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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 • SOLD
Previously featured items here
Latest featured items here
17101: A. A. Waterman 38M-3: clipless black chased hard rubber twist-filler, 13.55 cm long, infamous "NOT CONNECTED WITH" imprints on barrel and nib, chasing crisp and imprints bold, hard rubber black and glossy; nib fits perfectly but is a #2 rather than a #3 as would be expected from the imprinted model number, notable writer with a semistub tip, tight hairline from the vent hole (see detail), pen condition otherwise near mint.
DATE: c. 1912 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: medium fine semiflex • $225
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
17091: Fairchild magic pencil: gold filled with unusual foliate hand engraving with considerable fine detail; longer model, 7.1 cm long closed, 12.4 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $275
17092: Fairchild (?) magic pencil: gold filled ringtop, unusual double-draw telescoping design most commonly seen in English pencils; 5 cm long closed, 12.45 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine • $220
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
17100: Mabie Todd Swan Leverless: gold filled overlay twist-filler, 13.7 cm long, new old stock; made in England, crisp engine turned panels, overlaid section; came to us without nib or feed, #2 Swan nib is correct but not mint, notable rounded stub with shallow oblique profile.
DATE: c. 1938 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: broad stub oblique semiflex • $695
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
17103: Parker 21 Super pencil: black twist-action, gold plated cap, 12.7 cm long, new old stock, uses .9 mm lead.
DATE: 1952 • CONDITION: near mint • $50
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
17090: Wahl Signature: scarce red chased hard rubber lever-filler, 13.1 cm long, gold filled trim, roller clip, Wahl #2 nib; cap lip has been replaced using original material (repair invisible from exterior). Beautiful but fragile, barrel end has a crack that does not affect function (see detail), possibly from having been dropped, condition otherwise like new, with sharp chasing and imprints, glossy surfaces.
DATE: c. 1927 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: extra-fine flex • $265
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
17096: Waterman Gentleman in box: textured stainless steel cartridge-filler, 14.1 cm long, bright chrome clip. Large two-tone 18K gold Super 6 nib, an Alain Carré design, the first model to bear this name, entirely different from the version introduced in the 1980s; uses standard refills, non-Waterman converter included.
DATE: c. 1974 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: broad semiflex • $250
17094: unmarked dip pen: souvenir of the Pacific Northwest in the form of a totem pole, 15.2 cm long excluding bronze nib, hand carved and painted bone, hard rubber grip section.
DATE: c. 1930 • CONDITION: fine • $120
Yet more recently-posted items here
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