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 • SOLD
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 • SOLD
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 • SOLD
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 • SOLD
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 • SOLD
Previously featured items here
Latest featured items here
17128: A. A. Waterman twist-filler: gold filled filigree slip-cap, 14.9 cm long, hard rubber glossy and unfaded, even imprint on barrel in front of overlay is preserved; #3 nib with distinctive three-lobed vent hole is a notable writer, sharp tip with fine paper feel.
DATE: c. 1912 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • NIB: fine stub flex • $850
17146: American Pencil Co. "The Twins" dip pen and pencil set in box: giant novelty set, wood with swirl-pattern lacquer finish, pen is 25.5 cm long excluding steel "Midget" falcon nib, octagonal "Whoopee" pencil is a real pencil, with thick lead all the way through. Usual age cracquelure to finish, bumps to box, as new with just age and storage wear.
DATE: c. 1930 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: extra-fine semiflex • $150
17117: Eversharp Skyline set: black lever-filler with stainless steel cap and trim, one of the rarest Skyline variants; 13.3 cm long, early production section with ink window, matching repeater pencil is considerably less common than the pen and is in near-perfect condition, uses 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1941 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium stub flex • $695
17122: Mabie Todd Swan: black hard rubber eyedropper-filler with barleycorn pattern sterling silver overlay, bayonet-style cap attachment with chatelaine suspension ring and chains; 13.25 cm long, New York manufacture for the British market, pen and box marked for Mabie, Todd & Bard, patent dates up to 1888 but not 1895. Over under feed with twisted silver wire tail, nib is notably broad and juicy. Overall appearance is excellent, but a personalized engraving has been polished off the barrel, there are small shallow dings on the section and barrel, and there is some delamination of the gold visible on the underside of the nib (see details)..
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: VG* • NIB: extra broad stub flex • $950
17124: Mabie Todd Blackbird: mottled hard rubber slip-cap eyedropper-filler, 12.5 cm long, made in England, notable writer with factory oblique nib, appearance fine but imprint fully heat-reversed. Mabie Todd eyedropper-fillers in mottled hard rubber are notably uncommon.
DATE: c. 1912 • CONDITION: G-VG • NIB: broad oblique flex • $225
17123: Mabie Todd Swan Military Safety: uncommon screw-cap black chased hard rubber ink-tablet eyedropper-filler, 14.4 cm long, nickel plated trim, New York production; crisp and glossy with sharp chasing and imprints, like new noting one feed fin chipped (see detail, does not affect function).
DATE: c. 1918 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: fine stub flex • $585
17131: Mabie Todd Swallow: smooth black hard rubber lever-filler, 11.25 cm long, nickel plated trim, #2 nib is sharp-edged with excellent flexibility; barrel imprint with 1918 patent date, New York production.
DATE: c. 1920 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine stub flex • $265
17130: Mabie Todd Blackbird: black chased hard rubber lever-filler, 13.5 cm long, nickel plated trim, made in England, even wear and moderate fading, name on barrel; wet writing nib, bold and responsive.
DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: VG-fine • NIB: broad flex • $175
17138: Parker button-filler: black streamline "Raven" series pen, 12.5 cm long, gold filled trim, uncommon proportions, long and slender, comb feed, good barrel imprint, smooth writer.
DATE: c. 1935 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: fine semiflex • $120
17136: Parker 51: early production burgundy Aerometric filler, 1/10 12K gold filled cap in converging lines pattern, good barrel imprint with 1st quarter date code, early screw-on filler housing with "PRESS . . . 6 TIMES" imprint, acrylic connector, new sac with perfect transparency.
DATE: 1949 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium • $200
17134: Parker 75: vermeil grid pattern, flat ends, gold plated trim, made in USA, marked "STERLING & 14K G.F."; section end with nib angle indicator, 14K USA-made nib, #66 on feed, large early metal converter.
DATE: c. 1972 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: medium • $365
17118: Parker 75 Fougere: vermeil (gold plate over solid sterling silver), made in France, 14K French nib, unusual version with dished tassies, no cap cabochon, cap rim marked "VERMEIL CLUB"; French hallmarked, but not marked "MADE IN FRANCE",.
DATE: c. 1985 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • NIB: medium • $765
17121: Waterman 402 in box: English-market black hard rubber eyedropper-filler with fine barleycorn sterling silver overlay, 14.2 cm long, London hallmarks with date letter for 1902/3; some digs to the section, nib tipping is present but scant (see details), overlay is unusually clean, only light marks on posting end, hallmarks and engine turning crisp.
DATE: c. 1902 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: fine flex • $985
17127: Waterman 0504 Patch: black hard rubber eyedropper-filler, 13.4 cm long, gold filled hand-chased overlay, #4 New York nib, Spoon Feed with patent imprints, overlay excellent noting monogram engraved on barrel, rivet holes at top of cap from now-absent clip (see details).
DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: fine flex • $1600
17133: unmarked eyedropper-filler: slender black hard rubber slip-cap with unusual gold filled filigree overlay, "8" worked into pattern three times; 12.65 cm long, Gothic "D" initial engraved on cap, warranted nib is a notably calligraphic writer, though tipping is scant.
DATE: c. 1910 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium stub flex • $485
Yet more recently-posted items here
Return to the main New Items page here
