Clothing
+ Fashion		Jewelry +
Watches		Home +
Furniture		 Pottery 
+ Glass		Art +
 Photos 		Paper +
  Books  		Music +
Movies		Toys +
Games		Sports +
Outdoors		Ads +
  Signs  		Eras +
Themes

Vintage pens, in particular fountain pens, are highly collectible and come in a wide variety of colors and styles, from elaborate jewel-encrusted casings to sleek and simple cigar-shaped designs. There are three main types of vintage pens: 1) dip pens have a nib to dip into an inkwell; 2) fountain pens have a self-contained ink reservoir; and 3) ballpoint pens have a little ball that allows ink to flow out when the pen is put to paper.

The 1920s were a time of innovation and prosperity for pen manufacturers, who started developing plastic pens in a variety of colors and styles. The Sheaffer Balance, released in 1929, started a trend toward streamlined pens. The 1930s saw the introduction of more affordable models, sold in dime stores. The 1940s ushered in ballpoint pens, and a more modern look typified by the famous 'Parker 51', the classic collector pen released by Parker in 1950...

Up until the 1960s, the emphasis in the pen industry was on the development of better-performing and easier-filling pens through innovations in nib and reservoir technology. In the mid-1880s, craftsmen had created the first reliable fountain pen, but it had a long way to go.

By the 1960s, ball point and cartridge technology had made performance a non-issue, and manufacturers like Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman and Montblanc began to focus on fancier material and designs, with a variety of colors, lacquers, and engravings to differentiate their high-end products. Pens became a gift item and fashion statement, and were ultimately produced as limited editions for the collector market.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Show & Tell - Share Your Stuff!

» See all pens Show & Tells

Interviews & Articles

The Pinnacle of Pens: Author Barry Gabay on Writing in Style and the Montblanc 149

In 1908, three guys in Hamburg, Germany, founded what would become Montblanc. In the beginning it was known as the Simplo Filler P… [more]

An Interview With Vintage Fountain Pen Collector Jim Mamoulides

When I got my first job out of college, I did what a lot of people do: I ran out and bought myself a Montblanc pen and fountain pe… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Parker51.com

Parker51.com

Ernesto Soler's extensive homage to one of the most popular pens ever produced, the Parker "51," introduced in 1941… [read review or visit site]

Penhero.com

Penhero.com

Jim Mamoulides' vintage and modern pen-cyclopedia. Start at the main gallery, featuring detailed articles (with pho… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Pens

Discussion Forums: Pens

Other Great Reference Sites: Pens

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 107 by  highest bid • most watched • completed
Montblanc Patron Of Art Limited Edition Sir Henry Tate 888 Year 2006Rare Gorgeous Montblanc Writers Limited Edition Agatha Christie Vermeil 1993Sealed Montblanc Limited Edition Patron Of The Art Semiramis 4810Fabulous Montblanc Writers Limited Edition Ernest Hemingway 1992 Fp Ob NibGorgeous Montblanc Patron Of Art Limited Edition Louis Xiv Year 1994Sealed Montblanc Patron Of Art Limited Edition Nicolaus Copernicus 2003Marvellous Visconti Limited Edition La Bibbia Christian Vermeil Fountain PenC985 Vintage Montblanc Hemingway Fountain Pen With Box & Papers Exc ConditionKrone Wright Bros Limited Edition Fountain PenVintage Rare Exceptional Old Montblanc Meisterstuck L 139 Long Ink WindowExtremely Rare Platinum 70th Anniversary Limited Edition 18kt 750 Gold F. PenRare Gorgeous Limited Edition Montblanc Creation Lalique Desk SetExtremely Rare Fantastic Limited Edition Pelikan "colossus Of Rhodes" Year 2005Fabulous Visconti Limited Edition Fortune Dragon Fountain PenMont Blanc Limited Edition Agatha Christie Fountain PenDelta Capri Blue Grotto Limited Edition Fountain Pen 18k Med - Msrp $1500 Vintage Rare Exceptional '50s Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 Silver RingsMontblanc Writers Limited Edition Edgar Allan Poe Fp 1998Vintage Cartier Pasha Fountain Pen 18k Plain Gold Nib &trinity Rings Red StoneParker 75-solid 14k Gold Imperial Fountain Pen-mint In BoxNew Montblanc Ramses Ii Lapis Lazuli RollerballUltra Rare Exceptional Limited Edition Set Fp/mp Omas Omaggio Ad Armando SimoniPelikan 1931 White Gold Extremely Rare Limited Edition Fountain Pen Mint NibMontblanc Writers Limited Edition Jules Verne 2003 FpRare Omas Ogiva S2001 Sterling 557 Oversize Chased 18k Flex Unused Vintage Pen Magnificent Montegrappa Limited Edition Cosmopolitan 1849 E-w Usa 925 SilverMontblanc 149 Special Edition 75th Anniversary Fp Diamond1943 Oversize Barclay 1302 Bhr Ebonite Vacumatic Large Stunning Rare Vintage PenFantastic Montegrappa Limited Edition Reminiscence Silver 925 Vermeil Montblanc Writers Limited Edition Fedor Dostoevsky 1997 FpTerrific Trio! 3 Pelikan M800 Fountain Pens In Mint Condition (m,f,ef)!Montegrappa Limited Edition Icons Frank Sinatra RollerballSailor 100th Year Anniversary Shima Kuwa Limited Edition Fountain PenVintage Montblanc Solid Gold Octogonal Button Filler Fountain Pen!!!Montblanc Writers Limited Edition Scott Fitzgerald Fp 2002Waterman Serenite Fountain PenVintage Pelikan 100n Lizard Fountain Pen 1940/50's Perfect ExampleMontblanc Writers Limited Edition Friedrich Schiller Fp 2000Pelikan M700 Toledo Pen ***new Goldplated Logo*** Ultra Rare Oversize Facetted Exceptional Omas Paragon Green Arco Celluloid 2001Montblanc Writers Seroes F. Scott Fitzgerald Fountain PenMontblanc Diva Line Special Edition Ingrid Bergman "la Donna" Fp 2009Ultra Rare Fantastic Limited Edition Fp Waterman Serenite' Coco Bolo Box &papersDunhill Namiki Fountain Pen 12cm Long 18ct Gold Namiki Nib Writes OkCartier Vintage All Gold Pasha Rollerball PenDelta Momo Design 30th Carbon Fiber Black Special Limited Edition Fountain PenVintage Rare Exceptional Old Set Fp/mp Parker Duofold Senior Mandarin Origin BoxVintage Mint Gorgeous Limited Edition Aurora Verdi Gran Gala Box & PapersNew Mont Blanc Limited Edition Sir Henry Tate PenMontblanc Writers Limited Edition Charles Dickens Fp 2001Rare Wonderful Stipula Iris Limited Edition Oversize Modell Fountain PenRare Fantastic Old Set Fp/mp Waterman Patrician Nacre Black & Pearl Original BoxSheaffer-14k Solid Gold Snorkel Masterpiece Fountain Pen-beautiful -ca. 1952Nakaya Bijoux One Fp, No Reserve !!Extremely Rare Stipula Etruria Makie Limited Edition Five Toed Dragon Fountain PUltra Rare Facetted Exceptional Limited Edition Omas Paragon Vermeil 925Parker 51 Vacumatic-rare Single Jewel Yellowstone (mustard) Yellow Fountain PenMontblanc Jules Verne Blue 18k 4810 750 Fountain PenSt Dupont Shaman Limited Edition Fountain Pen!!!Pelikan M700 Toledo Pen ***new Goldplated Logo***
»» Get our weekly Pens email



Right now on eBay



Recent News: Pens

Source: Google News

Area crafters participate in Pioneer Grange fair
North Brunswick Sentinel, May 22nd

An avid novelty pen collector, Amy started her small business after coworkers began to make requests for the flower pens she used at work. The couple now sells single-flower pens, single-rose pens and unique arrangements at www.fabulousflowerpens...Read more

Hopelessly Lost, But Making Good Time #133
Sequential Tart News, May 21st

So with my small vintage pen, I am standing on the shoulders of some very clever woman whose writing style was fully compatible with my drawing style, and with my big one I am all on my own. I like that. I stayed a half hour more at the shop,...Read more

It's a jolly good collection of pens at this painter's house
Times of India, May 20th

Though his wife Daisy is not very keen about the pen collection, which occupies a lot of space in their small house, Jolly's 15-year-old son Effin supports his father. He has a small collection of toy cars...Read more

Am I becoming obsolete?
Walton Tribune, May 19th

Oh, the pens are still around but have become so pricey and collectable that a magazine dedicated pen collector's is now in print. The price you pay for a fountain pen these days you could easily pay for gym membership for six months or buy a printer...Read more

Greatest single collection of Montblanc pens to be auctioned by Bonhams
Daily Bhaskar, May 17th

the man and his association with the Montblanc pens: Mel's first Montblanc, the one he received as a gift from his employers, was a black Meisterstruck, the unexpected and super luxurious gift triggered an interest of pen collection by Wimore...Read more

Closing a chapter on cool retail finds
San Diego CityBEAT, May 16th

In the former category, this week I found an LL Bean wool blanket that looks like a vintage Pen delton and three old ceramic vases (one shaped like a seashell). I also found plastic shoes boxes, but not those container-store-new Rubbermaid ones—these...Read more

Leaders In Luxury
Elite Traveler Website, May 4th

Giuseppe Aquila: Let me clarify that Fidel Castro and Sarkozy are both pen collectors and own some of our limited editions. We did not design a pen specifically for them. The pen I gave personally to Sarkozy when I met him at the Elysee was The...Read more

Pens

Types
Brands
Other
suggest a category

See also

Share