We are back from the Baltimore show and looking forward to staying at home for a while. Many new items to be listed shortly!
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
17152: Aikin Lambert sleeve-filler: black hard rubber self-filler, gold filled overlay, 13.8 cm long, barrel sleeve rotates to provide access to pressure bar (Waterman's first sleeve-filler patent of 1905, but used only on subbrand pens and Aikin Lamberts, after Waterman's takeover of Aikin Lambert c. 1907); #3 nib is a notable writer, hairline just visible starting below imprint (see detail); multiple corrosion spots and blisters on the cap, high point plating wear. A fine user example of a rare and unusual design.
DATE: c. 1910 • CONDITION: G* • NIB: extra-fine flex • $465
17151: Columbus eyedropper-filler: black hard rubber with heavy fluted gold filled overlay, telescoping extension from 10 cm to 13.45 cm, capped; made in Italy, marked only on the nib, which is an outstanding writer.
DATE: c. 1930 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: extra-fine flex • $600
17154: Parker 26: oversize black hard rubber slip-cap eyedropper-filler, 13.4 cm long, intact Lucky Curve feed, big #6 keyhole-vent Lucky Curve nib has a semistub nib, smooth and springy action; hard rubber faded and well worn but pen mechanically sound, imprint only barely visible, name on barrel in distinctive early factory script engraving. #6-size Parkers are notably hard to find -- this is the first 26 we have listed in over 20 years.
DATE: c. 1907 • CONDITION: G • NIB: medium flex • $595
17142: Parker Jack-Knife Safety set: ringtop button-filler, all-metal construction, gold filled cap, barrel, and section overlay, 8.8 cm long, alternating lines & fishscale pattern, intact Lucky Curve feed, nib is a precise writer with nice snapback, clean elegant lines; matching pencil is of Lucky Lock type, uses 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1923 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: fine flex • $350
17148: Parker Vacumatic Junior: early production "Crystal", black with transparent barrel, 12.1 cm long, gold filled trim, two-tone nib with turned up tip, lockdown filler; clean Vacumatic imprint, Vacuum-Filler style one-piece construction with integral section.
DATE: c. 1933 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium • $450
17150: Parker button-filler: black Depression-era model, 12.05 cm long, gold filled trim, stepped ends, triple cap band; clean imprint, no date code, uncommon and uncatalogued, clean appearance noting posting mark on barrel, slight shrinkage to cap, semistub nib.
DATE: c. 1936 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium fine flex • $165
17149: Parker Vacumatic Juniorette: black with transparent web pattern barrel, 11.8 cm long, gold filled trim, metal lockdown filler, crisp imprint with 1st quarter date code, barrel transparency outstanding, slight swelling over filler unit, otherwise like new.
DATE: 1938 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: medium firm • $495
17139: Parker Duofold Senior: green and brown pearl Vac-filler with black stripes, 13.6 cm long, gold filled over silver trim, Blue Diamond clip, geometric patterned cap band, largest size, much scarcer than contemporary Vacumatics; crisp imprint with 4th quarter date code, V for "Victory" wartime nib with semistub tip, outstanding barrel transparency, wartime plastic filler unit.
DATE: 1945 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • NIB: fine semiflex • $295
17147: Parker 51: dark blue Vac-filler, Lustraloy cap, gold filled over silver wartime Blue Diamond clip, barrel imprint with 1st quarter date code, even honest wear, used but not abused, handsome appearance.
DATE: 1947 • CONDITION: VG-fine • NIB: medium fine • $150
17120: Parker 75 Ecossais set in box: scarce pattern, silver plate, made in France, early production with 30 microns mark, solid flat ends, section with angle indicator, French-made 14K nib, old style thick metal squeeze converter. Doubly scarce in Italian-market packaging with characteristically Italian serial number on section; angle indicator lines are also of atypical form (see details). Cap-actuated ballpoint uses standard refills.
DATE: c. 1971 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: medium • $650
16861: Parker 75 Laque ballpoint: rare speckled olive brown lacquer finish, gold plated trim, made in France, "LE" date code; not a catalogued finish, likely test market.
DATE: 1983 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • $395
13274: Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel set in box: Pastel Green pneumatic-filler, 14.1 cm long, stainless cap, gold filled trim, White Dot, two-tone conical Triumph nib marked "M5", with matching .9 mm pencil, new old stock, boxed with instructions.
DATE: c. 1955 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: medium • $175
17140: Waterman 452½V Gothic: black hard rubber ringtop lever-filler, 9.6 cm long, sterling silver overlay in checkerboard pattern, only smallest usage marks to the metal, nib requires a bit of pressure to open up, great line width variation, like using a dip pen.
DATE: c. 1923 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: extra-fine flex • $295
16874: Waterman Goutte: uncommon model designed by Alain Carré, gold plated slender version, 13.6 cm long, malachite cabochon set into clip, 18K ventless nib. Made in France, uses C/F style cartridges, custom made converter shown is included.
DATE: c. 1979 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: medium fine • $250
17023: unmarked Jumbo: giant Japanese eyedropper-filler, 16 cm long, black urushi lacquer over hard rubber, gold plated trim, plated steel nib marked "Special/Iridium/Pen. Ink shutoff valve seal has been replaced (unscrew barrel end knob slightly to allow ink to flow to the nib, screw down to seal off barrel) and shaft repaired. New old stock with price sticker, larger than most.
DATE: c. 1960 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: medium fine • $225
Yet more recently-posted items here
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