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Pens for Sale: Dave's Faves
Some of the funky, fancy and freewheelin' pens.
All in working order unless noted.
Pens for sale in relative scale. "Sold" pens shown with small images. 
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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net



Pen 3120  Sheaffer Balance Standard DEMONSTRATOR $775
A Scarce and Un-catalogued Variant. Nib Somewhat Flexible

Overall Grade: Extra-Fine
Metal: Exc Color:  Extra-Fine CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Exc
Threads: Perfect clarity: NA
Point: Fine Flex Imprint: Exc Size: 5 3/8  13.3
PRICE: $775
COMMENTS: Yeah, yeah... here's the screed. In the seven years since I first encountered the clear-green Standard Demo, I've seen maybe 4-5 total; the Demo is grossly more rare than any of the catalogued colors.  The oversized Demo carries a yellow tint; standard size is green. All i've seen in green carry mid-1930's trim/imprint. Like most of these, this has internal stress marks at either end, likely reflecting underlying manufacturing process (even colored pens often show stress marks at tips, when examined via loupe).  This one has nice color,with ambering only at cap tip. Imprint is sharp. Threads are clean. Trim is clean.

 Pen 3069 R.  Sheaffer Balance Oversized 1929  $685
First style Extra Long. Jade Celluloid with Superb Color Preservation.

Overall Grade:  Nearmint
Metal: Superb Color:  Superb CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Extx
Threads: Perfect clarity: n/a
Point: Med  Imprint:  Superb Size: 5 3/4" 14.4 cm
PRICE: $685
COMMENTSWhere to start?  One of the best five OS Jade pens I've handled in ten years. Part of a pair recently acquired.  This one has all correct early style elements, including short non-streamlined section, and monotone nib.  This pair matches the pen I've had in my personal collection for 7 years. Clear Sac has been placed for color preservation. As the pic shows, the distal half inch or so shows only excellent instead of "staggering" color. Go figure.

Pen 3190 -R   Sheaffer Balance Oversized  $675
Carmine Celluloid. Smooth Wet Med+ Point

Overall Grade:  Exc+
Metal: Exc+ Color:  Superb CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Exc
Threads: Perfect Section Clarity: Mild
Point: Med+ Imprint:  Exc+ Size: 5 1/2" 14 cm
PRICE: $675
COMMENTSBalance is the second most prevalent pen in my personal collection. This 1930's series fit a similar niche to Parker's Vacumatic. With long production period and wide range of price points, with catalogued and un-catalogue variants, one can pursue a huge range of variants.  Oversized pens have grown more difficult to find of late. Carmine is considered a "better" color. This one is a primo example with clean plastic, trim and imprint. Superb two tone nib writing a medium+ smooth wet line. 

Pen 3085  Sheaffer "Lady Sheaffer" Prototype (?) Pattern. ~1960   $300

Overall Grade:  Mint
Metal: Mint Color: NA CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
Clutch: Perfect clarity: NA
Point:  X-Fine Imprint: NA Size5 1/4 " 13.5 cm PRICE: $300
COMMENTSLady Sheaffer flies a bit under the radar, overshadowed by general era cohorts, Imperial and Targa.  It is a solid pen of metal construction with various finishes (often fragile) applied to the metal. This one is part of a collection of five mint pens in patterns I've never seen before. I am told these represent true prototypes (though the lines sometimes are painfully blurry amongst "prototype", "low run" and "hey it just must be rare if I've never seen one"). This one has gold point of the upturned/buried variety (not "Triumph"). Neat item for one who seeks something unusual from late 1950's Sheaffer.    Includes "aero"-style converter. Also takes cartridges.  This one had no nib assembly (a raw shell) when I found it. I have fitted it with a mint (stickered) nib assembly. The sticker makes for a snug fit, so don't force closed the pen (keep capped loosely) or do remove the section sticker.

Pen 3086  Sheaffer "Lady Sheaffer" Prototype (?) Pattern.   $300

Overall Grade:  MINT
Metal: Mint Color:  NA CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
threads:  Mint clarity: NA
Point: Fine or Fine-Med Imprint:  NA Size  5 1/4" 13.5cm PRICE: $300
COMMENTS:   Lady Sheaffer flies a bit under the radar, overshadowed by general era cohorts, Imperial and Targa.  It is a solid pen of metal construction with various finishes (often fragile) applied to the metal. This one is part of a collection of five mint pens in patterns I've never seen before. I am told these represent true prototypes (though the lines sometimes are painfully blurry amongst "prototype", "low run" and "hey it just must be rare if I've never seen one"). This one has Palladium-Silver  point of the upturned/inserted variety (not "Triumph"). Color is periwinkle making ahelically-wrapped grid of open and lined rhomboids. Chrome clip is matched with the whilte-lined pattern (the red and black pens of this sort have gold-tone lines and gold-filled clip).  Neat item for one who seeks something unusual from late 1950's Sheaffer.   Cartridge/converter filling. I fitted this one with a mint converter.

Pen 3087 Sheaffer "Lady Sheaffer" Prototype (?) Pattern.   $300

Overall Grade:  Mint
Metal: Mint Color:  NA CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
Clutch Perfect clarity: NA
Point: Fine-Med-ish point Imprint: NA Size5 1/4 " 13.4 cm PRICE: $300
COMMENTSLady Sheaffer flies a bit under the radar, overshadowed by general era cohorts,Imperial and Targa.  It is a solid pen of metal construction with various finishes (often fragile) applied to the metal. This one is part of a collection of five mint pens in patterns I've never seen before. I am told these represent true prototypes (though the lines sometimes are painfully blurry amongst "prototype", "low run" and "hey it just must be rare if I've never seen one").  Color is burgundy with a helically-wrapped grid making open and lined rhomboids. Gold-filled  clip is matched with the gold-lined pattern (the red and black pens of this sort have gold-tone lines and gold-filled clip, the Periwinkle with silver-tone lines has chrome clip). Neat item for one who seeks something unusual from late 1950's Sheaffer.   Takes cartridge/converter, and I've fitted this one with a mint converter.

Pen 3088  Sheaffer "Lady Sheaffer" Prototype (?) Pattern.   $325

Overall Grade: Mint
Metal: Mint Color:  NA .CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
Threads: Perfect clarity: NA
Point: X-Fine Imprint:  NA Size: 5 7/16th" 14 cm
PRICE: $325
COMMENTSLady Sheaffer flies a bit under the radar, overshadowed by general era cohorts, Imperial and Targa.  It is a solid pen of metal construction with various finishes (often fragile) applied to the metal. This one is part of a collection of five mint pens in patterns I've never seen before. I am told these represent true prototypes (though the lines sometimes are painfully blurry amongst "prototype", "low run" and "hey it just must be rare if I've never seen one").  This one in fact is a bit longer than the other Lady Sheaffers I've handled.  This very unusual "organic" pattern appears to be done via a layering of black enamel over gold-tone metal, with the black then randomly abraded (miniature ice-cream scoop?) revealing "bacterial" blots of gold-tone metal.  Neat item for one who seeks something unusual from late 1950's Sheaffer.   Takes cartridge/converter, and I have fitted this one with a mint converter. I also fitted a mint-stickered nib-section assembly to what was just an empty shell, when I'd bought the collection.  The sticker makes for an unduly snug fit, so if you plan to leave the sticker in place, do NOT force closed the pen. If you want to close (and/or use) the pen, i suggest removing the sticker so as not to put too much pressure on the fragile section.

Pen 3088  Sheaffer "Lady Sheaffer" Prototype (?) Pattern.   $325

Overall Grade:  Mint
Metal: Mint Color:  Exc CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
Threads: Perfect clarity: NA
Point: Fine-Medium-ish Imprint: NA Size5 1/4 " 13.4 cm PRICE: $325
COMMENTSLady Sheaffer flies a bit under the radar, overshadowed by general era cohorts, Imperial and Targa.  It is a solid pen of metal construction with various finishes (often fragile) applied to the metal. This one is part of a collection of five mint pens in patterns I've never seen before. I am told these represent true prototypes (though the lines sometimes are painfully blurry amongst "prototype", "low run" and "hey it just must be rare if I've never seen one").    This very unusual "organic" pattern appears to be done via a layering of black enamel over gold-tone metal, with the black then randomly abraded (miniature ice-cream scoop?) revealing bacterial blots of gold.  Neat item for one who seeks something unusual from late 1950's Sheaffer.   Takes cartridge/converter, and I have fitted this one with a mint converter.

Pen 3020 Parker "First Year"Jotter Ballpoint early 1950's  $300
Scarce Marine Blue (see Stylus Magazine  article from several years ago)
MINT STICKERED

Overall Grade:  MINT
Metal: MINT Color:  MINT CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: NA
threads: MINT clarity: NA
Point:   Imprint: MINT Size  5 1/16 " 12.9 cm PRICE: $300
COMMENTS:  First Year Jotters have become quite collectable.    The lined nylon barrel with no end cone is the key identifier to the early Jotter. Takes modern refills- including gel.  This one is rather special.  Marine Blue is amongst the most high cachet colors  1st-Year-Jotter universe. About five years ago I did the photo shoot of a major private collection for an article on Jotter for STYUS Magazine. The owner of this collection told me his blue pen was the only one he'd ever found.  Recently  I managed to find a tray of mint NOS (with original, generally non-working, cartridge) specimens. Stickered pe,  superb in all respects.

Pen 2919  Parker Jotter Ball Point Demonstrator $225

Overall Grade:  Mint
Metal: Mint Color:  Exc CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: NA
threads:  Perfect clarity: NA
Point:  NA Imprint:  Mint Size  5 1/16 " 12.9 cm PRICE: $225
COMMENTS:   Non "First Year" Jotter, featuring arrow clip and metal ferrule. Clear barreled Demos are not common.

Pen 3012-S  Parker Vacumatic Junior 2nd Gen  1939   $285
JET BLACK SHADOW-WAVE. STAR CLIP. STUNNING BARREL CLARITY

Overall Grade:  Nearmint
Metal: NM Color:  Perfect CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Exc
Threads:  Perfect clarity: Superb Personalized "W E M"
Point: M Imprint: Superb Size: 5 1/8" 12.8 cm
PRICE: $285 
COMMENTS:Ahhh.... where to start. I won't repeat all the long explanations. Perhaps time to post some pages.  First, Shadow-Wave WAS made in black. Most seem opaque due to loss of shadow-wave clarity and of course the cap and blind cap ARE opaque. Star Clip was issued on high-line pens before being yanked for the blue diamond... in early 1939. It was "blown out" (as it was never advertised) on junior-line pens in late 1939 and early 1940. Thus we get Shadow-Wave with Star Clip (this one is last quarter 1939 issue).

This one is amongst the three most transparent black Wave's I' ve handled in ten years. The yellow clarity showing in the pic underrepresents the degree of clarity found. Trim and imprint are superb.   The pen is personalized "W.E.M." in neat small heat-stamped gold letters. I could have swapped  the barrel or have had  the name heated away, but ultimately I opted not to mess with this one. It is just superb. Smooth medium point.

Pen 2627R  Waterman 100-Year Super-Size Set in Box  $825
 First Style of Oversize. ~1940. Red.

Overall Grade: ExtraFine
Metal: XF Color:  Perfect CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Exc
Threads: NM clarity: Ex
Point: Fine Semi-Flex Imprint:  VG Size: 5 3/8" 13.6 cm
PRICE: $825
COMMENTSThe early Waterman 100-Year pens are the best of that series.  This one is all correct, with barrel band, bandless cap, 100-year nib.  The pen grades Extra Fine. The plastic is clean. No crazing. No cracks. Excellent Color.  Trim has couple tiny areas of  brassing. The cap imprint is faint, about half visible.  The pencil has sharp imprint and no brassing, but does have crazing at top of cap. I figured i'd toss it in with the pen :)

Pen 2175  Wahl-Eversharp Coronet Pencil. All Gold-Filled  $145
Jet Black Inserts

Overall Grade: Fine
Metal: Fine Color:  NA CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: NA
Threads:  NA clarity:    NA
Point:   NA Imprint:  Exc Size: 5 3/16" 13.1cm
PRICE: $145 
COMMENTS:   The Coronet in full GF perhaps is the most "deco" pen to come out of the 1930's.  Pencils not so easy to find either. This one is acceptable, though hardly near mint. NO frank dings, it has scattered pin marks. the chrometone cone shows some brassing and light scratches. Pencil works well. Clip is nice and tight.

Pen 1963 Waterman "100 Year" 3 Piece Physician's Set 1940   $1500

Overall Grade: MInt
Metal: Mint Color: Perfect CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
Threads:  perfect clarity:  NA
Point:  Lush Medium Imprint:  Never had 'em Size: 5"
PRICE: $1500 
COMMENTSWhere to start???  OK. This is the earliest style physician's set catalogued for the 100-Year, and is the second style  produced in any 100-Year pen.  Triple set has Pen, Pencil and Thermometer Case. This one is perfect regarding the three pieces.  The Thermometer certificate correlates to the thermometer including in the thermometer case,  It is noted that the presentation case is not perfect.  The platform holding the pens no longer is attached to the metal internal hinge, so must be moved to the propped position by hand.  Top satin is discolored. The warranty paper no longer adheres. May not be returned if inked or dipped. Original Sac. Might fill.

Pen 2140 Wahl Eversharp 1930's Stenographer FP/Pencil set  $375 
Silver Pearl Candystripe Celluloid 

Overall Grade: Exc
Metal: ExtraFine Color:  Perfect CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Exc
Threads:  perfect clarity:    NA
Point:   Extrafine Imprint:  Exc Size: 5 5/8" 14.4cm
PRICE: $375
COMMENTS:  This long, thin  pen with an octagonal (though not a regular octagon) borrows some features from Doric, as well as the bulb-filler seen on other Wahl pens such as Bantam and some  Oxfords. Not so common in clean condition.

Pen 1913 Parker Striped Duofold Desk Pen 1941
Green-Gold Celluloid  $225

Overall Grade: Exc
Metal: Exc Color:  Exc CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Exc "V" nib
Threads:  perfect clarity:    VG
Point:  Smooth F-M Imprint:  Exc Size: 7 1/2"
PRICE: $225 
COMMENTSThe dedicated Parker striped Duofold desk pen is far less common than ais the  Parker Vacumatic desk pen- itself not so common. I've probably seen or handled  ten during the last 9 years.  This one has the blue-diamond barrel band and the correct "V" nib. It has a 1942+ plastic filler unit.  A nice find for the serious collector of striped Duofold.

Pen 1941 Esterbrook Pastel Purse Pen in Yellow with Black End Jewels
Includes original Esterbook travel pouch in "bumblebee" colors  $175

Overall Grade: Mint
Metal: Mint Color:  Mint CLICK FOR LARGER PIC
Nib condition: Mint
Threads:  Mint clarity:    NA
Point:  1555 "Gregg" Imprint:  Mint Size: 4 1/2"
PRICE: $175 
COMMENTS:  Estie purse pens have come into their own and are appreciated for their charming pastel colors, high quality, reasonable price point, and readily swappable nib assemblies.  This one is a primo bright (light) yellow with perfect color in pristine condition. The travel purse pouch is more scarce than the pen and- in my admittedly somewhat limited exposure to Esties- is the only yellow/black i've handled. Fun Stuff. May not be returned if inked or dipped



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