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

Copyright © 1997-2008 David Nishimura. All rights reserved

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