The shop will be closed Thursday and Friday this week. Orders received during our absence will be shipped promptly on Monday.
The items below are listed alphabetically by maker, with featured items grouped at the top.
Victorian dip pens have long been one of our personal collecting interests. We have recently reorganized our catalog pages devoted to writing instruments and accessories of the 19th-century, and will be listing a large number of new offerings there over the next few weeks, starting with dip pens.
17012: American Novelty Company Columbia giant novelty dip pen: nickel plated ferrule, painted wooden taper, 32.3 cm long, nib marked "COLUMBIA/A./N.C./NEW YORK", age darkening where exposed. Shown here at 2/3 scale, with Parker 75 ballpoint for size reference (not included).
DATE: c. 1900 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine flex • $95
17013: American Pencil Co. No. 19 "Midget" dip pen: giant novelty display piece, slightly over 33 cm long including nib, fully marked copper-finish ferrule, brass nib retains much of its plating, sponge-painted wooden taper. Shown here at 2/3 scale, with Parker 75 ballpoint for size reference (not included).
DATE: c. 1900 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium flex • $105
16645: Crown dip pen: gold filled holder, ebonized wood taper with applique of flying bird carrying a letter; 14.2 cm long excluding #2 ventless gold Crown nib, holder marked only "3", nib is a notable writer with lively springiness.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: extra-fine flex • SOLD
17019: Eagle dip pen: sterling silver, 14.9 cm long excluding steel nib, marked "PAT.OCT.17.99/STERLING.E." (US design patent D31670).
DATE: c. 1900 • CONDITION: fine • $120
17021: Greaton dip pen: gold filled holder, removable ebonized wood taper, 15.3 cm long excluding Greaton "Mercantile" ventless gold nib; John W. Greaton was an early New York gold pen manufacturer and reseller, successful but active for a relatively short time. Nib is in excellent condition but for a test mark at the bottom of the imprint, and is unusual in being imprinted on both sides.
DATE: c. 1849 • CONDITION: fine* • SOLD
17017: John Holland dip pen: unmarked sterling silver holder with removable ebonized wood taper, 15.8 cm long excluding #7 Holland ventless 16K gold nib. Silver shows wear and shallow dings, nib is excellent with noteworthy line variation and snapback. Silver holders are generally earlier and far less common than gold filled.
DATE: c. 1865 • CONDITION: VG • NIB: extra-fine flex • SOLD
16703: Mallat retracting dip pen: rare and historically important, patented gold nib with jewel tipping, predating the general adoption of welded iridium alloy tipping; holder is 15.1 cm long with nib retracted, nib tip is damaged but the stub of the original tipping stone is still visible on one side, condition otherwise fine to excellent.
DATE: c. 1843 • CONDITION: G* • $450
15845: Morton dip pen: unmarked gold plated holder, swirled glass taper, 14.7 cm long excluding #6 Morton ventless gold nib.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine flex • $175
16969: Tiffany dip pen: beautiful sterling silver holder, 17 cm long excluding nib, with finely-chased floral relief decoration with acanthus-bordered rings; fully marked, top-quality work, not to be confused with run-of-the-mill Tiffany-marked pens made by lesser subcontractors.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $1100
17018: unmarked dip pen: brass holder with hand-carved bone taper, the end in the shape of a hoof; 15.6 cm long excluding steel nib, probably European manufacture.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine • $145
16970: unmarked watch chain dip pen and inkwell: nickel plated brass, tubular links fit into each other to form a long thin pen with a reversible holder at the end; European, marked only "PATENT/N.L.F." on the bottom (for the Netherlands?).
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine • $365
17020: unmarked dip pen: sterling silver, 15.3 cm long excluding steel nib, some nibbles to the very end of the taper, marked only "STERLING".
DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: VG • $75
Previously featured items here
Latest featured items here
17001: A. A. Waterman/Johann Faber Cardinal: black chased hard rubber straight-cap eyedropper-filler, 13.2 cm long, gold filled trim, long tined slender #2 nib is 18K with French hallmark, distinctive A. A. feed with T-shaped hard rubber insert in channel, US patent 638,779 of 1899; crisp chasing and imprints, excellent overall but for scratches on section and posting end (see details), a rare example of a USA pen branded for European retail.
DATE: c. 1903 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine flex • $450
17059: Esterbrook TTH: white Pastel series purse-size repeater pencil, 11.3 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: near mint • $60
17060: Esterbrook TJ: white repeater pencil, 12.5 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker, slight barrel shrinkage at top of barrel at imprint.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: exc* • $60
17061: Esterbrook CH: pastel blue "purse pen", 11.2 cm long, lever-filler, stainless steel trim, black end buttons, good imprints, #1551 nib unit, like new but with a stress line in the cap lip (see detail).
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: exc* • NIB: extra-fine • $80
17062: Esterbrook TTH: pastel green purse-size repeater pencil, 11.3 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: near mint • $45
17063: Esterbrook TTH: pastel green purse-size repeater pencil, 11.3 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: near mint • $45
17057: Esterbrook CH: green Pastel series "purse pen", 11.2 cm long, lever-filler, stainless steel trim, grey end buttons, #1551 nib unit.
DATE: c. 1960 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: fine • $95
17058: Esterbrook CH: red Pastel series "purse pen", 11.2 cm long, lever-filler, stainless steel trim, red end buttons, #1551 nib unit, new old stock with stickers.
DATE: c. 1960 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: extra-fine • $125
17084: H. C. Hook torpedo pencil: chrome plated brass, 11.2 cm long, brass propellers, minor scratching from clip; excellent quality and workmanship, uses 1.1 mm lead, propels only, does not retract. Unmarked, but now known to be a product of the H. C. Hook Company of Auburn, Massachusetts.
DATE: c. 1946 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $95
17085: Parker Duofold Senior: classic oversize orange button-filler with black hard rubber ends, gold filledt trim; well used but sound, a pen with some history: barrel is red hard rubber, large early nib, blind cap with "6" imprint, but cap is a Permanite (celluloid) replacement, as is the finned feed. Barrel imprint worn away, brassing to cap band, nib has hairline crack from breather hole (does not affect usage, as the nib material is so thick and stiff). Stublike tip writes an elegantly shaded line.
DATE: c. 1926 • CONDITION: G-VG* • NIB: fine stub rigid • $295
17086: Parker Duofold Junior: orange streamline button-filler, 11.5 cm long, gold filled trim, good imprints, spearhead feed, Duofold nib with serial number; orange streamlines are relatively uncommon.
DATE: c. 1933 • CONDITION: fine • $225
17080: Pelikan M400: piston-filler, black with green pearl striped barrel, 12.5 cm long, gold plated trim, scarce very early production version with friction-fit nib unit; nib is marked "F", shows signs of having been straightened, a smooth writer with flexibility.
DATE: 1982 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium fine flex • $395
17041: Pelikan M816 Golf: limited edition version of the M800 in dark green, 14.1 cm long, gold plated trim, two-tone 18K nib is marked "B", tip is a smooth writing rounded italic -- likely a quality custom grind. With brochure but no other packaging.
DATE: 1996 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: broad italic • $650
17087: Sheaffer Gregg: black flat-top lever-filler, 12.8 cm long, gold filled trim, enameled Gregg emblem on top of cap; no Sheaffer markings, made for resale by Gregg shorthand schools; special "Gregg" marked nib is springy but not soft, for responsiveness writing quickly using limited line width variation.
DATE: c. 1936 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine semiflex • $175
17088: Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal set: rare "X-seal" variant, oversize green and gold "Deco Band" lever-filler, 13.55 cm long, gold filled trim, Personal Point nib unit with Wahl-made #5 warranted nib, matching 1.1 mm pencil has later mechanism which propels and retracts lead, later style clip as well. Moderate discoloration of pen barrel, touch of brassing to clip top. The purpose of the X-seal is still a mystery, but this set is likely to have been assembled towards the end of the 1930s when Wahl-Eversharp was clearing out older designs.
DATE: c. 1937 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $1200
Yet more recently-posted items here
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