Vintage Workhorse Daily Writer

[dzg]

Dear FPN'rs,
Having gone through a period of collecting several expensive pens (Aurora 88, MB 146, various vintage MB's etc) I seem to return repeatedly to my lowly Pelikan 15 and Pelikan 140 pens or use as daily writers. The TWSBI 540 with a Pendleton nib has place in that rotation too.

 

Consequently I sold all my expensive pens. I have come to believe that a good pen does not have to be expensive and in fact I prefer pens made back in the day when they were writing instruments first and not status symbols. Perhaps some of you share my sentiments?

 

I prefer lighter weight (so plastic bodies are wonderful) and medium- smaller girth pens, impartial to flex, I never make use of it, I am also inclined to keep the price under $100 (ideally I'd like to keep it well below that, preferably under $50).

 

Can anyone recommend any vintage pens (I am partial to those from 1950-70's) that would meet my requirements and are a joy to write with. I write quite a bit, over 20 pages a day, its one of lifes pleasures.

Nothing flashy required, just a good unassuming workhorse type pen .... but it must have a superb nib and writing experience. I am unwilling to compromise on the nib.

 

I was looking into Parker and Sheaffer but there are so many models that I just can;t sift through them on my own. Other brands are welcome too.

 

p.s. I prefer a nib width that is close to a modern Pelikan F nib ... since vintage nibs vary please do include a recommended nib size along with the brand/model.

 

Look forward to the replies. Thanks.

Edited July 14, 2014 by dzg

[DrCodfish]

I too am strong on Pelikans, and one of my 140's is an every day journal pen. I also like vintage Parkers, Vacumatics and Duofolds. But the vintage Parker which I think is most likely to fit your criteria is a Parker 51 w/F to M nib. You should be able to score a well kept and/or reconditioned P-51 in or near your price range. If you want to take a chance without spending a lot of money, consider either a Parker 45, or a reconditioned Esterbrook J. Many P-45's are available as NOS, or lightly used pens. Either of these pens should arrive at your door step for considerably less than half of your target price.

[mirosc]

a not so well known gem (if you are looking for something off the beaten path):

Geha Goldschwinge. slender, lightweight, ingenious idea with the additional ink reservoir and above all a superb nib! The longer I use it the more I love it.

[scully012]

I am partial to my Sheaffer Imperial III a triumph nib. Smooth, good looking, and it works well. Also, +1 on Esterbrook J series pens, as they are durable, simple, and good looking. They also have exchangeable nibs so you can use what you prefer.

[ac12]

+1 on the Esterbrook and Parker 45

I have and use both in my pool of writing pens, so they do get USED regularly.

[dspeers58]

I believe that Sheaffer Balances, Touchdowns, Crests, Snorkels would all work well. They are light and very nice writers and not too expensive. I have a medium Snorkel I picked up for about $20, had it refurbished by Richard Binder for $40, and it writes beautifully. Old Parker Duofold Jrs are a lot like the Pelikan 140s, but can be gotten cheaper, if one is not determined to get a pretty one.

[balson]

both sheaffer and parker make fantastic firm nibbed writers.

 

i love parkers stub nibs, they are butter smooth and a joy to write with for long periods of time. the uk duofold, the victory, and the vs are fantastic underappreciated writers. if you would like to try something like a vaccumatic you may want to check out the duovac, they are usually much more affordable than a regular vacuumatic.

 

sheaffer pens seem to be incredibly undervalued at the moment. i have seen several restored ones with 14k nibs going for around $30 lately. i personally would recommend any of the pens with their touchdown filling system. snorkels are great for getting the last drops of ink from a bottle. but for me the convenience of not having to extend and retract the snorkel whenever i need to refill it outweighs the benefit of having a clean nib or being able to suck up the last bits of ink in a bottle. sheaffer balance lever fillers are also worth looking into, the only ones in the series i would avoid would be the sheaffer craftsman as it has a reputation for the plastic shrinking causing huge cracks.

[Buzz_130]

I'm going to follow suit with ac12 and DrCodfish. If you are looking for a vintage, workhorse, daily writer, you simply can't go wrong with a Parker "51". Some of the other great pens from the golden age of fountain pens that meet your budget and workhorse requirements are the Parker 45 and the Esterbrook J, as mentioned above. Those two pens are very affordable, very rugged, and are incredibly easy to maintain.

 

If you are looking for one more pen idea, I'll also throw in the Sheaffer Snorkel. Get a restored pen, and you'll be very pleased with the smooth nib, vintage looks, and one of the most amazing fill mechanisms.

 

Enjoy your vintage pen; they become very addictive!

 

Buzz

[Sadiq]

+1 for the Parker 45. They're great writers, easy to maintain, come in a variety of colours/finishes & are fairly cheap.

 

I have one with a 14k nib...I'm not too sure about the octanium nibbed units.

[wastelanded]

Parker English Duofold or Slimfold, Parker 45, and definitely Esterbrook.

[Runnin_Ute]

+1 for the Parker 45. They're great writers, easy to maintain, come in a variety of colours/finishes & are fairly cheap.

 

I have one with a 14k nib...I'm not too sure about the octanium nibbed units.

Agree 100%

My Flighter has a 14k nib and while the Flighter is all stainless steel (barrel and cap) it isn't that much heavier than a standard 45 - mine has the octanium/steel - both are great writers. Inexpensive, reliable, good looking, doesn't dry out easily due to its semi-hooded nib. A P51 is a good choice as well. I have a 51 Special and as a set with MP it was under your desired $50 budget shipped. A regular 51 might go for a bit more.

 

As much as I love my Pelikan's (120 M&K, M150, 2 M205's) and they can all be workhorse pens, the 45's seem to get a bit more use right now. I have few enough, that I can keep all of them inked so if I want to use any of them I can.

[oldmatekev]

Patterned celluloid Conway Stewarts from the 1950's are very common here in Australia, I use a CS 85 every day and it's a pleasure. It comes from an era when these things were made to be carried and used all the time.

I have a 5N nib in mine, even though it's supposed to have a 3. The 5N is quite fine with a nice bit of spring, it will open up a bit if I try but I don't normally try.

 

CS from that era were well made, durable, reliable and nice to look at, I don't think they were at the expensive end of the market, more upper middle. I don't think they were common in the USA though.

 

Modern CS is a luxury brand with all that entails and shouldn't be confused with the vintage ones.

[Dickkooty2]

The PelikanGO. No frills, siphon filler, ink indicators as a part of the design and that great Pelikan winged steel nib that is used on the Pelikano.

 

http://s271.photobucket.com/user/dick168/media/PelikanGO_zpse94cf37c.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=32

[Ste_S]

Parker English Duofold or Slimfold, Parker 45, and definitely Esterbrook.

 

I got an English Duofold 'NS' recently, and it's a fantastic pen with a beaufiful nib. I also have a Slimfold in the post to me, which was bought with the intention of being my daily carry after loving the Duofold so much.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Ste_S

[frr149]

I tend to use a LOT, my Esterbrooks, Lamy 26P (is this old enough to be considered vintage?) and Parker 45. Pens that passed the test of time are the best candidates for daily writers.

[Scribblesoften]

I like the Sheaffer Touchdown fill pens. They are available in a number of sizes, are easy to maintain, hold a decent amount of ink, and are currently available at reasonable prices. I have or have had many of the pens listed above (Parker 45, 51, Pelikan 400s) and I believe the best deal and variety right now is in the Sheaffer's.

[Bo Bo Olson]

a not so well known gem (if you are looking for something off the beaten path):

Geha Goldschwinge. slender, lightweight, ingenious idea with the additional ink reservoir and above all a superb nib! The longer I use it the more I love it.

 

 

One of my three perfect balanced pens.....bound to be more in the last four years but never got around to testing.

Classic, slim, medium-long, with a great little clip, where a couple of properly placed lines make it one of the classic clips. Inlaid nib.

Rolled gold trim, cap and body gold disk.

With permission of Penboard.de in they make good pictures. The nib is a F semi-flex....was once my # 3 nib, best non-oblique...still right up there.

Have not done a real test of nibs in a long time...but is a grand nib.

Some day I have to make a good picture of the classy clip....these pictures just don't show how two simple lines in a clip can make is so classy.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/Goldschwingnib-2.jpg

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/SAM_0041.jpg

 

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/SAM_0043.jpg

Edited July 15, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[inn3rs3lf]

+1 for the Parker 45. They're great writers, easy to maintain, come in a variety of colours/finishes & are fairly cheap.

 

I have one with a 14k nib...I'm not too sure about the octanium nibbed units.

Good to see a fellow South African with fine taste

[parnesh]

Aurora 88, Pelikan 140, 400, 400NN, MB 3x,2x,1x.

 

Other MB's. Lamy 99, 27.

 

The MBs are particularly nice as daily writers.

[Namru]

Old Sheaffer's are undervalued work horses. Personally I've used both a lever-fill and vac-fill Balance everyday for six months at a time. No problems except the inability to post. At the moment I'm using a NOS Imperial VIII Touchdown from a time when Sheaffer's were making the best nibs in the business. Easy to fill, easy to clean, spring loaded clip and it's also one of the prettiest things ever made by man.