Ebony-handled dip pen,

Ebony-handled dip pen,

ca. 1850.

Dip pens have nibs whose capillary channels readily allow them to be charged with ink, so as to make refilling the pen less frequent. Although they were used in the ancient West, dip pens with metal nibs became increasingly popular in the 19th century. This mid-19th-century example, with its ebony handle, has a metal fitting that readily accommodates a gilt J nib made by C. Brandauer and Co. of Birmingham, England. Other fittings and nibs could be attached to the handle to allow for different lines and effects.

From the collection of Rare Book School