The shop is closed through Monday for the Philadelphia pen show and the MLK holiday weekend. All orders received during this time will be sent promptly upon our reopening.
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 • $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
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
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
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
17112: Parker Duofold Junior: red hard rubber button-filler, 11.7 cm long, gold filled trim, large imprint, intact Lucky Curve feed, end milling clean, some wear to banner part of imprint, otherwise clearly legible.
DATE: c. 1924 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium firm • $275
17106: Parker Duofold Senior pencil: streamlined in Burgundy, 13.1 cm long, gold filled trim, later production with nose cone drive, lead cartridge insert, clip without patent date; uses 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1935 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $165
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
17107: Parker Classic Laque ballpoint in box: early production French lacquer, "Tortoiseshell" with Chinese two-character signature on barrel, narrow gold plated bands at joint, and band at top marked "PARKER" and "MADE IN FRANCE".
DATE: c. 1979 • CONDITION: exc • $275
17113: Parker 180 Imperial: gold plated cap, barrel, and trim, grouped parallel lines pattern; US-made, includes squeeze-filler slender convertor, 14K gold two-way triangular nib (offers two nib grades in one, with a thinner line when the nib is used inverted).
DATE: c. 1982 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: medium/extra fine • $150
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
17108: Stylographic Pen Co. stylographic pen: black chased hard rubber eyedropper-filler, 12.6 cm long, gold filled trim, made in Providence, RI; sharp chasing and imprints including July 15, 1879 patent date on section; two-part screw-apart section, spring-loaded gold needle and tipping intact, cap is a replacement of excellent quality.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: fine • $265
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
17114: unmarked combination dip pen and pencil: gold filled, 7.4 cm long retracted, 16.3 cm fully extended including bronze nib; lead compartment in front, extending shaft end turns to extend pencil nozzle, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine semiflex • $80
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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