Grading Scale
Our standards
We've designed our condition grading process to be as transparent as possible. All of our used items are individually photographed and inspected with grades assigned to reflect the item's condition.
Learn more about our grading scale below!
Condition:
N - New (10)
Item has not been used. The box is unopened and the product has all original packaging.
Fountain Pens: Never inked.
Mechanical Pencils: Never written with.
Inks: Never used.
LN - Like New (9)
Item has almost no signs of use. Item may be missing some original items, which will be noted in the item description.
Fountain Pens: Inked and used a few times. No noticeable signs of wear.
Mechanical Pencils: Used a few times. No noticeable signs of wear.
Inks: Opened, but ink level is full.
EX - Excellent (7-8)
Item has light signs of use. Item may be missing some original items, which will be noted in the item description.
Fountain Pens: Inked with light signs of wear. Nib has no issues.
Mechanical Pencils: Used with light signs of wear. Writes with no issues.
Inks: Used a few times, but ink is almost full.
G - Good (5-6)
Item has signs of use. There may be noticeable scratches and other issues. Item may be missing some original items, which will be noted in the item description.
Fountain Pens: Inked with average signs of wear. Nib is in good condition, but might have issues noted in the item description.
Mechanical Pencils: Used with average signs of wear. Item might have some issues that do not noticeably impact use noted in the item description.
Inks: Used. Ink is about halfway filled.
P - Poor (3-4)
Item has heavy signs of use. There may be noticeable scratches and other issues. Item may be missing some original items, which will be noted in the item description.
Fountain Pens: Inked with heavy signs of wear. Nib may have issues noted in the item description.
Mechanical Pencils: Used with heavy signs of wear. May have some issues in use noted in the item description.
Inks: Used. Ink is less than half full.
FP - For Parts (1-2)
Item is unusable.
Fountain Pens: Nib may have issues that impede on functionality.
Mechanical Pencils: May have some issues that impede on functionality.
Inks: Used. Ink is empty or almost empty.
Note: While we do thoroughly clean our fountain pens, ink residue is sometimes left in places we are unable to reach without risking damage to our pens. Unfortunately, this means that fountain pens in used conditions may have traces of ink upon delivery.
