Need Advice For A Vintage Pen

[ParkerDuofold]

Hello Everyone,

 

I'd like to give this vintage thing another try... but I need a vintage pen that has the same girth and length of an L2K, (around where the clip ring is), or a Pilot Custom 74, (unposted). (I'll try to get those dimensions to you later today if you're not familiar with these two).

 

I'm open to any brand/model; I'd like it to be in excellent to near mint condition and I'd prefer to keep it around $150, (I keep getting outbid on Duofolds and Vacumatics), so I may have to up it to $200. I like wet writers with medium nibs.

 

Any advice on which models to set my sights on would be appreciated.

 

 

- Anthony

Edited June 21, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I don't know which Duofolds you were outbid on, but take a look at the aerometric Parker Newhaven Duofolds. e.g. https://parkerpens.net/ukduofold.html

 

I find them to be workhorse pens with good character; and when the cap is removed, they're blingless.

 

Nib properties can vary, so if possible ask the Vendor to provide a written sample that is scaled.

 

​Unfortunately I find Parker's button fillers to be a right nuisance to fill / flush, though the nibs are intriguing.

 

And don't get me started on Sheaffer pens Or Watermans OR...

 

Bye,

S1

Edited June 21, 2017 by Sandy1

[ENewton]

I have also been very much enjoying a UK Parker, although mine is a Victory. The nib is the wettest of any of my pens, and I don't mind the button filling system.

 

If you are open to buying a pen from a reputable dealer/restorer, as opposed to bidding against others, I suggest that you look at the website of Peyton Street Pens. I believe that you will find something suitable within your price range, and if you call or write, I am sure you will receive useful responses to any inquiries with regard to size, condition, and behavior.

[Bo Bo Olson]

ENewton, could be your English Parker is a semi-flex and any bit of heavier hand will make it a wetter writer.

When I was real noobie 7-8 years ago, I had a semi-flex pen but didn't know it....thinking it was just a wet writer that then everyone seemed to be wanting. I eventually got a 140, and later discovered I had already had a semi-flex.

 

 

I was when I ran into a British Parker Jr.Duofold , that was semi-flex. I bought it, where if it had not been semi-flex....the regular American nail, I'd not.

 

I also have an Australian made Snorkel BB maxi-semi-flex factory stub.

 

Parker and Sheaffer had to ...as far as I can figure had to offer more flexible nibs than normal, in they were competing against Swan that made from 'true' regular flex, semi-flex up to Superflex nibs.

[TheRealMikeDr]

I second the Peyton Street Pens option. You'll get a pen that's been refurb'd and tested and I think they stand behind their work - offering a warranty. You pay a bit more but for this it may be worth it.

 

Best case scenario would be to visit a pen show where you can physically pick up the pens and see how they look/feel in person. Getting vintage from eBay or resellers on pen forums has been very hit or miss for me.

[Sasha Royale]

Parker 51 ?

[corgicoupe]

I third the Peyton Street suggestion, and would also suggest looking at Midnight Pens on Etsy. Contact Gary to ask questions about any pen he's restored. If you like the idea of an Esterbrook, he will exchange the nib for one in his now vast collection.

[ac12]

You picked a rather expensive size pen, cuz it sounds like you want an "oversize" pen. Many of the vintage pens that I know of are not "oversize" pens. But then again, I do not look for the oversize pens.

 

Excellent especially "mint" condition is going to be top dollar pens, and you have to adjust your budget accordingly. These are OLD pens, and most have been used, so a mint condition pen is going to be rare, and you will be competing with collectors for them.

 

These are approximate pricing based on some of what I have seen at pens shows. The better the condition, the higher the price.

• A Duofold Sr is going to run you $250+ (restored)
  • I have a Sr, and I was told a replacement nib will cost about $100. So right there is a major reason why that pen is expensive, the nib.

• An oversize Vac would run you $250+ (restored)
  • Same cost issue with the nib.
  • The oversize Vac is just harder and more expensive to find.
  • If you drop down in size to a regular Vac they will run about $130-150+ (restored)

An alternative is to drop down to a tier 2 pen, which is cheaper than the tier 1 brands. Even then, finding an oversize pen may be difficult.

 

As for the nib

• SIZE: The old US nibs are narrower than the current western nibs, like Lamy. Kind of like the Japanese nibs of today. An old US Parker M is about the same size as a current Lamy F nib. So if you want a current day M nib, you need a vintage B nib. But finding a vintage B nib is going to be HARD and expensive.

• Most any pen can be adjusted for wetness, either by a good seller or a nib meister.
  But there are issues with the variables.
  • How wet is wet? Unfortunately there is no objective scale to measure it with.
    What I consider wet may not be wet enough for others.
  • You need to tell the seller or supply him with the ink you want to use, as different inks flow differently, sometimes very differently. I test all my pens with Sheaffer blue, but put a wetter or dryer ink in the pen and it may/will flow different.
  • What paper do you use? Some papers soak/absorb the ink quickly, so the pen does not appear to be as wet as it would be if writing on less absorbent paper.
  • The hardest thing is, YOU. How hard or not do you press the pen?
    Example, if I adjust a pen for my wife (who presses on the pen), it will be dry for me (who does not press the pen).

[Bo Bo Olson]

Back in the Day....well not counting them giant light '20's pens....but the '40-50-60's....all the pens I ever saw were standard***....Estie, Wearever, Sheaffer school pen.....or medium-large P-51 which was a 'large' pen to me.

Last year, you could have knocked me over with a feather the perfectly balanced thin Snorkel is a Large pen...as long as a Safari!!!!!!

 

Balance is what vintage standard and medium-long pens (Snorkel too) had to offer to be top of the line..........light and nimble also, so one could write 8 hours a day.

 

***Never saw that clunky PFM in real life...the first 'huge' pen....for fat men with meaty hands. Spanning basketballs wasn't quite in yet, in you was supposed to pass the ball down court fast, not hang on to it and admire it.

[penwash]

There are this pen and 2 other at Pen Agora (penagora.com).

[welch]

Parker 51 aerometric, English medium. That's a chunky nib, and the 51 aero will last forever. Take a look at EBay UK, and make sure you buy from a seller who has restored the pen. The areometric does not usually require work to get it to write. The nib will be 60 or 70 years old, so might need tuning, but that's not a big thing.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hello Everyone,

 

While it is my preference to respond to each person individually; I fear in this case, it would take a while... thanks to all of you for taking the time and effort to respond to my post.

 

Here is my summation of what I've taken away from your comments, so far:

 

1. I should clarify that I meant the vintage pen posted should equal the 74 unposted, (that's my fault completely for not making that clear); I know most vintage pens were diminutive in size compared to today's norms.

 

2. I will DEFINITELY check out Peyton Street Pens, (I was also considering fellow member, Ron Zorn of Main Street); I think going through a dealer like PSP is an EXCELLENT idea... especially for a vintage neophyte such as myself. Even if I have to bide my time a little and wait for the right one to cross my path... patience is another thing I have to work on.

 

3. What I'd LIKE to pay and what I'm WILLING to pay are probably two different things... if the right pen came along.

 

4. Maybe I should give the 51 a second chance. What ticked me off on the first one I had was its tight, dagger-like pocket clip that ruined one of my silk shirts and the perpetual game of "where's the nib?"... not to mention the horrifically brutal flushing process.

 

But I got my 51 when I was still pretty green and have since figured out ways of overcoming these common 51 foibles... slightly bend the clip forward, so it isn't so tight; post the cap and position the arrow clip to be in alignment with the nib's correct position and dedicate the pen to one, low maintenance ink so regular flushing won't be that imperative.

 

Btw, that Vacumatic in Canada is really nice and I'm thinking of contacting the seller... I just wish he was more forthright with information... there's only one pic and no info on the nib, restoration efforts, etc.

 

Thank you all again and please keep the advice coming... I can use all the help I can get... in more ways than one.

 

 

- Anthony

[ENewton]

ENewton, could be your English Parker is a semi-flex and any bit of heavier hand will make it a wetter writer.

 

 

Yes, Bo Bo, it was described by the seller as a flexible-nib pen, and I know and trust her. I just don't care to apply pressure. When I want line variation, I prefer to use a brush.

[ac12]

 

 

 

Yes, Bo Bo, it was described by the seller as a flexible-nib pen, and I know and trust her. I just don't care to apply pressure. When I want line variation, I prefer to use a brush.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Then don't apply pressure.

You bought the pen knowing it was semi-flex. What's your complaint? It's semi-flex?? and gives line variation??

 

Sell the pen and get an American nail version.

You should if you market it right in it is semi-flex, get more money than you spend for the American version.

[ac12]

The kind of writing you can do with a brush is so neat.

I just can't write as small with a brush, now. I'm out of practice.

That hobby got put on the shelf a while back and is aching to get active again.

[Pentode]

You may want to look at a Parker Challenger or two. The standard size had some reasonable girth to it and they're very nicely balanced pens.

 

Parker, at the time, marketed these as slightly upscale "school" pens, but they're actually pretty nice in retrospect. They feature some great celluloid patterns, very good Parker nibs and classy furniture. They're button fillers, which are no easier or harder to maintain than lever fillers and, best of all, they're pretty inexpensive as far as vintage pens go.

 

The standard sized striped Duofolds are also worth looking into as they tend to be less expensive than either the Vacs or the Duofolds, but they write really well.

 

Also, Esterbrook Dollar Pens are... well... they're Esterbrooks! They're pretty hard to go wrong with and, with the right nib, great writers.

 

You could get one of each of the pens I just listed and still come in under your budget if you're patient.

 

Lastly, I agree with the others about buying from reputable dealers. Peyton Street, Ron Zorn, Gary Lehrer or anyone else who has a name and a reputation in this hobby is likely to be honest and helpful. It's just not that big a community so the people who have been in business for a while are going to be people you can trust. They want to sell you another pen in the future so they gain nothing by deceiving you. Their reputation is their bread and butter.

 

Ebay sellers...... mmmmm... maybe not so much. Most of them are honest, but many of them are not knowledgeable. It's definitely hit or miss. There are good deals to be found sometimes, but it's the wild West out there. I tend to only bid on pens I know I can repair myself. For fancier stuff I stick to reputable dealers.

[siamackz]

If you're looking for a nib with character, you might want to try Greg Minuskin's website too. He sells refurbished vintage pens but they sell out in tiny windows of time!!

[ParkerDuofold]

You may want to look at a Parker Challenger or two. The standard size had some reasonable girth to it and they're very nicely balanced pens.

 

Parker, at the time, marketed these as slightly upscale "school" pens, but they're actually pretty nice in retrospect. They feature some great celluloid patterns, very good Parker nibs and classy furniture. They're button fillers, which are no easier or harder to maintain than lever fillers and, best of all, they're pretty inexpensive as far as vintage pens go.

 

The standard sized striped Duofolds are also worth looking into as they tend to be less expensive than either the Vacs or the Duofolds, but they write really well.

 

Also, Esterbrook Dollar Pens are... well... they're Esterbrooks! They're pretty hard to go wrong with and, with the right nib, great writers.

 

You could get one of each of the pens I just listed and still come in under your budget if you're patient.

 

Lastly, I agree with the others about buying from reputable dealers. Peyton Street, Ron Zorn, Gary Lehrer or anyone else who has a name and a reputation in this hobby is likely to be honest and helpful. It's just not that big a community so the people who have been in business for a while are going to be people you can trust. They want to sell you another pen in the future so they gain nothing by deceiving you. Their reputation is their bread and butter.

 

Ebay sellers...... mmmmm... maybe not so much. Most of them are honest, but many of them are not knowledgeable. It's definitely hit or miss. There are good deals to be found sometimes, but it's the wild West out there. I tend to only bid on pens I know I can repair myself. For fancier stuff I stick to reputable dealers.

Hi Pentode,

 

Thanks for the great suggestions and information. I had forgotten about the Challengers and Gary Lehrer and the striped Duofolds are new names to me... so I'll definitely look into them as well.

 

Thank you very much.

 

 

- Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

If you're looking for a nib with character, you might want to try Greg Minuskin's website too. He sells refurbished vintage pens but they sell out in tiny windows of time!!

Hi Siamackz,

 

Greg is another new name to me... thank you very much for the heads-up; the more avenues I have to take, the better off I am.

 

I know about the "narrow window"; it used to be the same thing with Richard Binder's Pen Trays... I was always pipped at the post there, too.

 

Thank you.

 

 

- Anthony