Writing Instruments

[ichbintod]

Several years ago someone was offering reproductions of the silver dip pen made by William Cowen for Thomas Jefferson. Does anyone 1) have any comments/first hand experience about/with these pens (e.g. quality, easy of writing, etc.) and 2) where I might be able to locate one, should the responses to my first question be positive?

 

Thanks.

[jbb]

Welcome to FPN ichbintod. I write with dip pens every day and love it. It takes a while to get used to but worth the effort. Is this pen of Jefferson's much different from other dip pens of the day?

 

There's a picture of a silver pen on this page about Jefferson. Is that it?

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jeffdec.html

Edited July 24, 2008 by jbb

[ichbintod]

Welcome to FPN ichbintod. I write with dip pens every day and love it. It takes a while to get used to but worth the effort. Is this pen of Jefferson's much different from other dip pens of the day?

 

There's a picture of a silver pen on this page about Jefferson. Is that it?

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jeffdec.html

 

Yes, that's the pen. Apparently, it was more like an early fountain pen than a dip pen it that its body was hollow and held a reservoir of ink. I write on a reproduction of Jefferson's lap desk and thought it would be fun to write with a similar pen.

 

Thanks for the reply.

[jbb]

Yes, that's the pen. Apparently, it was more like an early fountain pen than a dip pen it that its body was hollow and held a reservoir of ink. I write on a reproduction of Jefferson's lap desk and thought it would be fun to write with a similar pen.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

A dip pen with a reservoir would still write more like a dip pen than a fountain pen. You get more flex in the nib and would be able to put down thick and thin lines. This makes creating an 18th century looking handwritng possible. Fountain pens with feeds are smoother but less expressive.

 

Your lap desk sounds very cool. Do you have any pictures you could post?

 

[ichbintod]

Yes, that's the pen. Apparently, it was more like an early fountain pen than a dip pen it that its body was hollow and held a reservoir of ink. I write on a reproduction of Jefferson's lap desk and thought it would be fun to write with a similar pen.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

A dip pen with a reservoir would still write more like a dip pen than a fountain pen. You get more flex in the nib and would be able to put down thick and thin lines. This makes creating an 18th century looking handwritng possible. Fountain pens with feeds are smoother but less expressive.

 

Your lap desk sounds very cool. Do you have any pictures you could post?

 

Mine was made by a fellow in Virginia; here's his URL

http://dave-beach.tripod.com/thomas_jefferson_lap_desk.htm

[DanF]

Here is a link to a page on the original Jefferson writing desk.

 

http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/obje...ption.cfm?ID=36

 

If you are really curious, there is an article in the September 2000 issue of Fine Woodworking magazine about the desk.

 

Dan

[Jeff L]

The Jefferson reproduction pen was offered by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (www.monticello.org) from at least 1997 or so, having graced the cover of their catalog at that time. The pen seems to have been available for a few years but doesn't appear to be offered any longer.

 

Discussions of the pen at the time were unclear as to whether it was a true reproduction or not. Some contended that the repo was a dip pen.

 

 

 

Below is from http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index...ruments_and_Ink

 

1824 May 13. (Jefferson to Bernard Peyton):

 

"I saw yesterday in the hands of Mr. Dyer, a fountain pen, one of the best I ever saw. He said it was made for him by Mr. Cowan, a watchmaker of Richmond and cost him 5 D. The outer tube was silver, but the two leaves of the pen were gold, and not other metal will resist the corrosion of the ink. Pray get the favor of Mr. Cowan to make such an one for me and add this to the many kind offices you render me, and which entitle you to my affectionate attamt."[3]

 

 

 

3. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0031