For sale is a vintage Aurora 88P with a very smooth 14k gold F nib. There is no flex to the nib and the flow is wet and consistent. The 88P was the third generation of the 88 and was manufactured from 1958 to 1964. This pen was probably made around 1963 based on its’ serial number of 3284319 and that the 88P sold 3.8 million units. The Aurora 88P is the same length as a Parker 51 and a hair larger in diameter. It utilizes a similar hooded nib design with a slip cap but takes it up a notch by making it a piston filler. To quote a good friend of mine:

Imagine you could send your Parker 51 away to college. Imagine that the school of choice was located in northern Italy. Your 51 would learn Italian, ride a Vespa, embrace soccer, develop a fondness for fashion and be exposed to cutting edge design.

Your pen would return refined, more elegant and oddly sexy. Your pen would return… an Aurora 88!

The hood, barrel, and piston knob are all made from celluloid. The barrel has an imprint of an elephant and the word “SANTEUSTACCHIO”. The ink window is incredibly clear considering the age of the pen but does have an ink stain ring on the inside. The piston is in great working order with lots of suction and provides a near full fill every time. The cap is in very good contition with no dings or dents. $158 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Priority Mail with Insurance and Delivery Confirmation is an additional $6. International shipping will be done with USPS International Priority Mail for $12. Payment can be made through Paypal or Postal Money Order only.

The vintage Aurora 88 is just one of the many great pens to come out of Italy in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. It was first introduced in 1946 and by early 1952 had sold 750,000 pieces, selling just over a million by the end of the year before it was replaced by the 88K in 1953. The serial number of this pen, 579383, dates its production to around 1950, making it more desirable than higher numbered pens. This particular pen has aged quite well with the cap free of dings and the ink window showing some ambering. The hood, barrel, and piston knob are in excellent condition. The piston filler operates very well thanks to the seal having been replaced by a modern piston o-ring from David Nishimura at VintagePens. The real attraction, though, is the nib: a fine semi-flex that has been ground into a nice stub. Its very easy to write without flexing the nib to get the effects from the fine stub, but, if you add some pressure to utilize the flex you can really exaggerate the line variation. $180 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Priority Mail with Insurance and Delivery Confirmation is an additional $6. International shipping will be done with USPS International Priority Mail for $12. Payment can be made through Paypal or Postal Money Order.

For sale is a vintage Aurora 88P with a very smooth XF/F nib. The 88P was the third generation of the 88 and was manufactured from 1958 to 1964. This pen was probably made around 1962 based on its’ serial number of 3184746 and that the 88P sold 3.8 million units. The hood, barrel, and piston knob are all made from celluloid and have a nice deep black color that you just don’t get with some vintage ebonite pens. The ink window is incredibly clear considering the age of the pen. You don’t see them this clear very often. The piston is in great working order with lots of suction and provides a full fill every time. The cap is in stunning condition, not a ding or even a scratch on it. $180 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Extra shipping services are available for an additional charge. Payment can be made through Paypal or Postal Money Order.

Up for sale is a near mint Aurora 88, piston filler, with a 14k gold nib. The 88 is about the same size as a Mont Blanc 146 (see my comparison here). The 88 has an ink reserve to keep you going when you initially run out of ink. To access the reserve just cycle the piston to the bottom its stroke. The piston knob will now be in the extended position acting as a reminder that you are low on ink. The fine nib is rather soft and springy which provides a hint of flex. It has been hand ground into a stub with flow that is slightly more dry than wet. $250 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Extra shipping services are available for an additional charge. Payment can be made with Paypal or U.S. Postal Money Order only.

For sale is a vintage Aurora 88P with a medium hand ground stub nib. The 88P was the third generation of the 88 and was manufactured from 1958 to 1964. This pen was probably made around 1962-63 based on the serial number and that the 88P sold 3.8 million units. The hood, barrel, and piston knob are all made from celluloid and have a nice deep black color that you don’t get with some vintage ebonite pens. The ink window is very clear considering the age of the pen. You won’t have a problem seeing the ink level or the piston. The piston is in great working order and operates almost as smooth as my Pelikan M200. This pen has a semi-gloss finish that you can see in the next photo when compared to a polished body. If the buyer prefers, I can polish the pen for no additional charge. The last photo shows a writing sample of the super smooth medium stub. Notice the line variation, something more associated with cursive italics, but this one won’t have the harsh edges so you can write at full speed and still have that buttery smooth feel. $140 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Extra shipping services are available for an additional charge. Payment can be made through Paypal or Postal Money Order. An additional 5% is required for all Paypal transactions.

Here is a beautiful example of an Aurora 88P with a luscious super flex nib. The 88P was the third generation of the 88 and was manufactured from 1958 to 1964. This pen was probably made around 1962-63 based on the serial number and that the 88P sold 3.8 million units. The hood is made from ebanite which is uncommon for the 88P as the section is usually made from celluloid, like the barrel and the piston nob. I prefer an ebonite section because it feels ‘warmer’ to the touch and doesn’t slide around if there’s a little moisture on my fingers. And you definitely want that control when you’re working the flex in that nib. The ink window has ambered over the years but is still more than clear enough to see the ink level and the piston. The piston operates smoothly, if only a little stiff, and provides good suction to ensure a full fill. The pen has been lightly polished to remove any surface scratches and bring back the nice shine it once had. $175 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Extra shipping services are available for an additional charge. Payment can be made through Paypal or Postal Money Order. An additional 5% is required for all Paypal transactions.

The vintage Aurora 88 is just one of the many great pens to come out of Italy in the late ’40′s and early ’50′s. It was first introduced in 1946 and by early 1952 had sold 750,000 pieces, selling just over a million by the end of the year before it was replaced by the 88K in 1953. The serial number of this pen, 398986, dates its production to around 1949-1950, making it more desirable. This particular pen has aged quite well with the cap free of dings and the ink window showing slight ambering. The hood, barrel, and piston knob are in excellent condition with only the smallest of scratches to be found here or there (the white specs you see in the pics are lint from the towel I used to wipe down the pen). The piston filler operates perfectly and smoothly. The real attraction, though, is the nib. A fine super flex that’ll make your jaw drop. This is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous 88′s I’ve come across. $195 SOLD

All sales include free standard shipping within the continental US. Extra shipping services are available for an additional charge. Payment can be made through Paypal or Postal Money Order. An additional 5% is required for all Paypal transactions.