Other Brands

Lovely color, a shimmering steel grey with marbled red stripes, bound by smart black pinstripes. The nib on this was pretty much past saving, so it’s since gotten a transplant: a spare section/feed/nib assembly from an Eversharp Skyline. It fit like a dream, so now this pretty pen sports a silky smooth 14K M nib!

I found a batch of these for a really low price, and thought I’d give them a try. Like many Chinese pens, they run a little dry for my tastes out of the box. However, also like most Chinese pens, a bit of nib-flossing and tuning gets it writing perfectly. These are a solid, well-built pen that performs well; I have the blue and burgundy as well. The clip is especially robust, as it has a spring hinge built into the cap.

Funny thing; You could be forgiven for thinking this was the new Conklin Victory – as it is DEAD UP the same pen. Shame on you Conklin!

this lovely little pen is, s far as I can tell, a prototype finish. I’ve hunted about and can’t find any mention of this model (or any Bexley) in this shimmery purple finish. It’s gorgeous, and a fantastic writer, too.

This is a custom made pen by a local craftsman. I’ve seen varying examples of these, but this one is just gorgeous! It was a gift, and wow! Hand turned wood barrel & cap, veined with turquoise, and a silky-smooth German iridium nib.

Dewen is a Chinese brand, and while it’s not one of the more well-known (that I’ve seen, which isn’t saying much) it seems to put out a decent pen. One of the smoother, wetter GP Chinese nibs I’ve used. My only quibble is the brushed steel section – it seems out of place on an otherwise very classy-looking pen.

Golden Rule made pens in New York in the 1920s. When the daughter of the founder finally decided to get rid of all the defunct company’s assets years later, they were purchased by Fred Krinke of the Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia, CA, which is where I bought this pen. It’s a mint, NOS black chased hard rubber, with the only restoration a new sac. It’s a gorgeous, silky, flex F/M nib. This is a find!!!!

An intriguing glass nib fountain pen – I am finding myself fascinated by these things! I never knew they existed until very recently; now I am finding them everywhere. This one is a lovely caramel color, though the yellow barrel end has a tendency to pop off. It’s not terribly solid feeling, but it needs resaccing, so perhaps when I get it all properly fitted is will have a bit more heft.

I bought one of these years ago, and was so unhappy with it that I gave it away. I love the color though, so I tried again, and am much happier with the second one. (Of course I know much more about how to tweak a misbehaving pen, which may have something to do with it!)

The ID of this pen is dodgy at best. It does have the Huashilai imprint around the cap band, but that’s it. The ‘Naples’ comes form the e-Bay listing. THis is yet another oddball pen I ended up with due to my fetish for orange pens. It’s pretty, if a little ‘blingy’ for my tastes; I love the orange resin and the cap jewel, but the little ruby in the clip is a bit much. It’s got a funny little short nib that writes well enough, if not exceptionally so.

I love this pen! It’s a little jewel in the hand, with really classy Sterling trim, and a nib like silk. It’s got a really small capacity, though, and I have a hard time getting much ink in it. If I can get it filling, it will be a favorite! (I’m tempted to just put in a bigger sac.)

My first Levenger, and so far I’m impressed! This was a gift from my ex-husband (among several others), and I adore it. It’s a smooth responsive bold with a really wet feel. It’s a hefty pen, something I prefer, and it is even engraved just for me!

One of Levenger’s popular TruWriter series. While this isn’t my favorite finish of the series, it came to me at an irresistible price, and the black shimmer is really quite lovely. It’s a very well-made pen and a good writer, comparable in quality with a mid-range Conklin, or Waterman of the same price. If you’re looking for a tep up from a Safari Pilot Metro, this is a good way to go!

A former project pen, now a nice vintage writer. Gorgeous green marble body with no discoloration, basic alloy clip. Cap bands are loose, but the cap is solid. It’s been fitted with a new sac, and writes well. Nib gives a little feedback, but nothing major. The barrel has a split in the end. If I get VERY brave someday, I may try to repair that!

I love orange pens. It’s a thing, ever since I saw and fell in love with my first Dolce Vita. Which is how I ended up with this lovely, if odd bird from Marlen, an Italian pen company. It’s an LE, and a lovely little thing. Glowing orange resin, with sterling silver clip, and a sterling band with rainbow enamel inlay. It’s got an odd short cap, which threads onto the end of the barrel when writing (a dream for a cap-poster!), and it just sort of a quirky pen. Naturally, I love it!

This pen came to me in a jar of old pen parts, and was arguably the best find of the batch. It’s got no identifying marks whatsoever; the nib just says ‘Iridium Tipped USA,” and that is it. I’m assuming it’s from around 1955-65, clearly a third tier pen, possibly made with the intent of being printed with a company name? However, it’s an astonishingly smooth writer, and for a desk pen, kept its fill and didn’t dry out longer than any other desk pen I own.THat’s earned it a spot on my desk, where it’s filled and ready more often than not.

I first nabbed this as a ‘throw it in with your order’ for maybe $5. It was scratchy and dry and I ignored it for ages. One day I dug it out, did a little smoothing, a little flossing, and darned if I didn’t end up with one of the smoothest writers of any non-vintage pen I own! A NOS, still stickered pen from (I think) the 1980s, this little gem is a hidden gem, for sure. I’ve since snapped up a coulpe more when I’ve found them.

I think Remington is another sub-brand, much like Arnold. The appointments are a fairly low-grade metal, but the body is beautiful with no discoloration, and the nib is surprisingly smooth, especially for a fine. Project pen I nabbed on the cheap, and with a little TLC, it’s now a lovely little vintage writer!

It’s funny; I got this not too long after I got my Pelikan 200; both clear piston-fill demonstrators. The Pelikan cost me just over $200 (pen and replacement nib), and the Romus cost me $20 for three of them. SO far, the Romus has gotten more use! I was stunned by the way this pen writes! It doesn’t have quite a solid a feel as the Pelikan, but it’s close. So far it’s been an exemplary performer! Highly recommended; you’d be hard put to get more for your money!

Lovely little Soviet-era pen, complete with the CCCP mark of quality. 14 Nib, fixed converter filler, and an amber ink window. This is a great little pen all on its own, but its Soviet heritage makes it all the more interesting!

My second Soyuz pen, from the former Soviet Republic. This seems to be a tier below the gold-plated ‘Gold Quill” model, but it’s still a solid piece, with a nice, sleek, modern look to it. I’m not a Parker afficionado, but it reminds me of a 70s or 80s Parker. It’s not quite as impressive a writer as the Quill, but it’s a sweet little pen.

This is an odd bird, to be sure. It looks just like a pre-war crescent filler, but it has a glass nib. Its components reflect the material quality one might expect from a war-era pen; the body is light, and the metal components are of a basic alloy. The color is bright and clear, though yellower in spots; not sure if some places faded, or others yellowed. The nib will need either a light sanding or replacing, as it has a small chip at the very tip, and it needs resaccing.

This was a bit of an impulse buy (FPN’s sale mailings are deadly!) but it is a really attractive vintage-looking pen, and a big one, which I prefer. So far its performance has been hit or miss, but I suspect a serious cleaning and a bit of flossing will clear it up. Great pen to write with, though, in terms of size/weight/balance, and smooth flow.

This was a gift from relative (I finally have them trained to look for fountain pens when the go to antique shops!) and it’s another really nice third tier piece. A stunning deep blue with a clear visulated section, and a surprisingly smooth steel nib. A very classy little pen!

I don’t even know who made this pen! The nib says ‘Iridium Point Paris,’ and that’s it. It’s sturdily made, with a nifty roll-clip, and for the $6 I paid, it’s a darn fine writer. I bought it for my son, and I wish I’d snagged two. I have looked many times, and never seen another one like it. This is one of those no-names that really did pay off….