“Merlin”
Merlins, like many pens from Europe’s wartime and the immediate postwar years, have incompletely defined histories. It is known that they were made by one of very many small German companies and that thousands of Merlin parts were bought by a Dutch concern that marketed them. They were interesting, well-made button fillers from the 1950s, at 11.7cm long a bit smaller than many, but of very substantial celluloid and available in what is said to be 56 different colors and patterns. This pen is strikingly similar to every Merlin I’ve seen but is missing the imprint; it is assumed, but not actually known, to be a Merlin, hence its asterisked name. Its color is largely green, in long marbled waves. The gold trim is clean and unmarked. The nib, which is presumably not a Merlin nib since it does not carry a Merlin imprint, is marked as being 585 gold. It writes a very smooth and wet fine/medium. It shows a few signs of light wear, and will be a very durable everyday pen.
Sold Price:
$62
“New” Diamond Point
Oversized “New” Diamond Point pens keep appearing here, each in beautiful condition. This one is the nicest yet, in shiny, almost perfect jade celluloid. It came to me without a sac, which probably explains the complete absence of discoloration (if purchased by a collector, I’ll gladly deliver it without a sac…). This is a large pen: 5 1/4” long capped and a full 1/2” wide just south of the cap edge. Large as it is, it is very well balanced and feels quite light in the hand. The gold-plated lever, clip, and cap ring are very clean and untarnished. The celluloid is quite striking; one has to believe this pen has spent its life in a soft case. The nib is a warranted 4, not the largest in a DPP I’ve seen, but certainly large enough for this pen; it writes a fine line with some flex, although this isn’t a true flexible nib.
Sold Price:
$128
Accurate
You try and research the history behind a pen called Accurate! Suffice to say, I couldn’t find much. Anything, actually. So, with no historical information, this is a cute faux jade pen that I am guessing, from its shape and components, is from the the post-WWII years. It is in plastic of some form, not celluloid. The clip has a Wearever feel, but at 5” inches long it’s a bit shorter and certainly slimmer than the typical Wearever. All of that said, its nib writes a super smooth wet medium, the pen feels good in the hand, and it looks very attractive! Enjoy this forgotten bargain!
Sold Price:
$45
American
This pen is an American brand fountain pen. Assuming this is an American Pen Works pen (you try researching a brand called American…), it was made in Chicago in the 1930s, a classic third tier pen. It is a lever-filled pen, in red and white marbled celluloid. It’s in pretty good shape, with no outstanding scratches, nicks, or nibbles. It has interesting matching green crown and tassies, with a very thin ivory colored ring between the green and the barrel/cap color. Its trim is in very nice condition, with a chrome clip marked “American” in block capital letters and a gold-colored cap band and lever. Its nib is a large Durium No.8, a tipless spoon nib often seen in Kahn and National branded pens. The pen has longer than normal tines, so writes with some line variation between fine and medium. A nice pen with low aspirations, enjoy it!
Sold Price:
$55 $50
Ancora Lusso 87
This Ancora Lusso 87 has the fine Italian pen’s classic 1940’s appearance: black body with wonderful striped or basketweave transparency, simple gold trim, piston fillers. At 13.5cm long capped, it’s a little shorter than the Tabo and Tibaldi in my collection, but with similar appearance. This special pen has been used very lightly over its 70+ years: the body is unmarked, the transparency complete and strikingly visible. The imprint is complete if thin, and the model designation is clearly seen in the base of the design. The cork did not need replacement, but it was revivified, and holds well. The nib is surely the original Ancora 585, and it writes as one would expect: soft, elegant, fine with a touch of flex. It also writes fast, with shading. This is an elegant pen in wonderful condition.
Sold Price:
$275
Atlantica
Atlantica was a brand of the Milanese firm called “Fabbrica Italiana di Penne Stilographiche”, a manufacturer of a wide variety of writing products, including fountain pens, during the 1930s and 1940s. This pen, a button filler from the late 1930s, is characteristic of their mid-level production. It is in red marbled celluloid, in good user condition with two gold cap rings and a chrome silver bowtie-shaped clip. There are some marks of use and age, but no serious blemishes. Among the 1935-40 pens I’ve shown here, it’s a little larger, measuring 13cm long capped and 1.1cm wide just below its cap. Its nib is, like a few others from the group that has been seen here, a Stilor Extra. This is not a typical Italian flexible writer; it writes a delicate, expressive line but not a flexible one. A fine pen but not a luxe pen, it’s sturdy for steady writing.
Sold Price:
$98
Aurea
This is a beautiful pen of 1940’s styling from an almost unknown brand, with brown and green Vacumatic-like stripes descending vertically in triangular slanting patterns, an unusual and remarkable appearance. The pen is 12.3cm long capped, with gold trim. It is very clean — no tarnish to trim, no scratches of note. The button filler is strong; the pen fills well. The Aurea imprint is partly present but easily read, and there is an indecipherable trace of a second line to the imprint. The Aurea’s nib, which cannot be identified as original to the pen, is marked “Globus”, and “Osmio”, and with what I presume to be a size indicating “4”. It is also marked “585”, for 14K gold. The nib is a long-tined flexible writer, and it is both strong and delicate.
Sold Price:
$225
Aurora “98”
Aurora, the Italian company that has produced numerous elegant fountain pens from the early 1900s until the present day, restarted its postwar activity in 1949 with the 88, in clear homage to the success of the Parker 51s carried by thousands of American soldiers rebuilding Italy. The 88 engendered Aurora’s next generations of pens, in numerous models, among them the 98 family of the 1960’s. This pen, in steel with chrome plating, is a cartridge filler, introduced as a less expensive option. While not a true 98, it is much more affordable and less complicated, and carries the 98’s wonderful, expressive nib, which writes a wet medium line with a bit of flex. This pen has been recently restored by the manufacturer and comes with an Aurora cartridge and in the Aurora service case.
Sold Price:
$118
Aurora 88
This is a typical Aurora 88 of the first series, from 1950, carrying serial number 1317120. This is a very nice user pen that writes very well. The piston was fully restored and fills completely. The 88s are all 13.7cm long capped and .7cm across just below the cap. The barrel and section have minimal marking of use, none of the discoloration in the section that is seen in many, and a very clear view window. The Nikargenta cap shows a bit of typical pitting and a spot of missing plate on the edge, but it is without serious marks or dents. This pen holds a huge amount of ink, so don’t fill it all the way to use it for a few days. The nib is a fine, a touch dry, with some typical Italian line variation, as can be seen in the writing sample. This can be a delightful daily user. Fill it with Aurora or another wet ink.
Sold Price:
$145
Aurora 88
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 [http://timsvintagepens.com/thoughts/]. It’s about Aurora 88s!
Sold Price:
$75
Aurora 88
It’s well known that Aurora 88s are among my favorite pens, and I always try to have one in an inventory batch. This 88 is a later 88P, from 1963-69. The 88Ps were not given serial numbers after 1963, and this pen does not have one. The 88Ps are not only Aurora’s last of the original series, they are its most advanced and refined. This pen just looks more subtly complete than an early 88: its gripping section and blind cap are both celluloid to match the body; the engraving in the cap’s gold plate is deeper and finer, the brand/model imprint is machine-stamped. This pen is a fine example: it is shiny and very clean, minimal scratching and use wear. The view window is clear. The only visible flaws are three tiny corrosion dots in the cap surface, just east of the base of the clip. The piston mechanism is strong; the pen came to me with its original six gaskets, which were replaced with new o-rings. The piston is strong and fills completely (although one is advised to not fill it completely to avoid overfill leakage) Its nib, like so many 88 nibs, is a pretty firm fine (notwithstanding the tiny “M” behind the section), so it’s a great fast writer. This one writes even better with just a touch of pressure. If you are looking for a first 88-family pen, this is a great example.
Sold Price:
$170
