. The nib is a good one -- like so many Eversharps, it writes a smooth, firm, full fine, a very nice writer.
Price:
$95
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This Gold Starry is a sweet little French pen. It is in black celluloid with a gold crown, clip and angled cap rings. Its capped length is 110mm (4.3") with girth below the cap 9.5mm (.37"). It's a simple squeeze-filler, filled by removing the blind cap and squeezing the sac several times. The pen is nearly flawless, showing only a little cap wear. The imprint is typical Gold Starry and, again typical for Gold Starry, there is no model identification. The 18c nib is tiny, 3.9mm across the shoulders, with the Gold Starry imprint. It is a delicate writing instrument, writing a wet and fine line, but needs to be used with a light hand. This is a lovely pen to use, better held in a smaller hand.
Price:
$110
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This Mabie Todd Swallow, a lower level pen than the Swan or Blackbird, is in chased black celluloid that looks very much like it's made of ebonite, perhaps to sell to traditionalist customers during the 1930s. Its size is typical of the classic black pen: 5.1" (130mm) long capped and .3" (80mm) thick just below the cap edge. Its chasing is in good condition, if thin near the bottom of the barrel. The trim is probably nickel, good quality, and without any tarnish or corrosion; there is no imprint or adornment in the clip or lever. Other than the pen's near anonymity, it is without significant flaw. This pen's nib is a very nice 14c that writes a very rich and wet medium with flex. Even though it is a budget level pen, it is very well made and feels quite solid in the hand.
Price:
$85
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This pen is a Melbi Transparent, named for its large view window. It is a very well-made piston-filler from the pre-WWII years, made of celluloid. At 120mm long, it is a full-sized pen. The cap and barrel are nicely chased, and the imprint has deco detailing. It had two strong snug fitting o-rings of an atypical size, which were cleaned and retained in restoration. The piston fills well, so holds a substantial amount of ink. The trim is gold-plated and quite clean; the clip has a floral pattern and the Melbi name in deco letters. The single cap ring does not appear to be plated, and is darkened. The nib is a shiny steel nib with surprisingly long tines for a German pen, and it writes a wet fine with a bit of shading.
Price:
$175
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This third generation Parker 51 is an unusual pen -- it is from Argentina and has a factory original 1.5mm broad stub nib. It is also a beautiful example of a later Parker 51, in navy grey. Excepting a bit of cap wear on the gripping section, it is without scratches, visible use wear. The gold cap is clean and shiny, without dents. Its filler is the original Argentinian Aerometric filler, and it fills well. This pen's best feature, however, is its nib, a true ink guzzler that writes magnificently. This pen will be an amazing gift for an experienced pen user who likes a stub nib.
Price:
$195
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This 51 shows the changes of the 1947 transitions: it is a double-jeweled pen, with a traditional cap without a blue dot in compliance with the federal decree, and its date code is marked "T7", for having been made in the transitional factory. It's a nice pen, showing a few smaller nicks and dents in the cap, but the pen itself is unblemished and unmarked. The nib is a smooth wet fine, a fast writer.
Price:
$150
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This 51 is a 1950s Parker 51 Special. The Specials are Aerometric pens, with the later U-shaped filling unit. If all of the parts of this pen, not including the nib, are original, it is a 1954-55 model -- the cap has "Made in USA" but the filler still shows the "Superchrome Ink" engraving. The plastic body is in very nice condition, with almost no scratching or wear. The chromed Special cap does show some wear, but nothing significant. This pen has an earlier gold nib, not the Octanium alloy nib, which is an extra fine that writes well.
Price:
$80
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The Deluxe Challenger was the 1935-6 second version of the Challenger, and it is a nicer pen. These are substantial, attractive pens that write well. This pen is the standard Challenger size: 5.1" long capped and .5" wide just below the cap edge. It is in black and grey marbled celluloid, with the grey as chunks rather than smooth marbling. The pen is quite clean after a thorough restoration, with no significant marks, scratches, or nibbles. The trim is nickel plated and not showing any corrosion. The imprint is complete and is a professionally executed personalization that reads "M.K. Porter". The nib is the gold Parker budget nib, and it writes a wet, smooth fine/medium line.
Price:
$75
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This Duofold Jr, a button filler, is the usual 4.7" long. It is a 1926 pen being released from my personal collection; its imprint still includes the Lucky Curve badge although the pen has a Duofold feed. It is in unusually nice condition: the jade celluloid barrel is a shade darker than the cap but nowhere nearly as dark as most. The hard rubber blind cap and crown have a bit of discoloration but they're clean and unmarked. The rest of the pen is similarly unmarked, exceptionally clean. The nib writes a pleasing wet fine, firm but not too firm.
Price:
$120
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This is a Parker Striped Duofold in Maroon, with a mixture of parts that make it impossible to precisely identify its submodel. It is in very nice condition, marred only by some missing plate on the cap ring, and writes a very nice wet fine line that will shade to medium with a little pressure.
Price:
$105
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