Dip Pens


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This page last updated 5/24/13


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Vintage Dip Pens Specialty Dip Pen Nibs


Vintage Dip Pens



L.W. Holley Vintage Dip Pen Nib Set
Made in Des Moines, Iowa

holley Dip Pen

Nice set of 8 different vintage dip pen nibs from L.W. Holley in Des Moines. Lots of variety for those of you who enjoy writing with a dip pen. Great little souvenir for Iowans, too.

All nibs are imprinted L.W. Holley, Des Moines Iowa and the name of the nib below. Each is new old stock and in perfect condition, never used. The set of 8 nibs includes:

    No. 1 Posting, firm fine point
    No. 2 Bank, firm fine point
    No. 7 Favorite, slightly flexible fine point
    No. 10 Manifold, firm medium point
    No. 11 Arrow, very flexible medium point
    No. 12 Ideal, slightly flexible medium point
    No. 013 Silverine, slightly flexible medium point
    No. 014 Silverine, slightly flexible 0.8mm italic
BONUS! We'll include a complimentary vintage wood dip pen ($5 value) with each set of Holley dip pen nibs!

HOLLEY-SET Set of 8 Holley Dip Pen Nibs w/bonus Dip Pen $15



Bradley of Vermont Dip Pen Set

BOV Dip Pen

Bright red wood vintage Bradley of Vermont dip pen and 5 different antique dip pen nibs. All of the nibs are new old stock and never used. Nibs may vary with each dip pen. An inexpensive and practical way to experiment with a dip pen. Nib assortment may vary from those pictured.

BOV-SET Bradley of Vermont Dip Pen with 5 antique nibs $10



Bradley of Vermont Red Dip Pen

BOV Dip Pen

Bright red wood vintage Bradley of Vermont dip pen is fit with an L.W. Holley & Son No. 013 Silverine antique dip pen nib. This nib is new old stock, never used, slightly flexible fine point. L.W. Holley & Son was a stationer in Des Moines, Iowa.

BOV-RED Bradley of Vermont Red Dip Pen with Holley Nib $6 each or
2 for $10



DIP554
2


Unmarked, presumably Hunt Crow Quill dip pen holder in black plastic. Hunt No. 108 Crow Quill nib. Measures 5.5 inches long. Nib new old stock, never used, dip pen holder in very good condition.
$20
DIP560
2


Hunt Crow Quill Dip Pen Holder, dark brown plastic. Measures 5.5 inches long. Hunt No. 108 Crow Quill nib. Nib new old stock, never used, dip pen holder in very good condition.
$20
DIP562
2


Hunt Crow Quill Dip Pen Holder, dark brown with subtle dark green swirl plastic. Hunt No. 108 Crow Quill nib. Measures 5.5 inches long. Nib new old stock, never used, dip pen holder in very good condition.
$25
DIP563
2


Hunt Crow Quill Boxed Set includes brown plastic Crow Quill dip pen holder and 10 un-used Hunt Crow Quill dip pen nibs. Box states that there are one dozen nibs originally, so we can assume someone used the pen at least a little bit! Bright green box in very good condition, as is the entire set. Made in Statesville, North Carolina, USA.
$45
DIP585
dip


Vintage German Glass Dip Pen - this is an older dip pen, made from a glass rod filled with bright pink liquid. White metal ferrule is marked Germany. Fit with a Leon Isaacs No. 15 Glucinium new old stock antique dip pen nib, 0.9mm prox firm stub point. Ferrule is tarnished, but otherwise very good condition.
$35
DIP586
dip


Vintage German Glass Dip Pen - this is an older dip pen, made from a glass rod filled with bright flourescent yellowy-green liquid. White metal ferrule is marked Germany. Fit with a Leon Isaacs No. 15 Glucinium new old stock antique dip pen nib, 0.9mm prox firm stub point. Ferrule is tarnished, but otherwise very good condition.
$35
DIP587
dip


Vintage German Glass Dip Pen - this German dip pen is made from a glass rod filled with pastel pink liquid. White metal ferrule is marked Germany. Fit with a Leon Isaacs No. 15 Glucinium new old stock antique dip pen nib, 0.9mm prox firm stub point. Ferrule is tarnished, but otherwise very good condition.
$35
DIP593
dip


Esterbrook Display Card - Esterbrook PenHolder with Patented Pen Releaser. In the center section is printed information about Esterbrook Pens, Pen Holders, Drawlet Pens, Drawlet Inks, Compasses and Ball Bearing Clips. Two of the original 12 Esterbrook No. 21 Pen Holders with Pen Releaser are intact and in perfect condition. Each Dip Pen measures 7 inches long. Easel stand on the back of the display card. Display measures 10.25 x 13 inches. Beautiful Art Deco designed display in black, red, light and dark green. Excellent condition.
$65
New
DIP594
dip


Swirl Dip Pen, recent production, sometime in the last 15 years or so. Made in England. Wood with black gloss finish and beautiful metallic gold swirls. Fit with an antique new old stock Spencerian No. 35B Royal Pen Dip Pen Nib, there is a raised letter R on the nib. Point is a responsive soft italic, 0.9mm width. Measures 7.75 inches long. New condition.
$15
New
DIP598
dip


Hunt Crow Quill Holder & Nib - New old stock, this holder came to us in the original bulk cardboard box, as did the sweet super fine and super flexible crow quill Hunt No. 104 dip pen nib. Wood dip pen is finished in a deep teal color and printed in gold: Hunt's No. 104 Made In USA. Crow Quill dip pen measures 5.25 inches long. Nibs are perfect for ornamental writing and flourishing. Excellent condition.
$15
New
DIP602
dip


Hunt Crow Quill Dip Pen, natural wood dip pen with red gripping section. Dip pen is marked: Hunt Crow Quill No. 102. Includes new old stock Hunt No. 102 Crow Quill dip pen nib, extra fine - extra flexible point. Ink stain on gripping section, otherwise very good condition.
$15
New
DIP604
dip


Crow Quill Dip Pen with black painted finish is unmarked, Fit with a Joseph Gillotts No. 659 Crow Quill nib, Extra fine and Extra Flexible. Measures 5.5 inches long. Small fleck of paint missing on holder, area about 3 x 7mm otherwise very good condition. Nib is new old stock, never used.
$10
New
DIP605
dip


Unusual full length Crow Quill Dip Pen with contoured gripping area measures 7 inches long. Fit with a new old stock Hunt No. 102 crow quill dip pen nib, extra flexible extra fine. Very good condition.
$20
New
DIP607
dip


Crow Quill Dip Pen with black painted finish is unmarked, Fit with a Heintze Blanckertz No. 06 Crow Quill Dip Pen Nib, flexible fine point. Measures 5 5/8 inches long. Paint missing from the end of holder, otherwise very good condition.
$10
New
DIP608
dip


Hunt Brown plastic dip Crow Quill dip pen holder fit with Hunt No. 108 Crow Quill dip pen nib. Point is extra fine and extra flexible. Measures 5 5/8 inches long. End of dip pen is a little rough. Nib is new old stock never used. Overall very good condition.
$15



Antique Dip Pen Nibs
Special Assortments, Boxed Nibs & Oddities!


Be sure to check out our extensive selection of antique dip pen nibs in our Dip Pen Nibs section! These have been recently updated and include many sought after nibs for both the calligrapher and the dip pen nib collector.



Test Tube o'Nibs
with Complimentary Dip Pen

Test Tube o' Nibs

A little dose of history, science and penmanship all inside a stoppered test tube! What better way to slow down and forget the worries of your day. While away a few hours productively by revisiting your penmanship with an old fashioned dip pen.

This clear glass test tube is from the Sheaffer Wet Lab in Fort Madison, Iowa. Each one has a label with different cryptic (to me!) markings. We've filled the tube with 15 different antique dip pen nibs and please note that the assortments may vary a bit from one tube to the next. Just in case you don't already have one, we'll include a complimentary ($6 value) new old stock Bradley of Vermont ca. 1940s wood dip pen so you can put all those nibs to good use.

TTN Test Tube 'o Nibs with Free Dip Pen $15



Box o'Nibs

Box o' Nibs
Photo shows representative sampling

We've filled a wide variety of vintage dip pen nib boxes with antique nibs. This larger assortment includes 50 different antique nibs. All are new old stock, never used and in perfect condition. A wide variety of points that will fit most of the standard dip pen holders. The new assortment is packed in a vintage dip pen nib box, the boxes are all different, too!

BOXNIBS Box o' Nibs
Sorry, temporarily out of stock
$45



Bottle o' Nibs

Bottle o' Nibs
Photo shows representative sampling

We've filled a variety of ink bottles, some old and some new with an assortment of vintage steel dip pen nibs. Each bottle is filled with nibs inside and the value of the nibs alone is between $30 - $50. Use the nibs in your dip pen or just enjoy the vintage appeal of these old nibs in a cool looking ink bottle on your desk. They're even heavy enough to use as a paperweight. Assorted style ink bottles, let us select one for you!

NIBBTL Bottle o'Nibs $20



Deluxe Nib Assortment

Deluxe Nib Assortment

Assortment of 5 different gold plated antique dip pen nibs. Nibs are new old stock, un-used and in mint condition.

DLXNIB Deluxe nib assortment
$10



Copperplate Nib Assortment

Copperplate Nib Assortment

Assortment of 10 different nibs suitable for copperplate and ornamental style writing. Extra fine, very flexible points. Assortment of nibs included will vary.
CPNIBS Copperplate Nib Assortment $20



Spencerian Dip Pen Nib Assortment

The Spencerian Steel Pen Pen Co. was formed In 1858 as a subsidiary of the publisher Ivison Phinney Publishing Company and evolved in 1869 to Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor, & Co. The NYC company, served as a pen distribution company. They purchased nibs from an English manufacturer, having no factories of its own. The Spencerian pens were made in Birmingham by Sir Josiah Mason for Perry & Co.

Spencerian Nib Assortment

Assortment of 5 different antique Spencerian dip pen nibs includes:

  • No.  23   Falcon Pen, general purpose slightly flexible, bright silver steel
  • No.  28   Congressional Pen, Stub (1.0mm 7 degree stub), bright silver steel with embossed blue C
  • No.  34  Falcon Stub Pen, 0.9mm width
  • No.  42   Dome Pointed Pen, firm fine point, grey steel
  • No.  44   Invincible Dome-Point, firm fine point, large size, grey steel


SPENC-NIB-ASST
Spencerian Dip Pen Nib Assortment, 5 nibs $10



Esterbrook Nib Assortment

Esterbrook Pens was created in 1856 by Robert Esterbrook and was the first company in the United States to make steel pen nibs. The company was originally called the United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company, and the name was later changed to The Esterbrook Steel Pen Manufacturing Company. The company's success was largely due to the quality of the steel nibs. The nibs were versatile, long lasting, and were available in many different styles. The company was later launched in England as well. The last name the dip pens nibs were manufactured under was The Esterbrook Pen Company. In 1967, The Esterbrook Pen Company was taken over by the Venus Pencil Company.

Esterbrook Nib Assortment

Assortment of ten different Esterbrook vintage steel pen nibs.
Includes one each of the following:

  • No. 355 Art & Drafting, extra fine, extra flexible
  • No. 314 Relief, 7 degree left oblique
  • No. 788 Oval point, firm, medium
  • No. 913 Radio Pen, .9mm stub
  • No. 239 Chancellor Pen, firm broad
  • No. 702 School, medium firm
  • No. 805 Oval Point, medium
  • No. 930 Radio Pen, firm medium
  • No. 942 Radio Pen, medium stub
  • No. 1000 School, firm fine

ESTNIBS Esterbrook nib assortment $10



Hunt Pen Nib Assortment

The C. Howard Hunt Pen company was formed in 1899 in Camden, New Jersey. Hunt invented the smooth gliding round pointed pen, which took about 15 different steps to make. The factory was moved to Statesville, NC in 1958. One of the more famous nibs made by Hunt was The Speedball Pen, which could do thick and thin lines. Today, Hunt is still in business under the name Hunt Manufacturing Company, and sells many different office supply products.

Hung Pen Nib Assortment

An assortment of ten different Hunt vintage pen nibs manufactured in the US. Assortment includes:

  • X-24 Silverine
  • 4 Arrow round pointed
  • 24 Ledger
  • 21 Companion round pointed
  • X-38 Silverine
  • 97 Falcon round pointed
  • X-67 Silverine
  • X-515 Silverine
  • 513 Bowl pointed
  • B-1 Ross F George Speedball

HUNTNIBS Hunt Nib Assortment $10




Pen Nib Sampler!

Pen Nib Sampler

For those of you who want to experiment with a dip pen and steel nib and may not be quite sure which point you like best, we suggest our pen nib sampler. An assortment of 10 different mint condition antique dip pen nibs.

NIBASST Assortment of 10 Nibs $10



Figural and Unusual Antique Pen Nibs
Limited Supplies Available!
These are all in excellent condition

NIB-D-4
Dural No. 4

Dural No. 4
Copper finished steel nib, the copper finish is unusual and very eye-catching. Firm medium point.
$2
NIB-C-1940
Cervantinas 1940 nib

Cervantinas No. 1940
Dynamica, Spain - A very delicate shafted nib. Bright steel finish. Flexible fine point. Another unusual nib from Spain
$3
NIB-HUNT-72
Cervantinas 1940 nib

Camden, NJ, USA, Hunt Two Line Nib, round pointed, bright steel. Writes two lines with one stroke.
$3
DIP-569
dip

dip

Esterbrook Penesco Commercial Folder
Heavy pastel green colored card is designed to be folded in half and mailed to a contract customer. The top half of the card explains the quality of Penesco pens made by Esterbrook and how they are only being offered in large contact quantities. The lower half of the card holds the 12 original Penesco nibs which are intricately threaded to the card. Item number and brief description of the point below each nib. Folder measures 8 x 8 inches. Printed on the back side is: Esterbrook Penesco Pens Commercial Styles Contract Dept. Drop Shipment Only through Dealer Agents. Several of the nibs show signs of rust, the entire card is in excellent condition.
$50
MM512
dip


Waverley Pen Nib Tin - This metal tin with hinged lid once held 144 Waverley bronze finished dip pen nibs. We've put one inside to go with the tin. Burgundy and cream colored with a nice black and white etching of the Waverley point. The famous (at least to dip pen people!) poem is on the bottom: "They come as a Boon and Blessing to men The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley Pen" Measures 2.5 x 1.5 x 7/8 inch high. Several very light scratches, otherwise very good condition.
$15
DIP590
dip


Esterbrook Nib Card - Esterbrook Drawlet Pens for Drawing & Lettering. This is a vintage one sided nib card in black and white featuring four Esterbrook Drawlet pens. Card measures 3 3/8 x 5 1/8 inches. Each nib is in perfect condition and the nib card is in excellent condition.
$40
DIP591
dip


Esterbrook Nib Card -Esterbrook Lithographic or Crow Quill Pen No. 62 Extra Flexible. Made in America by Men Who Know Pens. This orange and black printed card holds 9 or the original 12 No. 62 Crow Quill dip pens nibs. Also included is an Esterbrook wood No. 32 Crow Quill Dip Pen Holder. Reverse side of card is blank except for showing the expert and tight stitching. Nib card measures 6 1/8 x 3.5 inches. Crow Quill Pen Holder measures 4.75 inches long. Very good condition.
$55
DIP592
dip


Esterbrook Display Card - R. Esterbrook Co. Pens. Styles and Varieties to Suit all Writers, Prizes Awarded Wherever Exhibited. Twelve different panels shows the process of how a pen is made from the flat piece of sheet steel to the finished product. The nib featured is Esterbrook's iconic No. 048. Measures 7 x 17 inches, heavy card printed in red, black and white on white. There is some light discoloration to a few of the examples. In the bottom row, the left two nibs are loose from their threading, in the second from the left bottom row, one nib is missing. Remainder of bottom row stitching is tight, as are the top two rows of pen examples. Top right hand corner torn, bend in lower left hand corner. Overall very good condition and this is truly a rare Esterbrook advertising piece.
$235
New
DIP597
dip


Eagle Nib Card- Complete sample card of Eagle Popular School Pens includes nine different steel dip pen nibs made by the Eagle Pencil Company in New York. Nibs are threaded to the card and the threading is totally intact on the back side. Back side of card has lengthy printed information about Eagle's finest Steel and Silver Steel pens, precision machines and the best craftsmen in the industry. I particularly liked the line: Close inspection after each operation enables us to guarantee 144 perfect pens to every gross. Can you imagine being a nib inspector back in the day? These nibs were turned out by the millions! Not a job for me, but I'm glad someone did it because old vintage dip pen nibs are far superior to modern ones. Seems like a good guess that an Eagle representative gave these to the Kurtz Bros to be distributed to their customers since Kurtz Bros is stamped in the upper right corner. Card is yellow with dark red printing. As you can see in the photo there is some light aging to the card. A very nice example from Eagle. I'd date this card to no later than the 1930s.
$40


Reverse Imprint Dip Pen Nibs

These are truly little rarities in the world of writing! Each of these nibs has a reverse imprint. When steel dip pen nibs are made (short version here!) a sheet of steel is rolled out, the nibs are stamped and then the shape is formed so that when you look at the front of the nib, you see the company name imprint and other pertinent information. 

But on these nibs, the shape was formed in reverse, so that you must look at the back side of the nibs to read the maker info. Most times, these would have been caught at the factory by workers and weeded out, but we have a select group that made it into the marketplace many decades ago, at least 60 years ago, and probably much longer than that. 

You can certainly use them, but I suspect most people keep them as a little interesting historical OOPS item! Imprint and nib grade are noted on each below. The photos below show the curved underside imprint.


NIB-ADC-408
RIDP

Eugene Adcock No. 408, Nickel Sheffield Series, Somerville Mass Reverse Imprint dip pen - flexible extra fine point
$5



Hunt Speedball Vintage Boxed Nibs

Each box contains new old stock nibs, never used!

Limited Supplies Available!

Speedball Nibs
Brochure


NIB-HUNT-B1/2 Hunt Speedball B-1/2 dip pen nibs in red & black box, round style nib, 4.1mm, box of 12 nibs $15
NIB-HUNT-B-1 1/2-11 Hunt Speedball B-1 1/2 dip pen nibs in red & black box, round style nib, 4.3mm, box of 11 nibs $12
NIB-HUNT-D1
Dip Pen
Hunt mini nib box contains 10 Hunt-Speedball D-1 dip pen nibs. Oval point is 4.0mm wide. Silver steel dip pen nib with brass reservoir. Box originally held 12 nibs, 10 nibs remaining in mint condition.
$10




Hunt Dip Pen Nibs

Original Personal Size Boxes
12 Antique Nibs per Box
All nibs are un-used and rust-free

Hunt, like other companies of the day, never missed a chance to toot their horn just a little bit! Stated on the sides of the boxes: "These pens will neither scratch nor spurt the ink. The points being rounded by a secret process" and on the other side "A Pen is only as good as its point. We make the points perfect"


NIB-HUNT-21
hunt

Companion Dip Pen Nibs in original box, grey finish, flexible extra fine point
$15
NIB-HUNT-67
hunt

Sixty-Seven Dip Pen Nibs in original box, grey finish, flexible extra fine point
$15

In all honesty, there is a huge difference in the precision of an antique dip pen nib compared to the few that are still being made today. Much more attention went into their manufacture and these were items needed by those who wrote. Today, dip pen nibs are more of a novelty and the makers just don't put as much effort into their quality. Those that seriously continue to use dip pen nibs today (or pens as they were once called) appreciate the quality of a vintage nib.




PLEASE NOTE: New old stock antique pen nibs are finished with a very fine factory oil coating to prevent rust. It is invisible to see and rarely can it be felt, but nonetheless, it is there. Before using any of these old nibs, you must remove the factory oil coating so that ink will adhere better.

Place nibs in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, remove and pat dry to prevent rust OR wipe each nib thoroughly with rubbing alcohol.



Keep your dip pens close at hand and well organized, too! Visit our Pen Storage department to view our current selection of vintage trays and holders for dip pens and fountain pens.

Pen Storage





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