The blog since 2013
261 posts since September 2013 by Nathaniel Cerf: how to start collecting, what happens at the repair bench, inks under the sun, fake Montblancs, and the pens of presidents and writers. "It is a space dedicated to pen lovers old and new."
See how the needle nose pliers have started making a box in the end of the brass flashing as I restored this Sheaffer 5-30. When I first learned the art of fountain pen restoration, there weren’t as many readily available modern replacement “J” pressure bars to fix most standard lever-filling vintage pens. You could try…
Last week we had a request from loyal reader Karen P. to identify the pen used by Meryl Streep in her Oscar-winning movie “Out of Africa.” Finding a picture of the pen was relatively easy. Identifying the pen is a different story. For those of you who are not familiar with the film, it is based on…
A Waterman’s #15 eyedropper soaks in water to help loosen the old ink sealing its threads. Old hard rubber pens, especially eyedroppers, can be a difficult repair because the pens are so old and frail. It is very easy to overtorque them and crack or crush them. The problem, especially in eyedroppers, is that old…
American author Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, was the spokesman for the Conklin Pen Company in 1903. Samuel Clemens, better known to lovers of classic American literature as Mark Twain, was possibly the first famous person used to sell a specific make and model of pen. Twain was the writer…
With its striking greens and golden browns, this beautiful Parker Duofold fountain pen from 1941 would make an ideal pen for writing your Christmas cards. Not only does it look good, it is fully restored and has a very smooth fine-medium nib. I love writing Christmas cards. I don’t do group letters or holiday e-cards.…
Despite the beautiful watercolor painting and classic 1930s fashion, this vintage pen ad is loaded with sexism that seems sure to guarantee the Lady Duofold never sold. Seriously, how effective was this catty Parker Duofold ad from 1931?! The ad headline reads like a movie synopsis for a cheap melodrama about a bunch of bitchy…
This is just an “inkling” of ThePenMarket.com’s private collection of vintage and modern fountain pen ink. It includes Sanford ink, Sheaffer towers of ink, Carter’s ink and Parker V-mail ink from WWII! Many people ask me about ink and what they should use in their pens, and it is a great question. The best rule…
This collection of pens signed 50 iconic American laws into effect by President John F Kennedy and President Lyndon Baines Johnson from 1961 to 1967. It appears Esterbrooks and Parker 45 were the go-to pens of choice. How’s this for the ultimate pen auction? 50 pens used by presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B.…
Sleek black elegance is breath-taking in this seemingly new old stock Parker 17. In the past month or so, ThePenMarket.com has added many museum quality and/or new old stock pens to its vintage pens pages. These pens are not necessarily the go-to pens all collector’s feel as if they must have, but they are great…
When I lived at 715 S. Phillips Avenue in Sioux Falls, S.D., there were all kinds of things that went bump in the night…and day. I’m not saying I believe in ghosts, but I’m at a loss for what to call what I experienced…and I wasn’t the only one. The desire to preface this story…
Two Snorkel filling units mock me from my work bench, as I try to sort out the final mysterious reasons they won’t draw ink. For roughly 10 years, I have struggled to find a way to fix the beautiful and brilliant Sheaffer Snorkel. Years ago I saw a poll that asked pen collectors what they…
Could it be that this 1957 Parker ad featuring Carl Sandburg was the last time a living poet was paid to endorse a pen? When was the last time you saw a poet getting the opportunity to endorse any luxury item? This Parker ad from 1957 might be it. The legendary Carl Sandburg eyes a…
