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Steel pens come in a myriad of shapes. US pens tend to have less variation than European pens, especially by the early 20th-century. As I've worked to rigorously catalog my collection of mostly US pens, I've felt the need for some kind of standardized name for the shapes of my pens. I've not encountered any standard list from the old days, and different companies often used different names for the same shape. So, I've finally gathered a modest list of shape names and descriptions that seem to make sense to me and are useful for the pens I've cataloged so far. Take a look and let me know what you think. As I say in the intro, I'm sure not everyone will agree with either my names or my categorizations, but that's OK. I'm willing to hear suggestions, especially if you can point to an older source (and even better, multiple sources) that use another name. Also, if you have better images, especially for the shapes for which I only have imperfect images from old catalogs, I'm happy to accept contributions. Thanks to the Esterbrook Project for letting me use so many of their images. Until I photograph my own collection, theirs is the best source out there for American shapes. https://thesteelpen.com/2018/12/07/pen-shapes-a-proposed-glossary/

Hi Everyone, First time on the network all the way from the UK. Just need some direction please have been given the network's details by Classic Fountain Pens in LA as I am trying to find out if there is much interest in pattern card's for Joseph Gillott & Sons? If so, does anyone know of any particular company in the States that would be interested in these nibs? Any direction would be appreciated.

Has anyone attempted and succeeded in adapting a dip flex nib from Brause & Co. for fountain pen use?

Looking for recommendations of super flexible and/or italic-ish nibs to try for a dip pen. I figure this'll be a lot less expensive than going after a full-flex fountain pen and not even knowing how to make use of it, and it'll be easier to clean too. Ink recommendations also welcome, I know they're generally different from regular FP inks.

Here's one of my first attempts at copperplate handwriting LOL It is very childish .. Hope you might see some improvement from me in the coming days..

Today I received my new WoodGlass from Desiderata Pens, which Pierre described on his website as "the first wooden demonstrator pen". I like wood; I like demonstrators. But what I really like about the WoodGlass is that it's an eyedropper filler--the 'tank' goes all the way down into the wooden end of the barrel and holds 2.4 ml of ink. I use my flex pens for drawing, as opposed to writing, and use up ink pretty fast. If you're not familiar with Desiderata pens, the concept is simple: they're fountain pens designed to take super flexible dip pen nibs...that look and work great. The feed is designed to keep up the steady flow of ink needed to produce lines with extreme width variation. Here's a look at my WoodGlass: The design is simple and understated; the barrel isn't really glass, of course, it's acrylic. The walls are thick enough to help insulate the air inside from the heat of your hand, to help guard against the dreaded low-tank ink burp. The crossgrain gives the ends a bit of character. The pen came fitted with the standard chromed Zebra G-NIb, which I'll eventually change out for a titanium one; but I was too impatient for that and wanted to test it out right away. I flushed the nib and feed and greased the section threads as instructed in the included manual, then filled the tank and primed the feed with a De Atramentis Document homemix I dubbed "Blood Oath". I'm happy to report that everything is sealed perfectly, the pen doesn't leak at all; however... ...I've got to clean THIS up before anybody gets the wrong idea. Anyway. I then capped the pen and let it stand nib down long enough for it to, you know...become one with itself, man. After a couple of false starts--and a few shakes from me--it got its groove on, and I took it for a spin. I doodled all over an 11" x 14" sheet of Borden & Riley #234 Paris paper. The lettering is fairly large--much bigger than normal handwriting. I didn't feel I was working particularly slowly, and the ink flow kept up with all but my most extreme flexing, and even then I felt the problem was due to speed more than feed. I did experience some clogging due to the super sharp nib catching paper fibers between the tines, but that will happen with any untipped flex nib. Just pick the hairball out of the nib and you're good to go. Detail of above, showing the scale. If you're familiar with G-nibs, you know how they perform; if not, the widest 'swells' above measure between 2 and 3 mm. The nibs will flex wider than that, after a bit of breaking in, but I don't usually push them that far. And even after all that doodling, I still had 2/3 of a tank left! To sum it up, I feel this is going to be one of my favorite 'workhorse' pens. It does what it's supposed to; it's attractive, the nibs are easily (and inexpensively) replaced, and Pierre is easily approachable if you have any questions or concerns. The only real drawback I can foresee is that the section is a bit slim for my mutant grip--I'm most comfortable with plump pens. But that's not a dealbreaker. I'm looking forward to finding out how the WoodGlass compares to both my vintage flex and custom flex pens.

Hi all, I have one little Esterbrook pen and to me it looks like multiple pens. Can someone kindly tell me what I have purchased? It was purchased from a dealer, not on ebay. What is it? How old is it? Best nib? My concern is that the jewel caps seem wrong for the pen and match the grip. I knew the grip didn't match the barrel when i purchased, but thought it was okay because the jewels matched. Did someone just cobble this together? Also... I recently purchased an unopened box of Esterbrook dip nibs, Assortment #11. I cannot find anywhere what the contents are. Is it worth more to leave intact or should I open the box and use some and sell/trade the others?? Seems to be the latest version of box. Thanks all for ANY help!!