Miniature Pens and Pencils
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 
7541: Ebos safety: miniature hard rubber ringtop, 8 cm long, German-made, with handsome Italian-made gold filled overlay; Ebos-marked 14K nib also has "00" size imprint (not visible without disassembly); excellent quality, comparable to the baby safeties of Montblanc and Astoria, seal has been restored, internal mechanism repaired.
DATE: c. 1928 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: fine semiflex • $485
7596: John Holland porte-crayon: miniature gold filled slide-action ringtop pencil, 4.25 cm long closed; unmarked, part of a hoard from the estate of a prominent New York jeweler who retired in the late 1940s; comes with a fresh piece of 3mm marking lead.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: mint • $16
9296: Montblanc baby safety: black hard rubber miniature, 6.3 cm long, like new, with "0"-size Montblanc nib; has not been recorked, but seal holds a vacuum, all imprints bold, hard rubber glossy and unfaded, casein cap star lustrous and unstained. A pristine classic, just purchased from an old collection.
DATE: c. 1920 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: extra-fine stub semiflex • SOLD
6218: Parker Jack-Knife Safety: rare baby Bakelite-barreled ringtop eyedropper-filler, black hard rubber, 7.75 cm long, gold filled trim; good barrel transparency, cap imprint light but legible, tight stable hairline in cap lip (see detail), Lucky Curve feed intact, #2 Lucky Curve nib has longitudinal hairline from base up to "C" in imprint.
DATE: c. 1913 • CONDITION: VG* • NIB: medium fine flex •
$625
5511: S.M.B.(?) eyedropper-filler: unusual Japanese straight-cap miniature with end-knob ink shutoff valve; 9.1 cm long, engine-turned aluminum overlay, imprinted initials disposed radially around end knob (could be B.S.M. or M.B.S.); seals have not been replaced but have been vacuum-tested; scant but smooth iridium on 14K-marked nib.
DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine flex • $145
8324: Salz (?) Tiny: miniature black hard rubber ringtop eyedropper-filler, 6.3 cm long, wide gold filled cap band has pinprick blistering, only marking "TINY" on the 14K gold nib; crack in cap lip.
DATE: c. 1920
• CONDITION: G* • NIB: extra-fine • $50
8323: Salz (?) Pony: miniature black hard rubber ringtop eyedropper-filler, 6.2 cm long, gold filled trim, only marking "PONY" on the 14K gold nib.
DATE: c. 1920 • CONDITION: VG-fine • NIB: extra-fine • $60
8322: Salz (?) eyedropper-filler: miniature black hard rubber ringtop, 6.5 cm long, red-brown cap crown insert (hard rubber?), gold filled ringtop fitting has threads showing where screwed into cap, but appears factory-original, as the pen itself appears never to have been filled; nicely toned 14K warranted nib.
DATE: c. 1920
• CONDITION: near mint • NIB: extra-fine flex • $80
9211: Viala Lilliput safety set in box: French black hard rubber miniature black hard rubber safety, 8.25 cm long, hallmarked silver overlay with transparent pink guilloche enamel, with matching 1.1 mm pencil in box with instructions. Aside from the losses to the enamel on the cap and a shallow crease on the pencil's nose cone, the set is like new; the pen's seal has not been replaced, but appears sound and passes a suction test.
DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: medium • $425
8460: Viala Valair: miniature French-made hard rubber safety, 8.6 cm long, hallmarked sterling silver overlay, unusual left-handed mechanism (end knob turns counter-clockwise to extend nib -- handle with care!); 18K semistub Viala-marked nib, with leather carrying pouch.
DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: fine semiflex • SOLD
2700: unmarked safety: clipless miniature, 8.1 cm long, transparent pale blue enamel over sterling silver with guilloche work; cap crown marked "STERLING", "GERMANY"; excellent quality, some chipping to enamel at edges (see pictures), not inktight (cork seal needs to be replaced); 14K warranted nib.
DATE: c. 1925 •
CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: fine flex • $500
