Does Anyone Have Any Information About H. M. Smith Dip Pens?

[discopig]

I recently acquired one of those mother of pearl dip pens with a gold flexible tipped nib (I had no idea some dip nibs came with tipping). It's flexy to the point where it's pretty much a wet noodle, produces nice hairlines, can do huge swells and is surprisingly very smooth to write it. I was wondering if anyone had any information about them.

 

I'd be curious to see pictures of their other dip pens and just more general information, such as what years these mother of pearl dip pens were made in, etc.

 

This i what I have: http://i.imgur.com/bNpiJyO.jpg

Edited April 7, 2014 by discopig

[BlotBot]

I recently bought this antique gold/ mother of pearl dip pen. It has a Mabie Todd nib and a Fairchild holder. I really don't know its year of manufacture. I too would like to know more....

 

 

Ellen

Edited April 7, 2014 by BlotBot

[BlotBot]

Interestingly, the Mabie Todd/Fairchild pen came with information on the original owner (on the note below). I used this information to determine with great certainty that the man died in 1890. So the holder (I am not convinced the nib is original to this pen) is before 1890.

Edited April 8, 2014 by BlotBot

[Brian Anderson]

I'm pretty sure I have an HM Smith dip pen somewhere. No idea on the manufacturer, but a nice pen nonetheless. Most likely produced somewhere around the turn of last century.

[Vintagepens]

Most of these dip pens were made in the last few decades of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th. As fountain pens became more popular, the production of gold-nibbed dip pens shifted towards the smaller sizes, where pearl-taper pens remained in demand as gifts for women and children.

 

All gold dip pen nibs were tipped. Yes, if you go far enough back, there are untipped silver and gold nibs, but we're now talking early 19th and late 18th century, and none of them bore imprints, all were handmade.

 

Ellen, your pen has a later fountain pen nib. Gold dip pen nibs normally had no vent hole. They also had a roughened area on their front underside to retain ink (see posts here and here). When gold dip pen nibs do have vent holes, they are of different form than found on fountain pens -- more like steel nibs, and not with the usual heart-shaped or round holes of fountain pen nibs.

[BlotBot]

David,

 

Very interesting! Thank you. My Mabie Todd nib is not "tipped" but is really a thin sheet of gold. So I could put this nib on an appropriately sized fountain pen feed, such as my Noodler's Ahab?

 

Ellen

[Vintagepens]

Your nib may now lack tipping, but it was not made that way. If it is absent, it either broke off or was worn away.

 

It could certainly be mounted in a fountain pen.