This 1939 Waterman 5116 Ink-Vue Demonstrator (rare) with Amber celluloid barrel and Black cap with gold-filled trim. The lever hinges in the middle and is then pumped several times to completely fill the barrel. The Ink-Vue demonstrators were Waterman’s answer to the Parker Vacumatic. This speciman has a few dings in the plastic, but is otherwise near mint. Two available: (1) Medium nib; (2) Medium nib with a tad of flex. Item #245 in Catalog #76
This 1910 Waterman (4)12 Black Hard Rubber fountain pen has a signed “Sterling” overlay in the Art Nouveau pattern. These rare, early, electroformed silver overlay Watermans, with their recessed barrel overlays, have only before been found signed “Fine Silver” or “.999 Fine Silver,” not signed “Sterling.” I thought it may be an error, but my research clearly shows that the electroforming process can be used with both Fine Silver and Sterling Silver. Right now, this is …
I write with a really heavy hand. What’s the best kind of nib for me? Unless you learn to lighten the pressure with which you write, I’d suggest steering clear of soft, flexible nibs! Try a firm nib like those found on the Parker 51 – they are better designed to handle a heavy hand.
Take a look at this great 1935 Parker Duofold button-filler fountain pen and ink well desk set! The base is incredible, in bronzed metal, and has the factory imprint ”PARKER DUOFOLD” on the bottom front. It measures 13 ½” x 7″ x 2″, with a slanted face, an ornate die stamped floral design, and surface storage compartments. The trumpet is black hard rubber. The base originally held a daily calendar. As that is dated, it is …
What does a ”special edition” pen mean? Unlike limited edition pens that are only produced in a certain quantity, special editions are often produced by a company for a set period of time – such as a year. It could also be that there is no specified number of pens to be produced, but the company will manufacture pens based on how many they can produce out of the raw material they may have.
If you need the perfect piece to display your pens, this Anonymous/Parker counter top display case, circa 1920, is fully operational and quite interesting, although the case and trays are a little threadbare. The rear door is hinged, unlocked, with no key. This display case measures 25 ½” x 9.5″ x 4″, and has three wooden trays – two vintage and one more modern reproduction. All have the ”Parker Lucky Curve” reproduction label. A great piece …
What is Superchrome ink? Superchrome was a special ink created exclusively for the Parker 51. Parker made several claims about this ink: it dried three times faster than ordinary ink of the time (such as Waterman), it had a dye content three to ten times greater, and was said to have eleven times more resistance to fading than government standards.
This beautiful 1930 Conklin Endura Desk Set in Jade is a great set. The base is a 3″ x 4″ x 3/4″ geometric shape with white and black edges and a black trumpet. The lever-filler desk pen is a matching piece, also in Jade, with a black taper. To make this set even more complete and perfect for your desk, there is a matching Conklin ”Knife” letter opener. Note the color is a little lighter than …
Why is there always ink in the cap of my pen? This can happen for a number of reasons, which generally involve ink on the nib and feed: ink left on the nib after filling, then being capped, ink left in the feed after filling (and not expelling the excess that saturated the feed), then being capped, the pen being tossed around in your bag/pocket/case and splattering ink from the nib and feed into the cap. It’s …
Although this 1970 Parker ”Big Red” Rollerball in Yellow is no longer available from Catalog #77, it is interesting to see how a vintage pen, mint in box, can still be a great gift or a perfect addition to a collection. This one was configured to use Parker Rollerball refills, was new-old-stock, and even had the original price label with the box. Refill was included, so it was ready to go. It’s a great size, …
