I’m looking for a water-resistant ink. Can I put India ink in my fountain pen? Although water-resistant, you should not use India ink in your fountain pen as the ink contains pigments and other components that can (and will) clog your pen’s feed. If you need a water-resistant ink, consider an iron-gall fountain pen ink, but do remember this requires proper care and maintenance of your pen.
From Catalog #76, though no longer available, this 1920s Montblanc Model 0 Baby Safety eyedropper-filled vintage pen must be shared! It was available in the extremely rare red mottled hard rubber, with the correct and crisp imprint of Montblanc 0 14ct nib in fine, flexible. This model was new-old-stock, mint in original box. The box was signed on top with ”Montblanc baby”, and although the box has seen many years, it was only a little …
Why are some vintage pens so expensive? Supply and demand, but it’s so more complicated than just that. Vintage pens with price tags that make your heart skip a beat are appraised based on the maker, model, body material, nib material, filling system, availability, condition, nib type, and even if it comes with its original packaging or not. If there’s only one pen made in one celluloid with a 14 carat gold super flexible nib in …
From Catalog #76, we had a 1936 Montblanc Model 124E ”Rose” in black hard rubber. Listed for $10,000, this is a holy grail for Montblanc collectors. The nib on this specimen is a two-toned KF (Kugel-Fine) nib. What is a Kugel nib? This is Montblanc’s ball-point nib with flexibility – beautiful and enjoyable. The pen’s condition is near mint+, except for slight signs of ink in the cap. Below is the original 1936 Montblanc catalog …
What inks produce shading? Inks produce a gradient of their color that is more easily visible with wet writers, flex nibs, and broad/calligraphy-type nibs. Some inks that stand out are: Waterman Inspired Blue, Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün, J. Herbin Vert Olive, Noodler’s Apache Sunset, Diamine Aqua Blue, Diamine Meadow, Diamine Havasu Turquoise, Diamine Ancient Copper, Diamine Burnt Sienna, Diamine Soft Mint, J. Herbin Lie de Thé, Montblanc Irish Green, and many more. As always, you …
They’re not much of a bother actually, unless you lose it. In fact, they’re quite helpful. Piston-fillers and pump fillers often don’t fill completely because the air gets stuck and cannot be expelled without expelling ink. Breather tubes allow a pen to hold more ink because the tube lets the air that’s stuck at the end of the reservoir to be expelled instead of the ink that’s already in the reservoir. The Parker Vacumatic can …
What is casein? Conway Stewart produced a lot of pens from casein as casein offered colors and designs that could not be produced by hard rubber. Casein is not vegan! It’s made from rennet and skimmed milk, which then goes through a formaldehyde treatment to harden the material. The material is hygroscopic, so water exposure must be minimalized and the pen should absolutely not be soaked in water. When exposed to heat and light, just …
This 1910 Waterman is ”World’s Smallest Safety Pen”. It is currently available in Catalog #76. Eyedropper-filler in Black Hard Rubber. Spiral propelling/repelling unit in perfect operating condition. Often called the “Doll Pen” because one rests in Queen Mary’s doll house – in the Cone Cap rather than this Safety model, on the King’s Library Table. Length: 2” Diameter: Less than 3/16″ Produced by Waterman for their salesmen, with the intent for their salesmen to spend time …
My Swan fountain pen has a weird black rod on top of the nib. What is that? Mabie Todd pens sometimes have an under over feed – in addition to the feed that the nib sits on, there is a feed on top to guarantee ink flow as the nib is flexed. There were also Gold top feeds – a thin gold channel on top of the nib, which served the same purpose, by moving …
The clip broke on one of my vintage pens and I can’t find that clip as a spare. Will another clip fit? It’s possible another clip will fit, but it will depend on the clip. A lot of vintage pens are being sold as individual items or in lots as repair/spare parts, so if you keep looking, you might find the clip you need. You can still use your pen without a clip though! Some …
