Glossary Text A to C

	account	an extremely fine, firm nib suitable for account book entries
	adjustable nib	a Wahl-Eversharp exclusive of the '30s: a slider atop the nib controls its flexibility
	Aerometric	nearly foolproof Parker filler, introduced 1948 on the Parker 51; a form of squeeze-filler or thumb-filler with a specially-designed vented silver breather tube for extra resistance to pressure changes
	Arrow nib	Parker nib with a bold arrow imprint, used for Vacumatics and as replacement nibs for Duofolds; some late Duofolds were sold with such nibs
	asperges	Holy water sprinkler; sometimes made in pen form
	Bakelite	term often misapplied to any old plastic; Bakelite was not often used for pens due to its brittleness
	banana	to bend, as happens to pens in hot display cases at sunny flea markets
	bbl	barrel
	BCHR	black chased hard rubber
	BF	button-filler; pressing the button causes the sac to be compressed
	BHR	black hard rubber
	"Big Four"	Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, and Wahl-Eversharp; in the USA, these are the quality vintage pens most commonly found
	blind cap	piece at end of barrel that screws off to reveal the filler underneath
	blow-filler	a mouth-operated pneumatic filler: one blows into a hole at the end of the barrel to empty out the ink sac
	BP	ballpoint
	brassing	area of wear on gold filled or plated metal, where the underlying base metal (usually brass) becomes visible; with gold filled items, replating is usually not a satisfactory restoration option
	breather hole	vents in the cap, of questionable utility save on early pens without inner caps
	breather tube	a tube inserted into the back of the feed, essential for pump and bulb fillers; despite advertising claims, the benefits during flight are nugatory
	bulb-filler	simple and efficient: air is pumped out by multiple squeezes and ink flows in
	"bullseye" jewel	c. 1939 Vacumatic jewel consisting of an extension of the blind cap, which resultingly shows concentric laminations under bright light
	button-filler	a button at the end of the barrel is pressed, bending an internal spring & pressure bar assembly which compresses the ink sac; sometimes also called a stud-filler
	capillary-filler	no moving parts: when dipped, the reservoir absorbs ink
	Cardinal	Waterman's designation for its red hard rubber pens and pencils
	cartridge	despite earlier marketing attempts, ink cartridges were not widely used until the '50s; collectible vintage pens that use cartridges are very much the exception
	casein	milk-derived plastic, vulnerable to moisture; rarely used in American pens, more commonly used in the UK and Europe; also called Galalith
	celluloid	first widely-manufactured synthetic plastic, made by plasticizing cellulose nitrate with camphor; dominant material for pen caps & barrels from the second half of the 1920s, able to be made in virtually any color or pattern
	chalk marks	stenciled marks applied to factory-new pens, typically denoting model, price, and nib grade
	chasing	relief patterns heat-impressed into the surface of hard rubber pens
	Christmas tree feed	original feed for Parker Duofolds and Jack Knife Safeties; also called a spearhead feed
	chatelaine	suspension fitting attached to a woman's dress or belt; attached items could include pencils and pens
	clip mark	circumferential mark on a cap made by a loose top-mounted clip
	coin-filler	a slot in the barrel allows a coin to be pressed directly against the pressure bar
	collector	finned ink trap inside the hood of pens such as the Parker 51 and 61
	combo	pen and pencil combination, in vogue c. 1930, chiefly in the United States
	cone cap	slip-fit cap, mounts on tapering ends of barrel
	cork	used for piston seals, safety and many plunger-filler packing units
	cracked ice	distinctive Conway Stewart pattern of irregular black blocks separated by thin lines of silver
	crescent-filler	Conklin's signature mechanism, in which a flat metal crescent protrudes from the barrel; after rotating a lock ring, the crescent is pressed, flattening the sac