Our Sold Archive provides information to budding vintage fountain pen/writing equipment collectors and social history students.
Each fountain pen or piece of writing equipment forms part of the collective history of its period and has a history unique to that particular item. In the 1930’s a silver banded fountain pen (right) was purchased by estate workers, with no doubt hard earned wages, and inscribed to present as a silver wedding gift to the land owner. It was reported recently that, in the days before the National Health Service, when health care had to be paid for, a man pawned his fountain pen to raise funds to enable his wife to be released from hospital. A recently sold writing cabinet was originally a presentation piece to recognise 40 years of loyal service in a period when jobs were for “life”. Just three examples which only scratch the surface of the lifetime of memories held within each item. A treasure trove of history that no new fountain pen could convey.
Below, and on following pages, are all the pens in our Sold Archive, displayed in a random order. If you wish to search the sold archive, then the Search Catalogue page gives you an opportunity to do so. On other pages you can find the desktop items part of our Sold Archive, as well as lists of our current stock of pens and desktop items.
Swan SF230 | Stock number: 5147 |
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Medium nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This elegant Swan vintage fountain pen was made in England by Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd in 1928. It is made of hard rubber rather than the plastic which was used for later fountain pens. Hard rubber fountain pens were upgraded for the more discerning customer by the addition of gold fill and other decoration. In this instance two gold fill bands were added to the pen barrel at time of manufacture and one to the cap top. The gold fill cap clip states “Patent Jan 19 1915”. It has the added attraction of a woodgrain hard rubber insert on the cap just underneath the gold fill cap band and a medium writing Swan No.2 nib which states “Swan 2 14ct Mabie Todd & Co.Ltd Made in England”. The strong barrel imprint states “Swan self-filling pen Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd Made in England”. This vintage fountain pen measures 14cm with cap on and 17.6cm with cap on barrel end. There is some brassing to the gold fill trim however overall it is in good condition. Suitable for everyday use or to add to a collection it is a fine example of a fountain pen of the period. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Merlin No.33 Green Lined | Stock number: 1014 |
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Fine to Medium nib, Button fill system. |
Sold |
This Merlin No.33 vintage pen was made in Germany around 1950. It is a very serviceable economy line button filling pen. Being 12cm (4½ inches) long with the cap on it is a good size for the smaller hand. This particular example has a green lined finish with a gold tone clip. Whilst it is a vintage pen it has not previously seen much use and therefore the fine-medium Merlin 14ct gold nib will smooth to suit your hand. It measures 11.8cm with cap on and 14cm with cap on barrel end. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Swan 0160 | Stock number: 4099 |
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Medium nib, Leverless fill system. |
Sold |
This vintage pen was made by Swan around 1940. It is in a classic black and gold finish and sports the Swan logo on the clip and on the top of the cap. It is a leverless model which fills by a twist action at the bottom of the barrel. It has a Swan No.2 14ct medium nib. The barrel imprint reads "Swan Leverless Patent No.390585 Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd. Made in England" with the Swan logo trademark underneath. The model number 0160 is at the end of the barrel. It measures 12.8cm with cap on and 15.2cm with cap on end. A good everyday vintage writer for the home or office. | |
Waterman No. 55 Ripple | Stock number: 5309 |
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Fine - No.5 nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This Waterman vintage pen was made in the USA between 1923 and 1927. Waterman produced a series of hard rubber red and black pens at the time, some were in what they termed a “Woodgrain” finish which imitated the grain of wood and others, such as this one, had a wavy red and black pattern which was termed a “Ripple” finish. It is a good example of Waterman design between the earlier plain hard rubber pens and the highly coloured plastic pens which followed it. The model number “55” is marked on the bottom of the barrel and it is a larger size than the more common number “52”. The cap sports a Waterman’s Ideal ball ended “Clip Cap” clip with their trademark “Ideal” logo. The cap lip has a broad gold fill band. The barrel states “Waterman’s Fountain Pen Reg U S Pat. Off” and has the Waterman Ideal trademark. The same text is at the bottom of the barrel with the additional text of “Made in USA”. It has its original Waterman’s lever with their “Ideal” lozenge. The nib is a large Waterman’s No.5 with the text “Waterman’s Ideal Reg US Pat Off 5”. It has a fine point and is a slightly wet writer. Condition is good with only minor age wear to the trim and a slight colour difference as you would expect on the body, on the area which has been covered by the cap when closed. It measures 14cm (5.6 inches) with cap on and 17.8cm (7inches) with cap on barrel end. A classic vintage fountain pen from an excellent manufacturer which, if you prefer a fine point and a slightly wet writer, is suitable for everyday use. It would also be a fine addition to a vintage fountain pen collection. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. unless stated otherwise and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request and filling instructions will be sent with your order.
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Swan | Stock number: 4026 |
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Medium nib, Leverless fill system. |
Sold |
This vintage pen was made by Swan in England around 1935. It is termed a leverless pen, which means it does not fill by pulling a lever but by twisting a knob at the bottom of the barrel. The barrel and cap are covered in gold fill overlay in a design called Gold Lined. The barrel states “Swan Pen” “Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd. Made in England”. The medium nib states “Swan 1 D”. The cap has the original Swan ball ended clip. This is a slim, elegant pen measuring 13.5 cm with cap on and 16.2cm with cap on barrel end. There is some plating wear at the end of the barrel (where the twist fill section is) and where the nib section joins the pen barrel - this is evident on the photographs. The lozenge is engraved “Bishop of Hulme”. The engraving and age wear is reflected in the price. The pen is in good condition overall and will be a fine addition to a collection and/or as an elegant vintage pen to use everyday. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request and filling instructions will be sent with your order.
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Merlin No.33 | Stock number: 1008 |
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Fine - medium nib, Button fill system. |
Sold |
This Merlin No.33 vintage pen was made in Germany around 1950. It is a very serviceable economy line button filling pen. Being 12cm (4½ inches) long with the cap on it is a good size for the smaller hand. This particular example has a green striated finish with a gold tone clip. Whilst it is a vintage pen it has not previously seen much use and therefore the fine-medium Merlin 14ct gold nib will smooth to suit your hand. It measures 11.8cm with cap on and 14cm with cap on barrel end. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Waterman W3 | Stock number: 5128 |
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Medium nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This Waterman lever filling fountain pen was made in England, probably at the Falcon Pen Works in Neasden, around 1946 shortly after Waterman commenced manufacture there in the U.K. It has a rare and attractive light and dark brown pearl striated design finish and gold fill trim. The barrel imprint reads “Waterman’s Made in England W3”. It has a Waterman 14kt.W3 medium nib. The cap has one thick gold fill band and the original Waterman clip. The pen overall is in good condition with only superficial age wear. It measures 12.8cm with cap on and 15.3cm with cap on barrel end. An excellent vintage pen for everyday writing. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Parker Striped Duofold | Stock number: 1611 |
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Medium nib, Vacumatic fill system. |
Sold |
This vintage fountain pen made by Parker in the1940’s, it is what Parker termed a “Striped Duofold” – in a material Parker called “Laidtone”. It was available in three patterns and black. This particular example has an usual blue, golden pearl, and black stripe design which is most attractive. It is an early example of this model and filled by Parker’s Speedline Vacumatic system which was originally launched in 1932 as the “Vacuum Filler” . The barrel is used as the ink reservoir rather than an ink sac which increases the ink capacity. This vacuum pump mechanism was advertised as “revolutionary in principle and perfectly marvellous in performance”. It is easy to fill as you simply place the nib in the ink and press the plunger in and out to take the air out of the barrel and allow the ink inside. The barrel imprint is good and states “Parker Duofold Made in Canada”. The blind cap at the bottom of the barrel which, as you will see from the photograph, you take off to reveal the filling plunger, has a very slight mismatch on lining up the black stripes. The cap has the Parker tapered clip and two thin cap bands. The nib states “Parker Fountain Pen 14k X” and has a medium point. It measures 13cm with cap on and 15cm with cap on barrel end. Condition is good with very little wear overall but some brassing to cap trim. This unusual vintage Duofold, with its speedline filling system was discontinued in 1948 but it remains one of Parker’s most collectable and attractive finishes. Suitable for everyday writing or to add to a vintage fountain pen collection. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. unless stated otherwise and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. Filling instructions will be sent with your order.
Source: Parker Duofold – David Shepherd, Dan Zazove – Surrenden Press Limited. | |
Conway Stewart No.84 | Stock number: 5142 |
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Broad nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This Conway Stewart No. 84 was made in England around 1955. The finish is in gold vein blue with rolled gold trim. It has the original Conway clip to the cap with one wide cap band. The body has the original Conway lever and the inscription “Conway Stewart 84 Made in England”. The nib is a Conway 14ct broad point. There is very minor age plating wear on the clip and lever and some evidence of ink leakage around the nib housing and cap air hole in its former life. Even so, it is a fine looking vintage fountain pen in good condition with an attractive and unusual finish with a good quality broad Conway nib. This model is a shorter than usual Conway measuring 11.7cm with cap on and 14cm with cap on barrel end. An ideal pen to either add to a Conway Stewart collection or use as an everyday writer. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Parker 51 Trio - Teal Blue | Stock number: 5232 |
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Medium nib, Aerometric fill system. |
Sold |
Here is a Parker “51” Trio of vintage fountain pen, expel/repel pencil and ballpoint all in working order. The “51” aerometric filling fountain pen was introduced by Parker in 1948. Its aerodynamic design made it a classic and the plaudits it received over the years both in terms of design and reliability are well deserved. Towards the end of the 50’s Parker extended the “51” range to include Trio sets of which this is a good example. They were understandably popular at the time. This particular trio have a greeny blue coloured body which Parker called “Teal Blue”. They are fitted with what Parker termed, a “lustraloy” cap which is really brushed steel. All three items are in good condition with only minor age wear and are complete with cap jewels. The Parker 51 nib is a medium smooth writer. The ballpoint takes modern Parker refills. The expel/repel pencil contains lead and the original rubber underneath the pencil cap. It will take modern day replacement leads. The fountain pen measures 13.8cm with cap on and 15cm with cap on barrel end. The rotary pencil measures 13.5cm and the ballpoint 13cm. An excellent vintage writing set to either add to a collection, give as a gift or for personal use as an everyday writing set for the home or office. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. Filling instructions will be sent with your order. | |
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If you would like us to try to source another copy of a previously sold item, please stating the stock number of the item in question, which you will see above its picture on the right.