Other Brands

Lovely color, a shimmering steel grey with marbled red stripes, bound by smart black pinstripes (reminds me a bit of vintage silk pajamas…). The nib on this was pretty much past saving, so it has since gotten a transplant: a spare section/feed/nib assembly from a very damaged Eversharp Skyline. It fit like a dream, so now this pretty pen sports a silky smooth 14K M nib!

A custom-made masterpiece from Eric Sands of Atelier Lusso, with that orange marble I can’t resist, sterling silver hardware, and a fire opal cap jewel. Write flawlessly, hefty with great balance – Eric is a master craftsman!

I already knew how awesome Eric Sands’ work was when I saw this flit arcoss my FB feed from a pen group. Blue is generally not my color, but I was transfixed, and had to have it. Happily, I managed to be first in line, and snapped it up. Stunning one-of-a-kind pen with a mezmerizing ocean swirl, sterling hardware, and a silky tuned nib. I always pair this with Callifolio’s Oconto, a dreamy ocean blue. If you ever have a chance to grab on of Atelier Lusso’s pens, do it!

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, as 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.

Eclipse is a hard brand to pin down. PenTrace did a nice piece here, where he decries the lack of consitency and examples, and true to form, this pen doesn’t quite line up with any of his examples, either. It’s in fantastic shame, almost NOS, but carries no imprint other than ‘Eclipse’ on the clip. The nib is marked only ‘Warranted 14K.’ What makes this pen unusual are the spoon-shaped lever, and the translucent cap jewel, which I have not seen on any other pen, though Eclipse did seem to be fairly adventurous with their designs. According to PenTrace, the company changed to a new clip from the standard ‘z-clip’ of the early 1920s in 1923, and this model has the ‘Klein Clip’, which puts it at the earliest, 1924. I have this listed as BHR, which would also indicate 1920s, but it’s also possible that it’s plastic molded to empulate BHR. The spoon clip with the laurel wreath imprint does not have a lever box, which also suggests mid-to-late 1920s. In any case, it’s a really pretty, classically vntage styled flat-top 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!!!!

Greischaber is a fairly obscure brand that made pens in Chicago from somewhere in the 1890s into at least the 1930s. This micro-mini pen (3″ capped) has a nicely preserved jade color, and a teensy 14K Greischaber-makred #1 nib. The nib seems little-used, and the barrel imprint is clear. Sadly, it’s missing it’s ringtop, which means it is essentially open to the air, so it’s not rwally useable. To be fair it’s a little small to be used easily anyway. A nifty little treasure!

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.)

Another rare brand, Lakeside was th top-of-the-line pen produced for Montgomery Ward in the early half of the 20th C. Beyond the Lakeside name, I was not able to find a model for this pen. The 14K nib is springy, not quite flexy, but a sweet writer. The Jade is in very good condition, with almost none of the discoloration that plagues so many Jade celluloid pens.

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 step up from a Safari or 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 couple 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….