Glass Dip PEns

[Gerry]

Anybody here into glass dip pens?

 

I have one here that a friend of my son passed on for an opinion as to rarity.

 

The pen is 4 3/8" long and about 3/16 to 1/4 inch wide. The amber handle part is 3" long, and is twisted to form a pattern. The bottom nib portion is 1 1/4" long, and it appears that the very tip of that is broken off, as the tip is not very smooth feeling. It has 4 ribs that taper at the end to a point, clearly used for writing.

 

I don't think these are particualrly uncommon, and if memory serves, can be bought today.

 

Is the nib repairable? I would think that the glass is relatively soft (not tempered) and could be heated to forn a ball that could be used for writing again.

 

Comments?

 

Gerry

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

The tip is not meant to be a ball. I just got one. J. Herbin makes them, but mine is not J. Herbin. Yes, the nib can be ground. You just have to find someone.

 

Dillon

Edited July 3, 2005 by Dillo

[southpaw]

"Da Book" says glass nibs can be ground/smoothed like regular nibs. Might want to give it a try. Not sure if it works, but it couldn't hurt. If you do try it, let us know how it works.

[ElaineB]

The only glass dip pens I've tried all had what felt like broken tips and were terrible writers. I couldn't even write a full word with any of them, and the ink flow was beyond poor. If I'd dunked a stick into the ink bottle, it would have made a better writing instrument! The person in the store assured me that the tips were not broken, that this is how they were manufactured, but I couldn't believe it.

 

http://www.glasspens.com/pens.html -- I think this site has been posted before, but it's worthy of another mention. Perhaps you might contact this artist to ask how he finished his nibs, and if he'd consider repairs to vintage pens?

 

Elaine