Episode #39 – Specific Pens

In this episode of Currently Inked, I answer a few questions about specific pens and __pen brands, as we skip around between Nakaya, Waterman, Sheaffer, Marlen, and Pilot pens.

• 00:30 – Thoughts on Nakaya fountain pens
  • Leigh Reyes’ post on soft vs. elastic nibs
• 6:25 – Waterman Carène vs. Sheaffer Legacy II
• 11:05 – Marlen Pens
• 14:15 – What do I like about the Pilot Custom 823
  • Kaweco Palm Green

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Currently Inked 38 – Troubleshooting

NOTE: There was an issue with this video that I missed. A new video is currently being processed and uploaded. Please check back later.

This episode is brought to you by Vanness Pens at http://vanness1938.com. When you order, please thank them for their generous support of The __pen Habit!

In this episode, we dive into a bit of troubleshooting on specific pens.

• 00:45 – Visconti Van Gogh with Ink Starvation
• 04:15 – Faber Castel Loom that leaks between the grip and the barrel
• 07:05 – Aligning Pelikan Nib Unit
• 9:45 – Converter leaking behind the piston

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Currently Inked #37 – All About Ink #1

In this episode, I answer (or pretend to answer) several of your questions about inks.

This episode is brought to you by La Couronne du Comte at http://lacouronneducomte.nl. Use the coupon code PENHABIT10 for 10% off your order (excluding Montblanc items.)

• 00:33 – What is the worst that can happen if I use an “unsafe” ink in my recently restored vintage pens. (For more about ink pH, see this article: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/care/ink_ph.htm)
• 03:15 – How vital is it that I use bulletproof inks?
  • Platinum Classic Inks
  • KWZ Iron Gall
  • De Atramentis Document Inks
  • Scribe’s Inks
  • Rohrer & Klingner Inks (Scabiosa, Salix)
• 6:50 – Diamine Autumn Oak vs. Noodler’s Apache Sunset
• 11:10 – Are the Diamine 150th Anniversary Inks going to stick around?
• 14:30 – Is Cross Violet the same as Pelikan 4001 Violet?

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Unusual Moores

I've been collecting Moores in my typically unsystematic way for quite a few years, putting away pre-lever-filler examples that catch my attention as interesting and unusual (OK, so it isn't as unsystematic as all that). This week two such pens turned up, shown above.

The top __pen is doubly unusual, in that it is an eyedropper-filling stylographic. Many fountain __pen makers also offered stylos, which are typically far less common than nibbed pens. Moore stylographics are rare indeed, with most made in the form of safety pens, the stylo tip retracting into the barrel in the same manner as in Moore's regular safeties (photo here).

A distinguishing feature of Moore stylographic safety pens is the orange dome on their caps -- just as is seen on the second recently-received pen. In this case, however, the pen is neither a stylo nor converted from one, for inside the cap there is the central safety post -- a feature lacking in Moore stylos, for obvious reasons. Aside from the orange dome, the pen is a normal Midget safety from the late 'teens or early 1920s, with a Moore rather than an American Fountain pen Co. nib.

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Currently Inked #36 – How I use my pens

In this episode, I answer questions about how I personally use my pens.

This episode is brought to you by Fontoplumo at http://fontoplumo.nl.

• 1:05 – Do you combine your other hobbies with your pens?
• 4:55 – My process for writing my novel.
  • Scrivener
• 11:00 – Some in-production alternatives to my favorite discontinued inks.
  • FAQ about favorite inks.
• 11:55 – Sponsor Spotlight – Fontoplumo
• 13:50 – What is your favorite sound of nib on paper when you write?

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Currently Inked #35

In this episode, we talk about a couple of green inks, whether or not mixing ink is normal, and how I organize my collection of ink swabs.

This episode is brought to you in part by __pen Chalet at http://penchalet.com. Use the coupon code PENHABIT for 10% off your order.

• 2:30 – Mailbag: Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz, Montblanc Shakespeare Velvet Red
• 3:40 – How do Montblanc Irish Green and Monteverde Green compare to each other.
• 6:00 – I mix a lot of inks to find my perfect colors. Is this normal, or do I need to seek professional help?
• 9:40 – Sponsor Spotlight: Pen Chalet
• 10:45 – How do you organize your ink swab collection?
• 15:45 – Currently Inked: Omas Bologna Carmello with Monteverde Brown Sugar

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Currently Inked #34 | 29 March 2017

• 00:30 – How do I get ink trapped behind the seal of a Pilot Con-70 converter cleaned out?
• 4:20 – How can I avoid getting oils from my hand on the paper as I write?
• 6:45 – What would your perfect custom-made __pen look like?
• 8:30 – __pen with a fine nib that doesn’t skip with a price under $20?
• 9:50 – Currently Inked #1 – Eversharp Skyline (vintage) w/ Monteverde Capri Blue (I think…)
• 12:15 – What is a good replacement for Sheaffer Skrip Peacock?
• 13:45 – How much ink do you find “enough” to sample an ink, and do you have a process for determining whether or not to buy a bottle?
• 16:45 – Currently Inked #2 – Sheaffer Legacy Color Prototype w/ De Atramentis Document Blue
• 19:50 – Are handmade pens of a higher quality than mass-produced pens?
• 24:40 – If you had to pick a favorite manufacturer in Italy, Germany, and Japan, what would they be.
• 27:00 – What is your experience with / opinion on music nibs.
• 28:55 – Can you please make Inky Fingers notebooks with perforated pages? (And a digression about Inky Fingers notebooks in general).
• 34:10 – Has anyone ventured into cryogenic treatment of nibs?

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Currently Inked #33 | 15 March 2017

• 00:00 – Life overview, Inky Fingers Paper problems, 2017 __pen show attendance
• 3:20 – Matt’s 4th anniversary of fountain __pen users
• 4:40 – Does it matter if you store the converter with the pen, or if you use the same converter with the pen all the time?
• 7:30 – Have you noticed any variation on the green in your Nakaya Heki-Temiuri Decapod over time?
• 8:50 – Could you make a video comparison of different kinds of papers?
• 10:15 – Have you ever used Ogami paper?
• 12:10 – Currently Inked #1 – Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue with Parker Quink Blue-Black
• 14:55 – Thoughts about Visconti’s nib quality in the ’90s and early ’00s vs. today.
• 18:30 – Some inks stain clear demonstrators. Are there “rules” for what inks are safe and what inks to avoid?
• 21:10 – Aurora Optima vs. Sailor Optima Realo
• 24:30 – Currently Inked #2 – Aurora Optima Green Auroloide with Diamine Autumn Oak
• 26:05 – What type of reviews do you prefer making: Written or video?
• 30:40 – Shouldn’t we be able to store our pens with the nib down?

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So. Much. Ink.

I was recently asked to do a quick(ish) tour of my ink collection by a viewer, so I thought I’d whip out the iPhone and walk you through what 230 bottles of ink looks like. It’s no Taipei Ink Collector or anything, but still respectable enough.

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Cat seal

Nineteenth-century pencils often featured seal stones in their crowns. Sometimes these were glass, but better examples typically boast seals of bloodstone, moonstone, carnelian, and other semiprecious materials. And sometimes these seals are engraved, usually with initials. More elaborate engravings are unusual, and especially unusual is this engraving of a cat found on the bloodstone seal of a fine 15K gold Mordan pencil from between 1845 and 1860.

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Currently Inked #32 | 3 March 2017

• 0:45 – Do you have any suggestions for pens that pair well together (2 fountain pens plus a ballpoint)?
• 4:20 – Do you have another goal in mind for your ink collection?
  • Inquisitive Quill tour of Taipei Ink Collection
• 6:20 – __pen purchases as investments?
• 7:55 – What are your thoughts about Massdrop?
• 10:00 – Any news on updates to the Inky Fingers Notebook lines?
• 11:55 – What is your favorite ink per brand?
• 14:20 – Have you used a fountain __pen with a WA nib? How do they compare to standard nibs?
• 15:05 – How do you mentally get over not matching the ink to the pen body?
• 17:50 – I love the Aurora Optima Green Auroloide. Are there any other larger pens that use a similar material?
• 19:20 – What are your tea preferences?
  • Quangzhou Milk Oolong
  • Earl Grey Cream
• 21:15 –  What are the benefits and the disadvantages to modern vacuum-fillers filling systems?
• 24:20 – Currently Inked #1 – Homo Sapiens Bronze Age Maxi w/ Diamine 1864 Terra Cotta
• 27:20 – What is the best way to polish a pen?
• 29:30 – Am I better off getting a bunch of cheap pens with a Platinum Preppy or a slightly more expensive pen with swappable nibs?
• 31:10 – What are some of your other interests in life besides nibs and ink.
• 34:55 – I start to get pain in my back and shoulder are when I write. Any suggestions or tips?
  • Wobble Cushion
• 39:10 – What is your opinion about the pricing strategies of Italian nibs?

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20-year anniversary

The last few months have been more than usually hectic. So much so, that I entirely forgot the twentieth anniversary of www.vintagepens.com, which went online at the end of January 1997 (first snapshot at the Wayback Machine is from June). It was one of the first __pen sites on the web, predated slightly by Jonathan Steinberg's www.vintagepen.com, and launched in parallel with friend and colleague Simon Gray's Battersea __pen Home site at www.penhome.co.uk (we shared ideas and software -- FrontPage, way back then).

Despite longstanding intention to give the site a complete revamp, it remains more of a palimpsest. The most recent major structural change was to the catalog and Pen Profiles sections to make them mobile-friendly. Carrying over those same changes to the rest of the site is on the to-do list, though a full redesign may arrive first.

Looking back, one of the biggest changes between then and now is the ease of online commerce today. Back then, we were turned down for a credit card processing account because we didn't have a bricks and mortar store. Assets, credit rating, established business -- none of that mattered. For the first months we processed online credit card orders (received by fax, for security) through the merchant account of a friend with a local antiques store. We were running more sales through his account than he was, but we couldn't get our own account until bank policy changed several months later. Not that that account was much of a deal, with all the added charges and surcharges and hidden charges and overpriced required processing equipment. It's all so much easier, cheaper, and more transparent now.

Then there was all the time spent on shipping. No online postage then -- we had to take our packages to the Post Office, waiting in line at the end of the day to mail them at the counter. We pretty quickly set up multiple printers to handle labels, including the multipart labels for Express Mail, Registered Mail, and customs (two different labels for the latter, large and small), but there was no getting around those lines. That was one reason we long maintained a rather high minimum order threshhold, so that we didn't get overwhelmed with small orders that would push our Post Office time to unacceptable levels. As I recall, I did look at postage meters, but at the time they were both expensive and insufficiently flexible, especially as regards international shipments.

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Currently Inked #31 | 26 February 2017

• 4:15 – How can you use a fountain __pen with lower-quality paper and still have a good writing experience?
• 6:30 – Is the Sheaffer Skrip ink on the shelves behind you still available in that packaging?
• 8:10 – Do you have recommendations on a good, really black ink?
  • Aurora Black
  • Sailor Kiwa-Guro Pigmented Black
  • Platinum Carbon Black
  • Private Reserve Velvet Black
• 9:35 – An exploration of ink starvation on a Pilot Vanishing Point
• 13:15 – Currently Inked #1 – Classic Pens LB3 Jupiter w/ Monteverde Yosemite Green ink
• 15:00 – What editing software do you use for your videos? Final Cut Pro vs. Adobe Premiere
• 17:20 – Are there people who can re-tip nibs?
  • Nibs.com (US – California)
  • Gregminuskin.com (US – California)
  • goldnibs.com – (Spain)
  • fpnibs.com – (Spain)
• 19:40 – Local stores in the Seattle area for pens
  • Silberman Brown Stationers
  • Kinokuniya
  • University of Washington Bookstore
• 22:10 – Currently Inked #2 – Scriptorium Pens Conway Stewart Wellington Homage – Robert Oster Melon Tea
• 23:55 – After the passage of time and with more experience, have you changed your experience of the Montblanc 149
• 26:55 – Have we reached “peak ink?”
• 32:50 – Have you ever considered taking on a partner for The __pen Habit?

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@FisherOfPens Apollo Giveaway

So, I’ve been meaning to get to this giveaway for a long time, and I know a lot of you have been desperate to enter it as well, based on the number of times people have asked me when the giveaway is going to start. So, it’s now time to give away this lovely Fisher of Pens Apollo. This is a wonderful pen, made by an excellent custom __pen maker, Carl Fisher. This __pen comes with your choice of a medium or extra fine steel nib. This giveaway will be accepting entries through 11:59PM on 25 February 2017

In addition to the pen, I will be providing the winner with an Inky Fingers Notebook Variety Pack in their choice of Pocket size or Traveler’s Size.

A reminder about pen Habit Giveaways through Rafflecopter:

• You only have to do one of the types of entry listed below to be entered, not all of them.
• Each additional method (follows, emails, newsletter signups, etc) counts as 1 additional entry “ticket.”
• I verify every winner, so if you don’t follow instructions (e.g., when you post a comment you don’t answer the question, you don’t use the proper subject when you send your email entry, etc.) you will be disqualified. Usually every contest I have to disqualify the first two or three winners for not following the rules.
• Due to the volume of entries I get, I am unable to verify that entries worked or “went through” properly ahead of time.

And now for the Terms & Conditions:

Terms & Conditions: The prizes for this giveaway was provided free of charge by Fisher of Pens and Inky Fingers LLC. Giveaway ends February 25, 2017 at 11:59 PM PDT. Winners will be selected at random by Rafflecopter.com and verified by The Pen Habit. Winner will have 72 hours to respond before prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for shipping all prizes to the winner. Neither Fisher of Pens nor The Pen Habit/Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for prizes that are not received by user. No purchase necessary to enter. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to The Pen Habit only. I do not share or sell personal information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner unless otherwise specified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lamy AL-Star Pacific Giveaway from @GouletPens

The good folks at Goulet Pens have very graciously provided two sets of the new Lamy Special Edition Pacific AL-Star and ink. One __pen comes with a Fine nib, the other __pen with an extra-fine nib. The Pacific is a beautiful turquoise blue aluminum pen that is the the brand’s 2017 color. These pens usually sell out quickly, and they almost never come back again, so this is an exciting giveaway. This giveaway ends on 18 February 2017 at 11:59PM

In addition to the pen and ink, I will be providing each winner (there will be two) with an Inky Fingers Notebook Variety Pack in their choice of Pocket size or Traveler’s Size.

By way of reminder about pen Habit Giveaways through Rafflecopter:

• You only have to do one of the types of entry listed below to be entered, not all of them.
• Each additional method (follows, emails, newsletter signups, etc) counts as 1 additional entry “ticket.”
• I verify every winner, so if you don’t follow instructions (e.g., when you post a comment you don’t answer the question, you don’t use the proper subject when you send your email entry, etc.) you will be disqualified. Usually every contest I have to disqualify the first two or three winners for not following the rules.
• Due to the volume of entries I get, I am unable to verify that entries worked or “went through” properly ahead of time.

And now for the Terms & Conditions:

Terms & Conditions: The prizes for this giveaway was provided free of charge by Goulet Pens and Inky Fingers LLC. Giveaway ends February 18, 2017 at 11:59 PM PDT. Winners will be selected at random by Rafflecopter.com and verified by The Pen Habit. Winner will have 72 hours to respond before prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for shipping all prizes to the winner. Neither Goulet Pens nor The Pen Habit/Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for prizes that are not received by user. No purchase necessary to enter. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to The Pen Habit only. I do not share or sell personal information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner unless otherwise specified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A hidden nib imprint

Slip-cap eyedropper-fillers are common enough in black hard rubber, and it's not unusual to see examples in mottled. Red hard rubber is another story.

When this __pen came our way, it seemed possible that its maker could be identified by its details of construction, even though it was unmarked and carried a plain warranted nib. The cap with its circumferential groove looked somewhat Waterman-like, while the feed was not inconsistent with Aikin Lambert. The material, however, pointed in a different direction, as it was not a bright, clean orange but somewhat darker with black specks.

Identification ended up coming in an unexpected place: the underside of the nib, shown above. The imprint references  US patent 772193, issued October 11, 1904 to De Witt C. Van Valer, and assigned to Frazer & Geyer. The patent describes a method of giving a gold nib resilience by compression using dies and a hydraulic press, rather than the traditional hammer-tempering.

Frazer & Geyer (also referred to as "Frazer Geyer" in contemporary records) manufactured fountain pens under their own name, the "Lincoln" being one of their best-known models. But not all Frazer & Geyer pens were so marked. Most notably, Frazer & Geyer became the maker of  A. A. Waterman pens by 1901, when William G. Frazer and Hobart W. Geyer formed a separate partnership with Arthur A. Waterman, as A. A. Waterman Co. (see Chapman v. Waterman, 1917). Although some have written that Arthur A. Waterman was  forced out of the company by his partners in 1905, more recent research has shown that the dissolution of the partnership in May of that year was due instead to his partners' financial and legal issues. The Chapmans, who had been lending money to Frazer and Geyer, ended up taking over their interests in settlement, including both the Frazer & Geyer Company, and Frazer and Geyer's position in the A. A. Waterman Co.

So how to classify our pen? While it is closely connected with A. A. Waterman, calling it one is more than a bit of a stretch. Frazer & Geyer it will have to be -- though there is no telling whether it was made before or after the Chapmans took over the company. I'm inclined to after, however, judging from the contours of the cap and barrel. The __pen is clearly modeled on the market leader, the Waterman 12, but on the version made towards the end of the decade and later, with flatter and less domical ends. And while we are discussing A. A. Waterman's copying of Waterman designs, I should also mention a couple of Waterman 20 clones that Dick Johnson sold many years ago, both of A. A. Waterman (Frazer & Geyer) manufacture.

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Currently Inked #30 | 7 February 2017

This episode of Currently Inked is sponsored by Vanness Pens at http://vanness1938.com. Head there for all your fountain pen, ink, and paper needs. Now featuring specialty nib sizes of the limited edition Aurora 88 Sole and the new Lamy AL-Star Pacific Blue.

• 5:04 – How do you find vintage pens online, and what warning signs do you look for to avoid duds?
  • Flexinibpens.com
  • PeytonStreetPens.com
• 8:30 – Have you ever used Twiss pens?
• 9:10 – Currently Inked #1: Stylo-Art Negoro w/ Franklin-Christoph Urushi Red
• 11:30 – Currently Inked #2 – Parker Vacumatic Oversize Golden Pearl w/ Waterman Inspired Blue
• 13:45 – My wooden __pen case came with packets of activated carbon and silica gel. Would you keep these? Would they hurt the pens?
• 15:55 – My handwriting quality varies based on the pens and inks I use. Have you noticed the same thing?
• 18:00 – Sponsor Spotlight – Vanness Pens
  • Lamy AL-Star Pacific
  • Aurora 88 Sole
• 22:00 – Currently Inked #3 – Platinum 3776 Celluloid Jade w/ Caran d’Ache Grand Canyon
• 23:20 –  Currently Inked #4 – Mango __pen w/ Robert Oster Fire & Ice
• 25:15 – A bit of self-promotion – Pens for Sale, Inky Fingers Notebooks
• 27:05 – Can you recommend some pens with wider grips?
• 29:50 – What makes paper fountain pen friendly?
• 34:25 – My Monteverde Impressa won’t fill up properly. Any idea why?
• 36:05 – Currently Inked #5 – Franklin Christoph 45 Italian Ice w/ F-C Philly Show Orange
• 37:35 – Currently Inked #6 – Montegrappa Linea NeroUno w/ Montblanc Lucky Orange
• 42:30 – What’s your preference for storing inked fountain pens?
• 44:15 – What is your opinion about Lamy Inks, particularly considering the price difference between different inks?

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Xezo Eternal Flame Giveaway

I’m very excited to be kicking off what promised to be a veritable flurry of giveaways here on The __pen Habit.  The first __pen up on the block is this lovely Xezo Eternal Flame fountain pen. You can read my review of it here. This pen was provided by the good folks at Xezo USA for review and giveaway and comes with a lovely fine steel nib and its original packaging. This giveaway will be active through 11:59PM PST on Valentine’s Day: February 14, 2017.

The winner will also be receive their choice of an Inky Fingers notebook variety pack in either Pocket Notebook or Traveler’s Notebook size.

As a reminder about Pen Habit Giveaways through Rafflecopter:

• You only have to do one of the types of entry listed below, not all of them.
• Each entry type (follows, emails, newsletter signups, etc) counts as 1 additional “ticket.”
• I verify every winner, so if you don’t follow instructions (e.g., when you post a comment you don’t answer the question, you don’t use the proper subject when you send your email entry, etc.) you will be disqualified. Usually every contest I have to disqualify the first two or three winners for not following the rules.
• Due to the volume of entries I get, I am unable to verify that entries worked or “went through” properly ahead of time.

And now for the Terms & Conditions:

Terms & Conditions: The prizes for this giveaway was provided free of charge by Xezo USA and Inky Fingers LLC. Giveaway ends February 14, 2017 at 11:59 PM PDT. Winners will be selected at random by Rafflecopter.com and verified by The Pen Habit. Winner will have 72 hours to respond before prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for shipping all prizes to the winner. Neither Xezo USA nor The Pen Habit/Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for prizes that are not received by user. No purchase necessary to enter. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to The Pen Habit only. I do not share or sell personal information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner unless otherwise specified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A re-imprinted Duofold Senior

The Parker Duofold Senior shown above has several unusual features, all of which would seem to be old and original. Capped, the __pen appears to be a completely standard Mandarin from around 1927.

The nib, however, is a Lucky Curve #7 of the sort found on Senior-sized non-Duofold pens of the pre-streamline era. It sits atop a Vacumatic-era comb feed. Comb feeds are often found retrofitted to Duofolds originally equipped with "spearhead" Lucky Curve feeds, but with either an original Duofold nib, or with an arrow-imprint nib marked on the heel with a star to denote the Duofold guarantee. One just doesn't see #7 Lucky Curve nibs used as replacements.

This all makes more sense upon examination of the barrel, which bears two imprints. One is the expected later 1920s Lucky Curve imprint, which has largely been polished away. The other is the typical 1930s one-line generic Parker imprint with no model name, which only shows modest wear and is clearly legible. The __pen can best be characterized as a downgraded Duofold Senior, assembled from surplus parts to be sold without the Duofold name or guarantee. Given the comb feed and the lack of a date code on the barrel, this assembly likely took place around 1933-34.

Other downgraded Duofolds are known; a pristine Lapis Blue Senior set was sold at an Ohio pen show auction a few years ago, if I remember correctly, though that pen bore but a single barrel imprint, with the Lucky Curve banner but without the Duofold name. And a double-imprinted Big Red was the topic of discussion some years back in one of the online forums. Such pens are rare, though, so this Mandarin is a welcome discovery.

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Xezo Architect / J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre Giveaway

For the first giveaway of 2017, we have a trio of prices.

First, thanks to the good folks at Xezo, we are giving away this lovely Architect Azure Blue FM fountain pen. Featuring a lovely octagonal design highlighted with a guilloche base and a rich, Mediterranean blue lacquer finish, this limited edition __pen features a smooth, steel medium nib, and comes with a converter.

Next, thanks to the wonderful folks at Execlair, the US distributor for J. Herbin, Rhodia, Clairfontaine, and several other fine stationery brands, we have a full, unopened bottle of J. Herbin’s 1670 ink, Caroube de Chypre. This lovely chocolate brown ink is loaded with gold shimmering particles.

Finally, we’ll be including an Inky Fingers notebook variety pack in either Pocket Notebook or Traveler’s Notebook size.

As a reminder about __pen Habit Giveaways through Rafflecopter:

• You only have do one of the types of entry listed below, not all of them.
• Each entry type (follows, emails, newsletter signups, etc) counts as 1 additional “ticket.”
• I verify every winner, so if you don’t follow instructions (e.g., when you post a comment you don’t answer the question, you don’t use the proper subject when you send your email entry)
• Due to the volume of entries I get, I am unable to verify that entries worked or “went through” properly ahead of time.

And now for the Terms & Conditions:

Terms & Conditions: The prizes for this giveaway was provided free of charge by Xezo USA, Exaclair, and Inky Fingers LLC. Giveaway ends January 29, 2017 at 11:59 PM PDT. Winners will be selected at random by Rafflecopter.com and verified by The Pen Habit. Winner will have 72 hours to respond before prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for shipping all prizes to the winner. Neither Xezo USA, Exaclair, nor The Pen Habit/Inky Fingers LLC will be responsible for prizes that are not received by user. No purchase necessary to enter. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to The Pen Habit only. I do not share or sell personal information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner unless otherwise specified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thomas Addison, pioneer pencil maker

The early history of writing instrument manufacture in America is still a wide open field. Though a few dedicated collector-researchers have compiled lists of the first makers and their patents, we have little detailed information about the key figures of the era. Most died before the advent of the modern biographical obituary, their passings marked only by terse newspaper death notices. Where later mentions are found -- typically in obituaries of former apprentices and employees -- details are notably lacking, and often unreliable.

Thomas Addison was the most important and successful early American pencil-case (mechanical pencil) manufacturer. His patent 736, issued May 10, 1838, is one of the earliest US mechanical pencil patents, and he became prosperous enough to earn an entry in the 1845 edition of Moses Yale Beach's Wealth and Biography of the Wealthy Citizens of New York City ( p. 3; the same entry appears on p. 2 of the 1846 edition, while Addison is absent from the 1842 edition):

Addison Thomas .... [$]150,000
A distinguished pencil-case maker; a pioneer in this, and made his money by industry. The present ever-pointed pencil-case was first made by him, and owes its form to his ingenuity.

Addison's estimated worth has increased to $200,000 in the 1855 edition ( p. 3), and more details are given:

Addison, Thomas . . . . [$]200,000
Originally of the firm of Wilmarth and Addison, ever pointed pencil makers. They manufactured the ever-pointed pencils which were invented in England by G. Mordan, who held the patent right for the invention, dated May, 1825. After separating from this partnership he carried on a successful trade for many years, became wealthy, and is now retired from business.

It is a long jump from there to a contemporary biographical entry ( History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, 1882, p. 255) for John Mabie (1819-1892), which states that he spent 8 years and four months as "an apprentice in the manufacture of gold-pencil cases with Thomas Addison, the first man to engage in that business in this country", starting at the age of 12 -- thus between Jun 19, 1831 and Jun 18, 1832. Addison may have been a founding father of American pencil-case and pen-case (portable dip pen) manufacture, but any further information about his life and career we will now have to dig out from contemporary records and notices. What follows is necessarily but a first step -- to be amended and amplified as more records are found.

Thomas Addison died on September 10, 1854 -- too late for the compilers of Beach's Wealth and Biography of 1855 to take notice, apparently. Brief death notices appeared in various New York City newspapers ( Evening Post, September 11, 1854, p. 3, col. 7; Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer, September 12, 1854, p. 3, col. 7, shown below):

These notices tell us little, but in combination with census and burial records, they enable us to confirm that this was the same Thomas Addison who now lies under a rather prominent monument at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York (described and illustrated here). The inscription on that monument places Thomas Addison's birth on April 13, 1795. Other inscriptions help fill out our picture of his family, to which we will return later.

The US Census of 1850 (roll: M432_44; page: 468A; image: 619) records Addison's birthplace as Connecticut, but this may not be trustworthy. Addison was living in Middletown, Connecticut at the time, and it seems the census taker was not overly careful about ascertaining place of birth: all but one of Addison's children are also listed as Connecticut-born, even though most if not all had been born when Addison was living in New York, while the other one is mistakenly listed as being born in Ireland, appearing immediately above the two young Irish women, 17 and 20, who must have been family domestics. The oldest record of Addison that I have located to date finds him in New York City, in Mercein's City Directory, dated June 1, 1820 ( p. 107): "Addison ---- ["Thomas" is the name above], 37 Lombardy". Addison does not appear in Longworth's New York City directories for 1808-09 or 1815-16, and  I have not been yet able to consult directories from between 1816 and 1820. In Longworth's directory for 1822-23 ( p. 53), he is listed as "Addison Thomas, jeweller 84 Prince". Addison is first listed as a pencil case maker in the next edition, for 1823-24 ( p. 53), as shown below:

Longworth's listings do not change until the issue for 1826-27 ( p. 54), which reads "Addison & Co. Thomas, jewellers 68 Spring h. 84 Prince". The partnership was already established by September 15, 1825, as an advertisement appears in the New York Evening Post of that date ( p. 4, col. 1) offering two structures to let, a two-story brick building in the rear of 146 Washington, and a wooden shop in the rear of 84 Prince, applications to be made to Thomas Addison & Co., 68 Spring (an advertisement for "Adison's patent self-pointed pencil cases" appears in the same issue, p. 8, col. 5). An APPRENTICES WANTED ad in the December 3, 1825 issue of the same paper ( p. 1, col. 6) reads, "Two apprentices to the Jewellery business wanted immediately by the subscribers, about the age of fourteen or fifteen years. Apply at No. 68 Spring street. THOMAS ADDISON & CO."

Listings for Thomas Addison & Co. at 68 Spring Street continue through three annual issues of Longworth's directory, though Addison's home address changes from 84 Prince to 104 Spring to 422 Broome. In the directory for 1830-31, however, Thomas Addison & Co. is no more, and the listing ( p. 92) is simply "Addison Thoams [ sic] jeweller & pencil-case-maker 157 Broadway up stairs h. 422 Broome".

The notice reproduced above (from the New York Evening Post of September 7, 1829, p. 3, col. 2.) dates the dissolution of Thomas Addison & Co. to August 1, 1829, with the statement that "The subscribers will continue the manufactory of Jewelry and Pencil Cases. . . under the firm of WILLMARTH [sic], MOFFAT & CURTIS." Wilmarth, Moffat & Curtis continues to be listed in Longworth's at 68 Spring Street up until the 1834-35 edition ( p. 743), the above notice suggesting no further involvement by Addison with his former partners. The Wilmarth of Wilmarth, Moffat & Curtis was Jonathan Wilmarth, whose death on September 26, 1835 at the age of 41 ( New York Evening Post, Oct 10, 1835,  p. 7, col. 2) would have necessitated the dissolution of the firm (partner John L. Moffat would later join the Gold Rush, finding  lasting numismatic fame as the premier maker of California gold coins).

Addison appears to have found new partners, setting up as Addison & Co. A couple of years later, the notice below ( New York Daily Advertiser, May 4, 1831, p. 3, col. 5) was published, announcing a change in partners with the replacement of Jacob I. Lowns by Henry Withers as of March 31, 1831, with no change to the business name. The address is noteworthy: 157 Broadway would become Waterman's headquarters some 60 years later. As it is the address listed for Thomas Addison in the 1830-31 Longworth's, the business was likely first established there in late 1829. Addison did not stay there long, however. In the 1831-32 Longworth's (p. 93), his business address is 1 Cortlandt, and in the 1832-33 and 1833-34 editions, 4 Green (his home address stays as 422 Broome from the 1829-30 to the 1839-40 editions).

By the time the 1833-34 Longworth's ( p. 89) was compiled, Addison & Co. had become Addison, Wilmarth & Co. The relationship between this partnership and Wilmarth, Moffat & Curtis is unclear, with two different Curtises and Wilmarths involved (Henry and Joseph Curtis, William M. and Jonathan Wilmarth). As noted above, Wilmarth, Moffat & Curtis is listed at 68 Spring Street until the 1834-35 Longworth's, in which Addison, Wilmarth & Co. takes over that address. Wilmarth, Moffat & Curtis is now listed as "jewellers 13 John", but disappears from city directories the year after. Thomas Addison continues to be listed as a pencil case maker at 68 Spring in city directories up through the  Doggett's for 1845-46 ( p. 15), then disappears. The partnership of Addison, Wilmarth & Co. last appears in the Doggett's for 1842-43 ( p. 11), though William M. Wilmarth continues to be listed at 68 Spring for one more edition ( p. 369), after which his previous home address, 49 Crosby, is given instead.

If Addison retired around 1845, he would have been fifty. He had been a property owner for some time, as various newspaper advertisements indicate. In the February 7, 1834 Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer, for example, he offers two two-story brick houses to let at the the southeast corner of Spring and Crosby ( p. 4, col. 1), and in the March 18, 1844 edition we see ( p. 4, col. 1):

TO LET - The large room about forty feet square,
containing 18 or 20 windows in the third story of the build-
ing, No. 68 Spring street, lately occupied for a school . . .
or any manufacturing . . . where light is required.
On the premises of    THOMAS ADDISON.

Addison was also involved in multiple professional organizations; in the July 15, 1835 Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer there is a report of a meeting of the Gold and Silversmiths' Temperance Society ( p. 2, col. 4) in which Addison is mentioned as a manager, teller, and active participant. He was on the Board of Directors of the Mechanics Institute for the 1836-7 term, serving on the Committee of Finance. And in 1839, his name is listed as a reference in an advertisement for a "Juvenile Boarding School" ( col. 4), while the following ran in the New York Tribune of April 19, 1842 ( p. 3, col. 1):

Gold and Silver Artizans, Attention!
-The Gold and Silver Artizans of this City and vicinity,
opposed to the efforts now being made by the Importers and
others interested in Foreign Manufacture to reduce the du-
ties on Jewelry, Silver-Ware, &c., are requested to meet at
the Marion House, 165 West Broadway, on Wednesday, the
26th inst., at 8 o'clock, P. M., to sign a remonstrance against
this measure, which is so prejudicial to the Revenue of the
Country and to our interests, and to transact other impor-
tant business. By order of the Executive Committee,
THOMAS ADDISON, Chairman.

There is also a mention of Addison in the  New York Daily Tribune of Dec 7, 1844 ( p. 1, col. 6) as one of seven directors of the Mechanics' Banking Association recently re-elected, and another on December 6, 1851 ( p. 2, col. 5) as one of three members of the Committee for Subscriptions for stock in the New York and Boston Railroad. Perhaps these ventures proved just as lucrative as pencil manufacture, given that Beach's  Wealth and Biography of the Wealthy Citizens of New York City (cited above) had Addison's assets increasing by a third between 1845 and 1855.

Addison's last residence was at 37 Sands Street, Brooklyn. He is first listed there in  Hearnes' Brooklyn City Directory for 1853-1854, p. 19. It had previously been occupied by John Bell Graham, who died there on March 11, 1853. The site is now dominated by the approach ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge, but this advertisement from the Brooklyn Eagle, placed shortly after Addison's death, gives us some idea of what the house looked like (March 1, 1855, p. 4, col. 1):

TO LET -- A Three Story Brick House, No.
37 Sands street, to a private family ONLY - has gas,
range, bath rooms, &c, &c. - Apply to
JAMES A. H. BELL,
No 149 Maiden Lane, New York
Feb. 3, 1855.

Addison's estate also included stocks, as is indicated by an announcement of an executor's sale in the New York Morning Courier of March 27, 1855 ( p. 1, col. 5). Settlement of the estate continued into spring, with a notice for any claimants to come forward appearing in the  New-York Daily Times, May 4, 1855, col. 6.

---

For the last several years in which he appears in New York City business directories, Addison's home address was 79 Spring Street. But where was he living between his apparent retirement around 1845, and his move to Brooklyn in 1853? The 1850 US Census found Addison living in Middletown, Connecticut, along with his wife, Betsey, and six children: Thomas, 18; Samuel, 16; Joseph, 15; Betsey, 13; Reuben, 10; and Abraham, 9. The household help included two young Irish women and a 40-year-old laborer; 40-year-old Angeline Brownson, however, was more likely a widowed sister or sister-in-law. The Census records for 1830 and 1840 are less detailed; the family was then living in Ward 14 of New York City, consistent with the evidence of the directories.

The most detailed information on the Addison family I have been able to find has been through the inscriptions in the family vault and burial records as posted  here,  here, and here. It seems some inscriptions are quite worn, which may account for dates inconsistent with those of the Census:

Thomas Addison, d. Sep 10, 1854, aged 59 years 4 months and 28 days (thus b. Apr 13, 1795)

Two wives, who were sisters (their father Reuben Curtis, 1757-1816):
Silence (Sally) White Curtis d. Dec 5, 1828, 31 yrs, 8 mo. 24 days (thus b. Mar 11, 1797)
Betsey Curtis Addison (Oct 20, 1799 - Aug 27, 1873)

Children:
Cordelia Eugenie Addison (Feb 5, 1826 - Mar 20th 1837, Aged 11 years 1 mos 15 days)
Martha Isabella Addison (Aug 10, 1824 - Dec 8, 1841, 17y 3m 28dy)
Anna Louisa Addison Chesebrough (Feb 20, 1823 - Oct 4, 1845, 22y 7m 14dy)
Reuben Benjamin Addison (Jul 8, 1843 - Oct 11, 1854, 11y 3m 3dy) but b. 1840 per 1850 census
Samuel D. Addison (c. 1834 - Jul 1862)
Joseph Addison (c. 1835 - Feb 1861)
Thomas Addison Jr (Apr 18, 1835 - Feb 22, 1857, 21y 10m 4dy) but b. 1832 per 1850 census
Adriana Augusta Addison (after 1850? - Jan 7, 185?, 2y 8m 9dy)
Betsey Curtis Addison (Apr 3, 1837 - Oct 22, 1853, 16y 6m 19dy)

Note that many of the family members were originally buried at the New York City Marble Cemetery at 52-74 East 2nd Street, between Second and First Avenues ( Vault 26, Thomas Addison and Others)
and were reinterred at Green-Wood in Brooklyn on December 14 and 16, 1854.

I have not traced any living descendants, but there are surely a good number through Addison's daughter Anna Louisa, whose daughter Anna Louisa Chesebrough had no less than eleven children with John James Ingalls. Through reference to other family search sites, it seems likely that Thomas Addison was born in Newton, Connecticut.

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Currently Inked #29 | 15 January 2017

This episode of Currently Inked is brought to you by Vanness Pens at http://vanness1938.com.

• 00:45 – Mailbag
  • Dutch Masters Akkerman Inks
  • Expert Playing Card Company – http://expertplayingcard.com/#cards
• 4:35 – Why are plastic pens generally more expensive than metal pens?
• 11:10 – Currently Inked #1 – Waterman Carene Gunmetal with Montblanc Leo Tolstoy Sky Blue
• 13:55 – How helpful would it be to have a standarized scale for nib gauges?
• 17:20 – Why do people talk about posting the __pen to improve its balance?
• 22:25 – Currently Inked #2 – Visconti Divina Metropolitan – Robert Oster Jade
• 24:40 – What A5-sized, dot grid notebooks do you recommend?
• 27:00 – How do you get a full fill in a vac-filled __pen when the bottle starts to get empty.
• 29:05 – How did you modify the feel or your Aurora Optima by re-inserting the nib differently?
• 31:05 – Currently Inked #3 – Xezo Eternal Flame – with Monteverde California Teal
• 32:40 – How come so many pens have metal sections?
• 34:00 – How comfortable would you be having your favorite expensive round nibs ground to cursive italics?

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An unusual Fairchild combo

The Fairchild combination dip __pen and pencil shown above recently came to us from the wild. The seller described it as a pencil and was apparently unaware that it also had a nib -- a #6 Fairchild by all appearances original to its holder, still covered with a vivid green ink from its last usage.

Although it appears to be a standard combo with slide-out nib, twist-out pencil nozzle, and pull-out extension taper, inside there is the mechanism from a magic pencil. Pull the end knob, and the nozzle extends. Once the nozzle is fully extended, the taper can then be pulled out to its full length. Push the end knob in, and the nozzle retracts back into the barrel.

This isn't all. If the pencil nozzle is extended and the sliding ring is pushed forward to extend the nib, the ring only goes so far before hitting a stop (position shown below), after which further extension of the nib effects automatic retraction of the nozzle.

The end knob unscrews to reveal a lead reservoir, still retaining a few pieces of lead. They measure .048 inches in diameter, noting that the nozzle is clearly marked "8".

The extending taper is marked on opposite sides with the maker's mark and the patent date of September 15, 1874. This refers to US patent 155008, issued to Richard M. Collard. In Jonathan Veley's  American Writing Instrument Patents 1799-1910, nine of Collard's writing instrument patents are listed. Four are listed as assigned to Fairchild ( 287907, 291297, 291879, 300346), but not 155008, which could well have been assigned or licensed without leaving any visible public record. The claims of this patent do not cover the entirety of the construction, only the feature enabling automatic retraction of the nozzle upon extension of the nib, along with some details of internal construction.

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One discovery inside another

Experienced Waterman collectors have long been familiar with the giant mottled hard rubber straight-cap illustrated in Fischler and Schneider’s “Blue Book” ( Fountain Pens and Pencils: The Golden Age of Writing Instruments, first ed. 1990), where it was described as significantly larger than all known #8-size straight-caps, and possibly being #10-size. This __pen was discovered some 30 years ago, purchased at a California flea market along with a large group of Waterman Ripples. No similar __pen has turned up since. The pen remained in the collection of its original finder for many years until being sold to a European collector. The dispersal of that collection several years ago made possible yet another discovery.

The pen was originally found without a nib, and is comparable in size to Watermans that carry a #10 nib at 15.6 cm long, closed, with a cap easily wide enough to accommodate a nib of that size. Nonetheless, the section and feed are clearly sized to hold a #8 nib, not a #10 – not even an early, ventless, example. Nor could the pen be as early as Fischler and Schneider dated it, for the barrel imprint includes the August 4, 1903 patent date, as does the feed. Though it has gone unremarked to date, the feed is unique: neither three-fissure nor spoon feed, it is narrow and rectangular in section, with ink-trapping channels running parallel and on either side of the central feed channel. These ink-trapping channels do not open to the sides, and are only vented to the underside by means of short slots that are almost entirely hidden inside the section; these slots appear to serve the same function as the holes found on the underside of the largest Waterman spoon feeds, where the holes connect to the semicircular side cutouts. This design is otherwise unknown, and does not appear in any Waterman patent – though it is boldly imprinted with the dates for spoon feed patents 625722 and 735659, from 1899 and 1903. As noted in a previous post (" An unusual Waterman feed"), the slots would seem to be most closely connected to Weidlich's US patent 760,829 of 1904. The feed was carefully removed for photography, then replaced in the exact position as found. The ink residue on both section and feed left no doubt that the feed had not previously been removed.

On first examination, a small axial pillar was noted inside the barrel, loosely mounted. Since it was apparent that the posting end was made from a separate piece of hard rubber, I attempted to unscrew it. To my surprise and astonishment, the pen was revealed to be a pump-filler – the “pillar” being the weight-holding shaft, the applied metal weight having disintegrated to powder, as is often seen.

Although the pen is extremely large, the pump itself is not comparably oversized. Instead, the inside diameter of the barrel is reduced at the back by means of an insert – the separate piece probably the result of using tube rather than rod stock for the barrel. The ink residue again indicated a pen untouched for decades. One final anomaly is the barrel imprint, which is upside down when the pen is held in the right hand in writing position. I have seen only one other Waterman with such an imprint: a prototype pump-filler, acquired several years ago along with a number of other experimental non-production items from the granddaughter of a Waterman employee – an employee whose identity I was unfortunately unable to trace.

Why the inverted imprint? I think both pens may have belonged to the same person, someone who played a central role in design and engineering at Waterman – and who was, in all likelihood, left-handed. The prime candidate is none other than William Irving Ferris, the engineering genius responsible for nearly every significant Waterman innovation from the 1890s on, and most prominently, the spoon feed and the pump-filler (more on Ferris here; I have had no success to date in determining if Ferris was indeed left-handed).

For the moment, this is only speculation – though it is hard to imagine who else could have been responsible for this pen’s unique combination of extraordinary features. If it was not Ferris, it would have to have been someone just like him: yet as far as we know, Ferris was one of a kind – as is this pen.

NOTE: The photos above were taken in 2009, immediately after the pen was first thoroughly examined and its special features noted. They are being shared with the full permission of the pen's current owner. I have since confirmed that all its previous owners were entirely unaware that it was a pump-filler. The delay in publication is my own fault, as I mistakenly believed I had already posted on it.

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Currently Inked #28 | 1 January 2017

This episode of Currently Inked is brought to you by Nibsmith.com, now featuring top-of-the-line pens from Montegrappa and Aurora. In addition to nib adjustment and griding services, you can now purchase high-end pens from Dan Smith of Nibsmith.com and get a free nib adjustment/nib grind as part of your purchase. You can find the nibsmith.com web store at http://nibsmith.com/shop-2/

• 2:45 – Are the Kaweco and discontinued Caran d’Ache Colors of the Earth the same inks?
• 5:10 – What is the point of reverse writing?
• 6:50 – What are the benefits to a gold nib over a steel or titanium nib?
• 11:05 – Currently Inked #1 – Pelikan Calculation of Times with Pilot Blue Ink
• 13:50 – Have you ever purchased an expensive __pen with the intent of swapping the nib as soon as you get it?
• 16:30 – Sponsor – Nibsmith.com
• 19.00 – Are cotton swabs the best way to get an accurate representation when swabbing inks?
• 22:15 – Currently Inked #2 – Sailor Pro Gear – Diamine Shimmertastic Blue Lightning
• 25:45 – What is your wanna-have fountain pen? If your hobby more about wanting pens rather than having pens?
• 28:50 – How do you find people to whom you can write who aren’t creepers uninterested in actually sending letters?
  • FPGeeks
  • FountainPenNetwork
  • Pen Addict Slack
• 32:10 – What’s a good ink to use in vintage fountain pens?
• 35:05 – Delta The Journal with Bril Turqoise
• 37:50 – Do you think the Jinhao is still a good starter pen? What is your favorite __pen under $20?

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