I heard the Pilot 78G is being discontinued, where can I find one? We sometimes have a Pilot 78G listed in our Catalogs, so keep a look out for one and we can unite you and a pen! Even if it’s discontinued, fountain pens still come around in our Catalogs, of course!
This is a 1927 Model #7 LF in Red Ripple with “Pink” color band on the cap and “Pink” imprinted nib. 7 “Pink” LF in Red Ripple! This has become one of the “holy grails” of pendom, because of its wonderful fine, triple-flexible nib. Waterman color-coded their caps and nibs for easy selection of the type of nib the user wanted. This was their answer to the Wahl Eversharp “Personal Point” pens. Item #18 in …
Should I bother drying my pens after cleaning them? You should dry your pens if they are ebonite or casein and wet on the outside, and you can leave them to air dry after that.
This is a Parker 1952 51 Presidential Aerometric-fill set in 14K solid gold. It has a medium/fine nib, near mint in box with perfectly clear plyglass and no signs of use. Item #5 in Catalog #81.
How do I clean a nib that is caked in ink? Soak, soak, soak! A lot of soaking in water, and if you have an ultrasonic cleaner, and if the pen can handle it based on its material and condition, you can always use that as well. However, if it’s just fountain pen ink, water will take it out with some time and patience.
This is a 1918 Parker “Black Giant” eyedropper-filler in Black Hard Rubber. Parker’s first “Giant,” the “Red Giant,” introduced in 1909 at $10, failed because the cap was too brittle and Parker was losing too much money honoring their warrantees. This was less of a problem with the “Black Giant,” introduced soon afterwards. These are found clipless, with a “split” clip (open in the back), and a full washer clip (such as this model. They also …
What is a safety pen? These have retractable nibs that are filled by putting ink directly into the barrel. They are interesting systems that should not be restored by those who aren’t confident in what they are doing! The nibs are protected inside the barrel and they tend to write well, as the ink does not dry out as easily.
This Conklin 1905 S3 is a crescent-filler in gold-filled “Art Nouveau Filigree” overlay on Black Hard Rubber. It has a slip cap and a medium/fine, extra-flexible nib. Cap indicia lightly engraved in script, “KVP.” Correct crescent bar with no engraving. A very early and rare model. Near mint in original box. Item #1 in Catalog #81.
Are all vintage nibs 14kt? Referring to the gold nibs, they usually are. We note in our Catalog if a vintage pen has a different nib fit on it.
My pen froze in my car overnight, and it was full of ink. I left it because I don’t know what to do with it?? Bring it in and let it thaw out. If there is ink, it would be a good idea to empty it when it is liquid because ice crystals freezing in ink can affect its performance. I would recommend drying the pen off as it thaws, in case there is condensation on …
