The Illustrated Guide to Antique Writing Instruments (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

Rating:
Summary: Deeply recommended!
Review: An outstanding effort. The photographs are superb. Written in an easy language, makes it enjoyable to read to both novice and connoisseur collectors. However, the authors didn't mention some important pens (eg: Parker #14, Parker Duofold mandarin yellow, Parker Duofold Lapis Lazuli). ( My book is the Revised & Expanded 3rd edition, 2000).

Rating:
Summary: The single finest reference on the subject available today.
Review: Now in a completely revised, updated and expanded third edition, Stuart Schneider and George Fischler's The Illustrated Guide To Antique Writing Instruments continues to be the finest single volume identification and reference guide to pens and other writing instruments for collectors and dealers. Beautifully illustrated on every page with full color photographs of antique pens of all makes and categories, this uniquely beautiful and informative price guide is an indispensable reference that is an essential and enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, professional, or community library antiques/collectibles reference book collection.

Rating:
Summary: Take it with you!
Review: This is a handy book to take with you when prowling the antique stores for old writing instruments. Recommended by collectors and collector clubs, it's the handiest guide available. If it had an index and covered more of the less well known brands, I would give it five stars.

Rating:
Summary: A valuable guide to carry with you.
Review: This is a valuable and handy pocket (briefcase, etc.) guide to take on a pen expedition. It's a bit big for anything but a large overcoat pocket but is handy when carried in a case. It is mostly a guide to the identification of some of the pens to be found at pen shows and elsewhere. There are brief histories of 18 fountain pen manufacturers but they are short to rudimentary. There is a short but to the point and valuable guide to how to grade a pen.

The rest of the book is devoted to colored photos of various fountain pens. The pictures are very good and the selection of pens shown is very good. The values shown are, like all prices shown in such books, progressively out of date. They are good though to give a relative value for pens.

This is an excellent book for its purpose - to help identify, grade and price used fountain pens. It does its specified purpose well. It's not meant to be an encyclopedia. Such a book would have to be a many volumn set.