David Nishimura Vintage Fountain Pens & Writing EquipmentEphemera, Advertising, & Display

6319: Aikin Lambert Pet display card: very rare original display, 15.2 cm high, with 6 out of 12 pens still present; pens are miniature ringtop eyedropper-fillers in black hard rubber, with red or light green casein ends and 14K gold nibs, averaging 6.4 cm long; unused and of excellent quality, they are rather evenly sun-faded, and one of the red tops has two chips on the side facing the card; from a long-closed New York area pen shop, the only example of its kind we have seen.

DATE: c. 1920 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • $650 ORDER

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4251: Ancora glassine envelope: advertising for Duplex pens, 5 x 9.5 cm, printed on both sides, new old stock, several available.

DATE: c. 1938 • CONDITION: mint • $10 ORDER


5659: Conklin dummy pens: black-painted wood replicas of crescent-fillers, used for window displays instead of real pens so as to avoid risk of theft and of fading by sunlight; one looks like a capped pen, 13.7 cm long, the other an uncapped pen lacking nib and feed.

DATE: c. 1915 • CONDITION: VG • $500 ORDER

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4464: Conway Stewart Conway pen holder: Similar to the Swan "metal pocket", but much scarcer; 12 cm long, dark finished steel w scattered superficial rust spots; made in England, marked on reverse "THE "CONWAY"/C.S. & CO. LTD LONDON/BRITISH MADE".

DATE: c. 1920 • CONDITION: fine • $75 ORDER

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6947: De La Rue Onoto playing cards: deck of 52 cards, worn but complete, with box printed on sides "Onoto the Pen", "Onoto the Pencil", "Onoto the Diary", "The Winner".

DATE: c. 1920 • CONDITION: G • $45 ORDER

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4163: Eagle Just for Fun: giant wooden novelty pencil, 27 cm long, brass ferrule; slight gaping of longitudinal seam from age shrinkage of wood.

DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: VG • $60 ORDER


3623: John Holland box for bottled ink: new old stock, shipped flat; 7 x 7 x 8.7 cm assembled, no fading, great display item, several available.

DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: mint • $30 ORDER


5765: Parker Liquid Lead refill: original package, containing one long refill and eraser; Parker diamond appears prominently on both sides of envelope; an unusual bit of ephemera, refills probably not in working order; a few available and illustrated, price is for each.

DATE: c. 1954 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $35 ORDER

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5828: Parker 51 pencil lead refills: 12 leads in a stoppered glass tube, 8 cm long, made in England, label reads "for Parker '51'/ROTARY PENCIL", with Parker "halo" mark; many available, all "B" hardness.

DATE: c. 1964 • CONDITION: mint • $6 ORDER

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7650: Parker 75 ballpoint manufacturing display: five pieces in sterling silver illustrating different stages of forming a cap, deep-drawing from sheet; the last stage is at final dimensions with the top hole cut, but before application of the imprints and engine turning; from Parker's Janesville factory.

DATE: c. 1975 • CONDITION: mint • $200 ORDER

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7652: Parker 180 nib blank sheet: measuring 67 x 23 mm, this sheet of 14K gold was what was left over after the blanks for the 180's distinctive triangular nib has been punched out; a rare and attractive piece of pen manufacturing ephemera from Janesville.

DATE: c. 1975 • CONDITION: mint • $125 ORDER

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7651: Parker 75 nib display: five 14K USA production nibs in various stages of completion, to illustrate the process of manufacture; these came to us loose, but could easily be mounted and framed.

DATE: c. 1975 • CONDITION: mint • $200 ORDER

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7095: Sheaffer box with pen wallet insert: unusual Balance-era hardshell case, 16.5 cm long, pad will accommodate a standard-sized set, designed to be removed and folded over to serve as a carrying case; includes 1937-dated instructions for both lever-fillers and plunger-fillers, plus a Lifetime guarantee certificate, also dated 1937.

DATE: c. 1937 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • $65 ORDER

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7189: unmarked dummy display pen: heavy solid rubber, 13.9 cm long, looks like slip-cap eyedropper-filler but does not open.

DATE: c. 1910 • CONDITION: exc • $75 ORDER

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5072: unmarked sac spreader: ex-Parker factory, used to stretch rubber sac mouths for cementing onto section nipples, still very useful for pen repair work; not much sign of use, but may have some surface rust; as handy now as ever for getting a tight-fitting rubber ink sac over a wet, shellac-coated section without getting gooey residue all over your fingers and the pen's exterior; several available.

DATE: c. 1940 • CONDITION: fine • $15 ORDER


2632: Waterman atlas book cover: from a series intended for distribution in schools, this covers the United States; 33 x 48 cm (13 x 19 inches), reverse has map of USA w facts & figures about cities & states; new old stock, minor age spots.

DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: fine • $45 ORDER


2631: Waterman store sign: baked enamel on steel, 76 x 20 cm (30 x 8 inches); chips to the enamel & rusty patches; the perfect wall decoration for a pen room; shipping weight 4 lbs.

DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: G* • $425 ORDER


7199: Waterman cigar cutter: celluloid body warped and markings badly worn, blade well-used; rare piece also bears Rotary emblem. Only one of these is known with its original box, which bears a presentation imprint from Frank D. Waterman. Given this evidence and the tiny number of these cutters known, it has been suggested that they were made exclusively for FDW to give as gifts to his fellow Rotarians.

DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: fair • $150 ORDER

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4099: Waterman cartridge fountain pens: dealer package of 12 individually-boxed chrome-capped pens w semihooded steel nibs in assorted colors, with spare cartridges & instructions; made in USA, 2 lbs shipping weight.

DATE: c. 1955 • CONDITION: mint • $500 ORDER

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Prices & availability current as of 12 May 2008 Mailing address: PO Box 41452
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