Welcome to http://FountainPensForSale.net. The fountain pens for sale website has been created to help you to find fountain pens for sale, whether you are looking for cheap fountain pens, discount fountain pens or even vintage fountain pens.
I myself am a big fountain pen fan and have a small collection of fountain pens to which I would like to add in the coming years. And I spend quite a bit of time searching the internet for fountain pens for sale.
I probably spend too much time on the internet (at least my wife says so) but I love looking at the fountain pens on offer and reading about the specifications, feedback from users and trying to sniff out a bargain. My favourite fountain pens are Pelikan and Lamy pens but I am always open to other brands such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Mont Blanc, Rotring and others but in my opinion the best fountain pen is the Pelikan fountain pen.
However I accept that your favourite pen may be another brand so I will provide reviews and information about the other leading brands of fountain pen manufacturer to help you find the best deal in whatever pen you like.
Cheap Fountain Pens
Some fountain pen collectors look down their noses at cheap fountain pens and discount pens but I don’t because I recognise that starter fountain pens are ideal for the many people who might not have written with a fountain pen since they started school, or perhaps never experienced the joy of writing with a fountain pen at all.
And rest assured that there are some wonderful, cheap fountain pens from leading pen suppliers such as the Lamy ABC pen.
My intention for the fountain pens for sale site is to look at the full spectrum of pens ranging from the top of the range Mont Blanc fountain pen to the middle of the road Sheaffer pen to the Waterman to the Rotring, the traditional favourite of the American public-Parker pen, to discount fountain pens for kids and schools.
Lamy Safari-Charcoal with Fine nib
I sincerely hope that you enjoy http://FountainPensForSale.org and that you find it helpful in finding the right pen for you. This is a labor of love and if you have as much fun and enjoyment as I have had looking for fountain pens online and anticipating the package in the post, the unwrapping of the protective paper and box and the unveiling of my new fountain pen-well then you will have a lot of fun.
Please share your experiences in looking for fountain pens for sale, either online of offline, and if you have a fountain pen story that you think others will find helpful, send it in and I will publish it here on the site.
Check out Pelikan pens for sale here and take a look also at my review of the Parker Duofold fountain pen, a very popular choice.
Filed under Fountain Pens For Sale by on Nov 18th, 2010. Comment. 
Parker has been the proud maker of pens since 1888. No, that’s no typos, they’ve been around that long. They have long been a top name in writing utensils making Parker fountain pens one of the most recognizable pens by people who use pens. That might sound like a silly statement until your lawyer pulls out a $.99 Bic and you wonder exactly how successful a lawyer you’ve hired.
The fountain pen holds a special place in the eyes of nearly everyone who owns one. They are more than a throwback to a bygone era; fountain pens are a luxury item that exudes elegance and a special form of aristocracy found in business and academia. A fountain pen screams class and success. And Parker fountain pens make a special statement about who you are and your ambitions and values.
Parker fountain pens are some of the best as regards quality, style and value. Parker manufactures some of the highest precision fountain pens on the market today. For the Parker pen company it’s more of an art than a production process.
Parker offers a level of customization that is unheard of in the rest of the market. From nib to barrel, they offer several choices to customize your writing experience. Barrel finishes range from a nice chrome to a black lacquer with gold finish. For a gift this can’t be beat. Each order comes with five replacement cartridges and a gift box for storage.
Cleaning Your Fountain Pen
It’s important that you care for your fountain pen by cleaning it at least monthly but this will depend on use. Taking it apart and flushing it with water is probably one of the best things you can do to insure that your nib will remain plug free. It is recommended that you use two parts water to one part house hold ammonia when cleaning your pens. While this is a good idea, make sure your pen is not made form aluminum. Ammonia and aluminum do not mix well, or maybe a little too well. Ammonia dissolves aluminum.
An alternative is diluted bleach or just plain hot water- just use a lot of it. A simple ear syringe can be used to get a deep down clean. Another and cleaner option is to have your pen distributor or local pen shop clean it for you on a regular basis.
Either way you decide, make sure that you maintain your fountain pen cleaning schedule and your pen will never fail you. Happy writing and if you’re thinking about a Parker fountain pen, you’re definitely looking at a lifelong companion who will never borrow $3 for coffee.
Filed under Parker Fountain Pens For Sale by on Mar 20th, 2012. Comment.
The Parker fountain pen was founded in 1888 by an American school teacher, George Parker who was previously a sales representative for another pen company. He obtained a patent for the “Lucky Curve” feed which was claimed to pull excess ink back into the pen.
Parker 51
The Parker 51 fountain pen is one of the most successful fountain pens of all time and it followed the development of Quink(the quick drying ink) which removed the need for blotting paper. (Check out the Parker duofold fountain pen also)
Parker pens have had some illustrious roles in history such as the signing of the armistice after the second world war.
Some of the most famous Parker fountain pens have been the Parker 51, the Parker Duofold, the Vacumatic, the Jotter, the Classic, the Vector, the Sonnet and the Parker 100.
Parker Premier
The Parker Premier is one of the newest Parker fountain pens on the market and it is finished with 23 karat gold plate trim and has a solid gold nib. It is finished with many layers of lacquer and is manually assembled and inspected.
The Parker Premier is a stunning pen which comes in 4 sizes and the famous Parker arrow is decorated with 18 karat-750 pure gold.
It is available in deep black lacquer with silver trims, deep black lacquer with gold trims, tartan chiselling with deep black lacquer and graduated chiselling with silver trims.
Parker Sonnet
The Parker Sonnet comes in four different finishes..cisele sterling silver, chiselled chocolate, chiselled carbon and chiselled gold lustre. The nib is a solid gold nib (some of the models have rhodium highlights) and there are 8 sizes to choose from.
It features an extra wide cap band and the cisele is based on a design from an English snuff box from the 17th century.
The trim is made of 23 karat gold plated material and the nib is 18 karat gold.
Filed under Parker Fountain Pens For Sale by on Mar 20th, 2012. Comment.
The Parker 51 fountain pen is a design classic and much beloved amongst fountain pen collectors. It has even been given a spot in the museum of modern art’s design collection.
It was first produced in 1941 and was an instant success. It started with a multi-stroke pump filling mechanism which was changed in 1948/49 to an Aerometric filler which was a squeeze bulb filling mechanism.
Even though the Aerometric filler was smaller it was more reliable and robust than it’s predecessor. The Parker 51 series spawned many children including the Dime, the 51 Special, the Signet, the Flighter, the Presidential and so on. Development of the Parker 51 was completed in the 51st year of the companies history and hence the name.
The Parker 51 stayed in production until the 1970s and it featured a tubular, hooded nib and a multi finned ink collector. In 2002 Parker introduced a lookalike which they called the 51 Special Edition.
How To Date A Parker 51 Fountain Pen
1941 models have imitation jewels on the pen cap and barrel end. The vast majority of 1941 models had an engraving around the end of the cap barrel. If this is not present and there are 2 jewels as indicated already then it can be dated between 1942 and 1946.
1950s Parker 51 fountain pens can be identified by the different pens in the series such as those indicated above, namely the Flighter, Presidential, Signet etc.
1960s Parker 51s have brightly colored plastic barrels and caps and Parker 51s utilizing ink cartridges can be dated to the 1970s.
Aerometric filling system
The Aerometric filling system was a sac protected within a chrome plated protector. To fill you simply pressed 4-6 times on the sac and it drew in the ink.
Parker 51 Special Edition
The Parker 51 Special Edition was introduced in 2002 and was a limited edition pen available in blue or black barrels. The cap is a 2 tone “vermeil” gold plated on white metal on the black pen and the blue special edition sported an all white metal cap.
The nib is an 18 karat gold hooded nib and the pocket clips and trim are 23 karat gold plated. You can use either cartridges or ink converter and this pen is a real collectors item being a reproduction of the legendary Parker 51 which had ceased production in the 1970s. It comes in a beautiful presentation box with a polishing cloth, cartridge converter and an information booklet about the history of the Parker 51.
The filling mechanism is reflective of the advances in technology when it comes to fountain pens and is a twist action refillable mechanism which is a twin channelled ink feed to the 18 karat gold nib.
This Special Edition Parker 51 also boasts the Parker arrow clip with blue diamond insignia which indicates Parker’s lifetime guarantee.
The Parker 51 fountain pen would be a wonderful addition to the collection of any pen lover and a pen collection without at least one Parker 51 would be like a wedding without one of the bridesmaids.
Filed under Parker Fountain Pens For Sale by on Mar 19th, 2012. Comment.
The Lamy Safari fountain pen is a real fun fountain pen with a beautiful quirkiness and character all it’s own. It features the characteristic flexible chrome clip and uses a cartridge ink filling system or ink converter which can be picked up cheaply. It boasts a polished steel nib and you can choose between medium, extra fine, fine, broad and left handed for your choice of nibs.
It is made of durable plastic and has an angled grip. The nibs run a little wider than standard but that is my personal preference so I have no problem there and they can be picked up for less than $30 which is great value for such a fun and functional pen.
It also features a see through ink window and comes in a wide range of vibrant colors and the nibs are easily replaceable.
Some people think they are a little clunky and the free/wide flow of ink is not to everyone’s taste but I find that it leads to very smooth writing. It is a great beginner pen because of the price point and the choice of nibs and colors.
The chrome wire clip is a striking feature of the Lamy safari and will ensure that it never falls out of your pocket and I particularly liked the molded grip section. You can also get matching ball point Lamy safaris.
It is utterly reliable and it looks like a more expensive pen so for this reason and the choice of nibs, it’s character and reliability I can only give the Lamy Safari fountain pen a firm thumbs up.
Filed under Lamy Fountain Pens by on Mar 19th, 2012. Comment.
The Lamy Pur fountain pen is one of the latest Lamy fountain pen offerings which is a slightly larger fountain pen than other Lamy models; the Lamy Pur fountain pen is one of a range of Lamy Pur writing instruments which includes the Lamy Pur fountain pen, ballpoint and pencil.
The Lamy Pur is made from aluminum and boasts an anodized guilloche finish and has an ink converter supplied as standard or you can choose cartridges. The choice of steel nibs includes 1.9mm stub italic, 1.5 mm stub italic, extra fine, fine, medium, broad, MK, LH and 1.1 mm stub italic. It is 168 mm long when posted and 138 mm capped and the diameter of the cap is 11 mm. it comes in a very attractive silver packaging tube and also features a polished clip. Check out Lamy fountain pens also.
The Lamy pur fountain pen sells for less than $50 and the whole design principles behind Lamy pens are borne out of the Bauhaus design tradition which determines that the functionality of the object should always trump the aesthetics. One of the most attractive features of the Lamy Pur pen range though is the contrast between the matt aluminum body with some guilloches and the high glossed polished stainless steel clip which gives a beautiful contrast I feel.
Lamy Pens
The Lamy pen range is very highly regarded be pen lovers worldwide with an appreciation for the function and form of this independent German firm which was founded in Germany in 1930 and which found such a following for it’s Lamy 2000 pen. Probably the most popular model in the Lamy pens range nowadays is the Safari range of fountain pens which has found such favor because of their quality and extremely competitive prices.
Othe popular Lamy fountain pens include the Dialog 3, the 2000, the AL-star and of course the Lamy Safari.
Filed under Lamy Fountain Pens by on Mar 19th, 2012. Comment.
Lamy pens are much sought after by aficionados of fine pens, especially Lamy fountain pens. But Lamy pens, which originate from Germany, produce a wide choice of ballpoint pens, rollerballs, inks and mechanical pencils.
Lamy Pens Overview
Lamy fountain pens offer a great choice of pens ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the flagship Lamy fountain pen, the Lamy 2000. This pen is made from a reinforced Makrolon fibreglass and has stainless steel trims. It has a piston operated filling system and a 14 karat gold nib which is platinum coated.
Lamy Accent
The Lamy Accent fountain pen boasts a stainless steel spring mounted clip and an interchangeable grip section, steel nib and is an attractive, fun and funky pen which sells for around $75.
Lamy Dialog 3
The Lamy Dialog 3 pen unusually has no cap; it uses a twist mechanism which sees the nib slide out of the barrel.
Lamy Joy
The Lamy Joy fountain pen sells for around $35-40 and also features an ergonomic grip and plastic barrel and spring wire clip which is very functional and will slide into any shirt pocket. The Lamy Joy also comes in a calligraphy pen version and both Lamy Joy pens have stainless steel nibs.
Lamy cp1
The Lamy cp1 pen sports a cylindrical body and an axle mounted clip which is made of stainless steel. They also do a Guilloche version which has a 14 karat dual color nib.
Lamy Safari
The Lamy Safari is a fun, practical fountain pen which is made from ABS plastic allowing a choice of vibrant, fun colors such as yellow, red, blue, white and silver. They have a molded grip and flexible brass wire clips and sell for around $30 with steel nibs.
Lamy Logo
The Lamy Logo pen has a spring mounted steel clip, steel nib and sells for around $50 with a choice of Logo Matt or Logo Brushed.
Lamy AL-Star
Another beautiful, functional and fun pen is the Lamy AL-Star with an aluminium body, flexible clip and steel nib. It too comes in a great range of colors which is characteristic of Lamy pens.
Lamy Vista
The Lamy Vista is a clear, plastic fountain pen which has a steel nib, spring clip and molded grip section. The unusual feature of this pen is that it is completely see through which is fascinating to look at daily.
Lamy Studio
The Lamy Studio pen is unusual amongst Lamy pens as it has a propeller shaped chrome clip. It ranges in price from around $75 to $135 depending on the model you choose as some have steel nibs and some offer the 14 karat gold nib.
Lamy ABC
LamyABC pens are ideal for beginners. Starting at less than $30 they have a space for the owner’s name on the cap and are made from maple wood and have ergonomically shaped grips which are great for children learning to write properly.
The Lamy fountain pen is one of my favourite pens on the market because it is the antithesis of gaudy and is a great starter pen for anyone interested in writing with a fountain pen..
The success of the Lamy fountain pen can be attributed to many factors but one of the prime reasons for it’s success and it’s cult status is the influence that Bauhaus design principles have had on it’s development.
The Bauhaus design movement started in Germany and is an architectural movement which has had a huge influence in the design of all sorts of products, not just buildings. Germany is well known for it’s fine industrial engineering and a small pen company in Heidelberg employed designers who were part of the Bauhaus movement to design it’s Lamy 2000 pen.
The success of the Lamy 2000 pen propelled this small pen company based in Heidelberg onto the world stage and a pen that was first released in 1966 is still being manufactured today.
Bauhaus design holds that form, that is the beauty of something, should play second fiddle to it’s function, that is the use of the product. So while Lamy pens are beautiful to look at they perform exceptionally well because the first priority of any Bauhaus designer is how the product or object actually performs it’s primary task or job.
So you will notice that Lamy pens sport clean, minimalist design and bright primary colors and are quite quirky among fountain pens but are very highly regarded nevertheless.
They are super starter pens for anyone thinking of using a fountain pen in their everyday life, work or school because they have a great, inexpensive range for starters as well as high quality fountain pens such as the Lamy 2000, Pur, Dialog 3, Studio and many others.
Furthermore they produce a good range of promotional pens which can be great, unique products to promote your company’s brand and which leave a great impression with the recipient.
Lamy also produce ballpoint pens but it is the fountain pen that the company is best known for and which ensures a place in the heart of all pen lovers and aficionados.
Filed under Lamy Fountain Pens by on Mar 17th, 2012. Comment.
The Lamy 2000 fountain pen is very highly regarded among pen lovers and aficionados. The Lamy 2000 was designed by the Bauhaus designer Gerd Muller in the early 1960s and follows the philosophy of that schools of design that form should follow or take second place to function.
The Lamy 2000 features a hooded nib and a piston filling mechanism. There is a see through ink window which allows you see how much ink you have left and the barrel and cap are made from a product called Makrolon which is a fibreglass resin.
The nib is constructed of gold but plated with platinum to maintain the overall black and silver look of the Lamy 2000 fountain pen. The clip is a squarish, brushed metal affair and is as unostentatious as the rest of the pen with it’s simple, curving form.
If you like classically designed, simple objects then the Lamy 2000 will appeal to you. It offers the choice of extra fine, medium, broad, extra broad, oblique, medium/oblique and extra broad(OBB) nibs.
Generally the Lamy nibs write a little thicker than most other brands and the ink filling mechanism of this pen is unusual insofar as it does not take cartridges or an ink converter but only takes ink from the ink bottle by using the piston mechanism.
What you do is screw and unscrew the back of the pen which contains an internal reservoir for the ink and the screwing and unscrewing mechanism causes it to suck the ink back in to the reservoir having expelled the air from it.
The Lamy 2000 fountain pen is certainly a smooth writer and at less than $100 is great value.This is a great, scratch resistant, tough fountain pen in which the function over form debate is clearly apparent and function wins out.
Filed under Lamy Fountain Pens by on Mar 17th, 2012. Comment.
Writing with a fountain pen provides a significant advantage versus writing with the more common ballpoint pen which I discovered about two years ago. Since then I have written with nothing else but a fountain pen.
Let me give you a little background-I was due to sit my professional law school entrance exams and while I was prepared for all of the hard work involved in reading the materials necessary, understanding the legal principles involved and generally preparing as well as possible for these very important exams I faced one major problem.
Not only would the task of sitting 3 major exams per week for two and a half weeks place a major demand on my brain and intellect, there was also going to be the task of writing flat out for 3 hours per exam and doing the same thing every second day for two and a half weeks. I figured that this would place a major physical demand on my writing and my right arm. Anyone who has sat exams where you will be expected to write non-stop will understand that you can genuinely suffer from writer’s cramp. Not only is this physically challenging but your writing deteriorates rapidly as a result. So no matter how well prepared for the exams you may feel you are intellectually, you will not do well if the examiner cannot read your writing.
I did a little research on the internet and sought to pre-empt this problem and I discovered the fountain pen (again) and recognized that writing with a fountain pen allows you to write with your hand/arm moving smoothly across the page. With a ballpoint pen you must press down to make any impact and I decided to buy a fountain pen and prepare for my exams with this in mind.
Fountain Pen Nibs
Much to my delight I found writing with a fountain pen much less physically taxing over the course of the intense two and a half weeks of my exams and thankfully passed all eight exams. Since then I have only written with a fountain pen and found it very pleasurable and have come to love the different types of fountain pen, the different characteristics and individuality of each brand of pen, the different types of fountain pen nibs and the other individual traits of each pen that I have.
Fountain Pens for Sale
When I am looking for fountain pens for sale to add to my collection I enjoy the thrill of scouring out bargains on the internet and the two sites that I buy fountain pens from are Amazon and Ebay. Now I have a growing collection of fountain pens and my personal favourite is the Pelikan fountain pen..but a lot of the fun in finding a new pen for my collection is the hunt or chase..
Filed under Writing With a Fountain Pen by on Mar 17th, 2012. Comment.
What is the best fountain pen is a question on the lips of many people starting out to write, collect and enjoy the sheer pleasure of writing with a fountain pen. There is an incredible range of fountain pens to choose from with wildly diverse budgets but the first thing you should do when starting with your first fountain pen is to check out fountain pen forums and spend some time reading the posts.
(Check out the Mont Blanc Meisterstuck fountain pen and fountain pens for sale)
There is a very large and active fountain pen community worldwide and you will read some great tips on the different fountain pens available to suit all pockets and from all parts of the globe.
Pelikan Fountain Pen
My personal favourite fountain pen and what I consider to be the best fountain pen is the Pelikan. The Pelikan fountain pen has a long and illustrious history and for me it strikes the perfect balance between quality and affordability.
Other pens such as the Mont Blanc range might be more expensive but true pen aficionados rate the Pelikan it’s equal or superior.
Sheaffer
The Sheaffer fountain pen is enormously popular with people the world over and particularly Americans whilst the Waterman fountain pen is popular among Europeans, especially the French.
Parker 51 Fountain pen
The Parker 51 fountain pen is another real favourite in the United States as is the Lamy pen which offers a wide range of choice in pens from cheap and cheerful to slightly more middle of the road. The Bauhaus design influence in the Lamy pen is much admired by anyone who likes their design to be above all functional.
The Bes Fountain Pen For You?
The best fountain pen for you is the pen which starts you on a journey, both forward into your life and back into history, which proves enjoyable and interesting and which you can enjoy for the rest of your days. Reading the history of the various fountain pen manufacturers provides a fascinating insight into how we got where we are today..
Filed under Fountain Pens For Sale by on Mar 17th, 2012. Comment.
Private reserve ink offers a very wide range of colors to enhance your enjoyment of your fountain pen. Private reserve ink is made in the U.S. and has a neutral pH, is said to be non clogging and fast drying and a 50 ml bottle will cost a little under $9.
Private reserve ink also provide a range of fast dry inks in ultra black, midnight blues, Sherwood green and for any left handed writers who have struggled with more traditional ink usage, these inks are perfect for lefties. These fast dry inks cost around $10 for a 2 ounce bottle.
(See also fountain pens for sale and fountain pen ink)
Private Reserve Special Inks
Private Reserve also supply a range of special inks such as the Invincible Aqua Blue, Invincible black in a cobalt blue bottle and Cosmic cobalt which is a brilliant blue color.
Private Reserve also supply their inks in cartridges and a pack of 12 cartridges for around $5-6 and come in the standard short international cartridge size. Private Reserve also make ink for other pen manufacturers and brands such as Bexley and Bexley ink is actually Private Reserve under the Bexley label although you will find some of the names changing depending on under which brand you buy the ink.
Private reserve also supply ink mixing kits which allows you to mix your own ink if there is not enough of a choice of color to choose from with the huge range of Private Reserve ink colors available. The ink mixing kit includes 2 syringes, 2 glass ink bottles, mixing cups and 10 ink mixing recipes.
Private Reserve Ink Colors
Here is a list of some of the extensive range of Private Reserve ink colors
- DC Supershow Green
- Tangerine Dream
- Velvet Black
- Lake Placid Blue
- Naples Blue
- Sherwood Green
- Copper Burst
- Orange Crush
- Tanzanite
- Plum
- Fiesta Red
- Buttercup
- Spearmint
- Avacado
- Blue Suede
- Gray Flannel
- Midnight Blues
- Black Cherry
- Sonic Blue
- DC Supershow Blue
- American Blue
- Burgundy Mist
- Black Magic Blue
- Dakota Red
- Arabian Rose
- Daphne Blue
- Shoreline Gold
- Purple Mojo
- Chocolat
In addition you can get the Fast dry inks in Ultra Black, Fast dry American blue, fast dry chocolat, tanzanite, Sherwood green and midnight blues.
Hopefully this post will give you a good idea of what is available in Private Reserve Inks and allow you to find the best one for you-although many pen lovers carry a wide range of colors for various occasions and uses.
Filed under Fountain Pen Ink by on Mar 17th, 2012. Comment.