Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover how to tell the two Parker 51 fillers apart, how a Sheaffer Snorkel works and what it needs, how Pelikan grades its nibs, how to judge a nib from listing photos, and which pens make a good first vintage pen.
Vintage Fountain Pen Filling Systems: What Fails and What Lasts
Lever and button sacs, Vacumatics, Aerometrics, Snorkels, plunger and piston fillers: what wears out in each, how to spot a restored one and which last best.
Read the guide →Your First Vintage Fountain Pen: A Buyer's Roadmap
How to pick a first vintage fountain pen: the easiest fillers to live with, dependable first pens like the Parker 51 and Pelikan M400, and what to skip.
Read the guide →How to Tell a Parker 51 Vacumatic from an Aerometric
Tell a Vacumatic Parker 51 from an Aerometric, a Demi or a Parker 21 in listing photos, learn what each filler needs, and pick the right one.
Read the guide →Sheaffer Snorkel Anatomy and Restoration
How Sheaffer's Touchdown and Snorkel fillers work, which seals and sacs wear out, the Snorkel model names and nibs, and what a restored pen looks like.
Read the guide →Pelikan Nib Grades and Souverän Sizes Explained
Read Pelikan nib grades and gold marks, see how M200 to M1000 nibs differ and which units swap, and learn what vintage 400NN and 100 nibs offer.
Read the guide →Vintage Nib Red Flags: How to Judge a Nib from the Listing
Judge a vintage fountain pen nib from listing photos: bent or sprung tines, worn tipping, cracks, swapped nibs, plating wear and what a writing sample shows.
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