Italics, Stubs & Obliques
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7259: Aurora Olo: red pearl button-filler, 13.2 cm long, chrome plated trim, bold barrel imprint, Olo #3 nib has scant iridium and is rather draggy, but very flexible; filler button is an old replacement, as also appears to be the case with the blind cap (which lacks a metal end cap).
DATE: c. 1937 • CONDITION:
fine-exc* • NIB: extra-fine stub flex • $385 
9415: Conklin 10 Special: black hard rubber #1-size slip-cap crescent-filler, 12.9 cm long, nickel plated trim, imprints clear and strong; a rare and elusive model, to our knowledge not documented in any surviving catalog or advertisement -- many Conklin collectors are not even aware that Conklin made a #1-size pen.
DATE: c. 1905
• CONDITION: fine • NIB: broad italic • $950
10104: Conway Stewart The Conway Pen: black chased celluloid lever-filler, 13 cm long, nickel plated trim, factory oblique #3 nib.
DATE: c. 1938 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: broad oblique
• $225
10071: De La Rue Pelican: rare and early black hard rubber eyedropper-filler, predating the Onoto; 12.7 cm long, unique nib design with ring base and gold overfeed, imprints sharp with 1892 patent date, hard rubber clean and glossy.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: medium stub semiflex •
$950
10166: De La Rue Onoto: black hard rubber plunger-filler, London-hallmarked chevron-pattern sterling silver overlay, 12 cm long; a couple of small bumps to the cap, otherwise very clean; classic 14K nib with over and under feed is a notable writer, sharp-edged but also extremely flexible, opening up with light pressure to give enormous line width variation. All seals have been replaced.
DATE: c. 1919 • CONDITION:
fine • NIB: medium italic superflex • $800
9579: Esterbrook Relief 314: black chased hard rubber slip-cap eyedropper-filler, 13.6 cm long, fully Esterbrook-marked, but clearly manufactured by Wirt; 14K gold ventless Relief nib, characteristic bottom-vented Wirt feed. Flanged section is odd: does not fit the barrel perfectly, and is unlike usual Wirt eyedropper-filler sections, yet is of unusual form characteristic of other Wirt models. Wirt-made Esterbrooks are rare -- this is the first example we've had in over ten years.
DATE: c. 1910 • CONDITION: fine-exc
• NIB: fine oblique • $800
9286: Esterbrook lever-filler: hard to find long, slender "V-clip" in black, 12.6 cm long, stainless steel trim; bold deep imprints, light toothiing at ends, otherwise clean. Early #1551 nib unit with flat-bottomed feed; nib tip worn down, ground to a smooth but edgy italic (replacement nib units readily available, if desired).
DATE: c. 1932 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: fine italic • $225
7202: Mabie Todd Swan: gold filled fine barleycorn eyedropper-filler, 13.4 cm long, over and underfeed, early markings for Mabie Todd & Bard (1888 last patent date), engraved "DR. E. DALTON" in indicia; metal looks like solid.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • NIB: medium stub flex • $695
8551: Moore L-96: large black flat-top lever-filler, 14.2 cm long, gold filled trim, red dot on cap top; crisp imprints, trim excellent, almost imperceptible cap shrinkage around inner cap; #6 Moore nib has been retipped by Greg Minuskin, partial hairline at base affects only upper laminate, does not go all the way through, appears stable.
DATE: c. 1928 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: broad stub •
$365
6550: Mordan eyedropper-filler: black chased hard rubber straight-cap, 13.9 cm long, unusually thick barrel with equally unusual wavy-line chasing, imprinted "MORDAN/LONDON"; ventless nib missing tipping material from underpart of one tine (not apparent from above), cap faded less than barrel (probably because smooth, and could be polished without weakening chasing); Mordan fountain pens are rare -- this is only the second we have handled.
DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • NIB: medium stub • $385
9996: Parker 70: rare gold filled telescoping ringtop, 10.6 cm long, extends to 12.3 cm (excluding cap, which is not designed to post onto the barrel); overlay is crisp and unbrassed, name engraved very lightly on the cap indicia, the inevitable two dings to the side of the bulbous barrel end. Intact Lucky Curve feed with notably smooth and calligraphic #3 Lucky Curve nib.
DATE: c. 1912 • CONDITION:
fine-exc • NIB: broad stub superflex • $2500
10028: Parker Duofold Senior: black button-filler, 14.1 cm long, gold filled trim, rare and desirable original broad oblique Duofold nib; underside of tip is more rounded than sharp-edged italic in profile, but plenty of tipping material present for regrinding if desired.
DATE: c. 1926 • CONDITION:
fine • NIB: broad oblique • $685
10236: Parker Golden Arrow (?): very early red pearl laminate lockdown-filler, 12.2 cm long, gold filled trim, two cap bands, one-piece section-barrel construction, two-tone nib with single central rib on arrow; rare barrel imprint with no mention of model name, no date code. Only a handful of these pens are known, and it seems most likely that they either predate the original Golden Arrow or immediately postdate it, prior to its renaming as the Vacuum Filler (discussion here). Condition is mixed, with hardly any wear and crisp imprints, but with a couple of cap lip cracks and a partial circumferential hairline under the clip where two laminations appear to have separated due to age shrinkage over the inner cap (see details). Notable super-broad factory italic nib, name engraved on barrel. Sac has been removed to preserve color.
DATE: c. 1932 • CONDITION: VG-fine* •
NIB: broad italic • $950
10139: Parker Vacumatic Junior: grey pearl marbled, 12.2 cm long, chrome plated trim, fine barrel transparency, bold imprint with 3rd quarter date code; nib has a later date code, but what a nib! Smooth and sharp-edged, with dramatic and effortless line width variation.
DATE: 1935 • CONDITION: exc
• NIB: broad italic semiflex • $350
9462: Parker Duofold Junior set: burgundy (red and black marbled) pearl button-filler, 12 cm long, gold filled trim, with matching 1.1 mm pencil; pencil more worn than pen, pen has minimal wear, but scoring and nicks around the imprint (see detail) -- and a truly fantastic Duofold nib, sharp-edged but smooth, bearing a 1st quarter 1936 date code.
DATE: c. 1936 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • NIB: extra-broad italic
semiflex • $345
9470: Wahl-Eversharp Equi-Poised: solid orange celluloid lever-filler, 13.2 cm long, gold filled trim, Gold Seal, roller clip, 18K Gold Seal Signature nib. This color -- "Danish red" -- was made only for export to Denmark and is rarely seen, with most surviving pens in deplorable condition. Cap is very clean, easily excellent to near mint, barrel shows wear at the end (apparently from polishing), crack in barrel threads has been skilfully repaired (raking light photo greatly exaggerates the repair's visibility).
DATE: c. 1931
• CONDITION: fine* • NIB: medium broad stub flex • $1500
9137: Waterman 12: black hard rubber eyedropper-filler with London-hallmarked sterling silver overlay, bloodstone seal cap top, 13.2 cm long; seal-top Watermans are rare, and most often found in England and France, but this is an uncatalogued pattern never before seen -- though the hallmarks leave no doubt about it being factory-original. Canadian-made #2 nib, patent imprints on feed, some tool marks to lower barrel overlay; note that "WATERMAN" imprint on cap lip is upside-down -- perhaps to reflect usage of the cap as a seal?.
DATE: c. 1907 • CONDITION: VG • NIB: broad italic semiflex • $6000
9139: Waterman 214: black hard rubber half-overlay eyedropper-filler with acid-etched .999 fine silver barrel; 13.9 cm long, unusually heavy #4 New York nib, monogram lightly engraved on indicia; etched Waterman overlays are rare, and even more so as a 214 rather than a 212.
DATE: c. 1908 • CONDITION: fine • NIB:
medium stub manifold • $2875
9184: Waterman 442½V in box: black hard rubber ringtop safety, 9.6 cm long, smooth sterling silver overlay with hard to find telescoping outer cap; metal clean, imprints on hard rubber strong, initials "M.W.D." on barrel. Patent imprints on feed, responsive nib.
DATE: c. 1918 • CONDITION: exc • NIB:
fine stub semiflex • $550
8439: Waterman Remex sleeve-filler: black chased hard rubber, 14.1 cm long, unusual Canadian-made subbrand version of Waterman's pre-lever self-filler, apparently assembled out of obsolete parts; no imprints, feed is square-sectioned Aikin Lambert style, nib is typical Canadian Remex, with "14 KT./R" in a diamond, "2" below, even the globe logo on the pressure bar has been effaced; originally clipless, comes with a contemporary nickel plated slip-on clip (easily removed, if desired).
DATE: c. 1918 • CONDITION: fine
• NIB: fine stub flex • $300
8403: Waterman 14: black hard rubber eyedropper-filler with smooth sterling silver overlay and bloodstone cap top seal; 13.1 cm long, a rare but catalogued factory model most often found in France and England (a version appears on p. 53 of Waterman's 1908 USA catalog under "Special Mountings" as Emerald End Special Fluted, priced at $50 -- more than three times the cost of a full sterling silver Snake); London hallmarks are worn but mostly legible, one ding to the side of the cap, #4 nib with unusual turnup grind at tip; the smooth silver version of this pen is several times rarer than the fluted version in gold.
DATE: c. 1918 •
CONDITION: G-VG • NIB: medium oblique • $2950
8907: Waterman 472: uncommon black hard rubber screw-cap eyedropper-filler with smooth sterling silver overlay; 13.1 cm long, London hallmarks, number at barrel end is simply "72" with no hundreds column digit, as is typical for English-market Watermans; 1925-dated presentation inscription, nice stub #2 nib has an incipient hairline from the vent hole, but should be stable if used without excessive writing pressure; even wear, light marks to metal, one tiny stress crack where barrel overlay crimped in place (see detail; for some reason these are extremely common in English-market Waterman overlays).
DATE: 1920 •
CONDITION: VG* • NIB: medium italic • $565
6383: Waterman 552½ LEC: hand-engraved solid 14K gold over black hard rubber lever-filler, 13.1 cm long; only minimal bumps to ends, cap crown nearly perfect, Ideal globe appears on both lever end and on plate below; for some reason, no "LEC" on barrel end; indicia engraved with extra, post-factory, scrollwork in order to cover over a monogram (see detail), clip ball has been resoldered back in place (noticeable only under magnification); notable New York #2 nib, responsive and offering a very wide range of line variation.
DATE: c. 1923 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: fine stub flex • $1100
10052: Waterman 552½: black hard rubber lever-filler, smooth solid 14K gold overlay, 13.35 cm long, fully marked, slight fading to hard rubber, model number imprint on barrel end almost entirely worn away; elegantly engraved monogram on barrel, a few light marks to the sides of the cap, noteworthy nib is extremely smooth and flexible.
DATE: c. 1924 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium stub flex
• $950