|
Father Pat's Pen Collection
Pen Links
|
 've been collecting
Fountain Pens for a long while. Even as a child I was fascinated
with them. I never could afford much more than Sheaffer or Parker
school pens, but had them in various shades and styles. I liked the
transparent barrels, too. I refilled the cartridges with a syringe
.. in black, blue, blue-black and even peacock blue ink. I used them
in High School, too. I think I was the only one who did! I
loved the way they wrote. It was possible to write with great
expression. Being left-handed didn't seem to be much of a handicap,
if a piece of blotter paper was kept nearby. Here are some of the
pens I have collected over the years. I hope you enjoy them, and
that you'll pick up a Fountain Pen or two as well. They're
good for the soul!
|
 |
 y oldest pen to date is
a Conklin.
It's a near-mint 1931 Conklin, made in
Toledo. It's pearl and black marble and has
the famous Conklin spring clip. There is no
brassing at all. The pen is 132mm
capped
and 6 1/8 inches posted. The original
14K
gold flexible Conklin nib is in perfect
condition. What a beautiful pen! |
|
 he
Mark Twain Crescent-Filler by Conklin. This pen is an
exact replica of the Conklin Crescent-Filler used and promoted by Mark
Twain, who
said,
"I prefer it to ten other fountain pens, because it carries its
filler in its own stomach, and I can not mislay even by art or intention. Also, I prefer
it because
it is a profanity saver; it cannot roll off the desk".
|
 |
 ere's a curious item.
It's a Holy Water
Sprinkler made like a fountain pen. It
is marked "Exceptional the Pick Pen Company,
Made in U.S.A. It probably comes from the 20's
or 30's. It's nice to have it off the antique
market and back in daily use ... being used for
what it was intended ... sprinkling Holy Water.
That's our goal, right? Using much of our collection
for what it was intended. |
 |
his Parker Deluxe Challenger was made between 1934-193. It was made in the U.S.A. at the Parker factory in
Janesville,
Wisconsin. It has a #36 Nib and is in near mint condition. |
 |
his is a Sheaffer Balance vest pocket
pen with a "hump" clip. It was made in 1929 or 1930. It's a handy pen to
carry on Saturday's and Sunday's ... when I wear a black suit and vest and
need a pen mostly for signatures.
It's 4 1/4" long and has a 14K 3-25 Fine point nib. |
 |
 his
is a 1939 Parker Challenger. As you can see, this pen is in perfect condition.
It has its original 14K nib and writes like a *dream!* The fine point
is wonderfully expressive and requires no pressure at all. It's a
button filler and is great for signing Marriage Licenses, etc. Look at
the transparency of the clear section! |
 |
his is a great Jade Green Parker
Vacumatic.
I'm sure you can tell I'm
partial to Parkers!
It's as close to flawless as you can imagine.
It simply gleams! The blue diamond is stunning!
It glides easily across the paper with next to no
pressure. It has great ink flow, too ... and nice
transparency. It's no wonder these Vacs are so
popular as daily writers, even today.
It is about
5 1/8 inches closed and 6 inches
posted. |
 |
ere's a great Parker 51
Pen and pencil set in "Buckskin." They cleaned up nicely and write
wonderfully. This set came with a case as well. |
 |
his
Parker 21 was a great find ... $3 in a junk store. It will never be
perfect, but it writes as nicely as most any of my pens. |
 |
ere is an Esterbrook lever-fill fountain pens.
When I tried the lever it it made crunchy and crumbling sounds. This
is the first pen I have restored, on 02 December 2001. It has a 2968 Durachrome Broad nib
for general writing. It's not for sale. It ROCKS! |
 |
hey're
not terribly exciting or particularly rare, but these dollar pens have been very
serviceable for lots and lots of common people. This one has a 9556 Fine
Point Master Series Nib. It's a great pen! |
 |
his is my vintage Esterbrook desk
pen.
I picked it up in an Antique Store in
Delavan, Wisconsin. I filled it with ink and it
works just fine.It looks even better! |
 his
is an Arnold Pen. It's vintage ... probably 50's or 60's. It has
a 14K Gold nib. I picked it up in an antique store in October of 2001
for $1. I filled it with ink and it writes great!
 his is the Sheaffer Holly Pen from 1996. It's
a great "Christmas" pen. Mine is filled with Sherwood Green ink
from Private Reserve. Mine's a Fine Point and writes wonderfully.
It's all ready for "Christmas Card" time!
 his is a Waterman Phileas in Black. It's one of the sweetest pens and
bargains that can be found. I have two of these, one Medium and one
Fine. The nibs run thicker than normal, so I'd recommend trying
a Fine first. Great ink feed. Great writing. It's hard to
believe this
pen isn't selling for $100 or more. I also have the Rollerball and
Ballpoint pens in Black. You'll love the "Art Deco" styling, too!
Mine are filled with J. Herbin Midnight Blue Oriental Spice scented and Platinum
Blue-Black Ink.
 ere's another example of the Waterman Phileas line, in a blue marbled
finish.
I have this pen
in Medium and Fine point, and also the Ball Point pen. What
a great
starter pen. Nobody will believe it didn't set you back $100 or more!
Mine are filled with Black and Blue-Black Quink. These are "sweet"
pens. If you don't have one, get one. They're less than $30.
 
|
his is a Sheaffer Crest. Looks a little bizarre in
yellow, but it's a great "Autumn" Pen. It has an
18K Gold Fine Point nib. It's Covered in 23 layers of "Cadmium Yellow"
laqué. Mine is filled with Parker writing fluid in Mocha. |
  y
Pelikan 730 has been customized with a Fine Stub nib by John Mottishaw of
http://nibs.com/ in Los Angeles, California.
The pen has been discontinued. It is a medium-sized pen with Sterling Silver
cap, 18K nib. Note the cap end detail ... a pelican feeding its babies.
It's a great Christian symbol ... how God feeds us, His children with the body
and blood of Christ. John has customized the nib, a fine stub.
  his is Sheaffer Legacy 840. It's the flagship pen and is modeled
after the 1959 Sheaffer PFM. There are 14 layers of laquer over
the brass barrel. It Features an exclusive inlaid nib of 18 karat gold.
It has Sheaffer's unique Touchdown® refill mechanism. The one-
way piston prevents ink from leaking out of the nib after ink is drawn.
It's another great "formal" pen, for forms, certificates, checks, etc.
  arker Duofolds were introduced in the 1920's. They're the
Flagship of the Parker line. My Parker Duofold Centennial is
a treasure. It's made from hand-cast acrylic resin. It uses cartridges,
but I use the supplied twist the piston converter. It has 23K Gold
plated trim and an 18K Gold nib. Mine's a Fine Point. It came
from the Bromfield Pen Shop in Boston in October 2001
... and it writes like a dream! It's a great "formal" pen, for forms,
certificates, Marriage Licenses, checks and much more. It's just nice to
have around! The Wedding Season is over, and thus the demand for black
ink. This gem is now filled with Platinum Blue-Black ink.
 |
y
Parker Duofold International in Pearl and Black. It's a little smaller
than the Centennial above, but gorgeous ... a Fine Point and a wonderful writer.
And what a stunning and timeless design. It's a great "Winter" pen, don't
you think? |
 |
his pen was a Christmas
2001 gift from the kids of Arcadia Catholic School. It's a treasure! |
 |
he Pelikan 800 may be the
best Fountain Pen on earth. Click
here for an account! |
 |
 o
collection is complete without a School pen or two. This is a new Parker
with a nice cushion grip. They're workhorses, and for very little
money! I also have an assortment of Sheaffer and Parker Vector School
pens that I've used through the years. They're a great start. I
have memories of Sheaffer Washable Blue ink cartridges. I can still
smell them! And Penzit Peacock blue. I used to make a terrible
mess refilling cartridges with a plastic "accordian" type needle
refiller.
That's how I got started. Little did I know that spending just a few
more dollars would result in such an *awesome* writing experience.
Fountain Pens are the real thing! |
 |
ere are a couple of nice
vintage
Parker Pens. A Jade Green Blue
Diamond Vacumatic and a 1939
Parker Challenger. Both are in near
mint condition. I use them both as
daily writers. |
 |
|
Ink
is important, too. Parker Quink is certainly free-flowing and nice.
I also use Parker Writing Fluid in Mocha, along with Private Reserve
Sherwood Green, Waterman's Blue-Black and J. Herbin Midnight
Blue. I prefer Platinum as a Blue-Black ink. Color, Flow, and
intensity are all very nice. |
|
hope you've enjoyed
your visit to my Fountain Pen Page and that it has brought back some great
memories. If you've never used a Fountain Pen, why not go to your
local discount department store and pick up a School Pen for just a few
dollars. After you've used it for a little while, I'll bet you'll
get hooked, too. You'll spend $30 or so on a pen at an office supply
chain. I'd recommend the Waterman Phileas. Then you'll be
browsing Penbid for a great vintage
instrument. You haven't lived if you haven't written with a 1939
Parker Challenger, or a 2001 Black Duofold. You'll probably still write e-mail. But your notes to
family members and friends will be ever so much more special. Write
with a Fountain Pen. They're good for the soul!
 |
Pen Links
+
Back to
Father Pat's Place
|
