Rex Eagle No. 40 Fountain Pen Needs Nib

July 15, 2014

Hey, I picked up this pen to play with and try to fix. I can't find much about it, but I suspect it is an eyedropper pen from the early 20th century. Can anyone give me more detail? The inscription says No. 40 REX Eagle Pencil Co. New York Pat. Oct 27 1908. Also:

Is it really 96 years old?

Where can I find a nib for it?

Edited July 15, 2014 by podvodnik

July 16, 2014

congratulations on your find. the patent date represents the earliest possible date the pen could be but based on the styling of the pen i would guess that its not too far off of that date. some of the early eagle pens had glass cartridges in them. you will probably have to open it up to find out if its a cartridge or an eyedropper. other users on here can probably tell you more, i am not too well versed in this pen.

July 18, 2014

balson

Thanks for the reply. I opened it and it looks like a eyedropper. How hard would it be to find a glass nib for it?

July 18, 2014

balson

Thanks for the reply. I opened it and it looks like a eyedropper. How hard would it be to find a glass nib for it?

i found an ebay listing that looks like your pen

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1903-Eagle-FP-Coral-Red-Eye-Drop-14Ct-Super-Flex-M-5-1-8-USA-/301239853905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46234b6351

it looks like from the photos in that auction your pen is indeed an eyedropper fountain pen and you can probably get an idea of what the correct nib for your pen would look like. to clarify the nib should be gold, the cartridge that the company used was made of glass.

i have seen the metal bodied cartridge pens from eagle going for as little as $30 so if you find a beaten up one with a nib that looks right that is probably your best option. actually looking on ebay it looks like you might be able to get some for cheaper at the moment, here is one that sold for $10

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Eagle-Pencil-Co-Fountain-Pen-with-GLASS-Bladder-/351101443192?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51bf46dc78&nma=true&si=yqG1ddNGPgcUWiiAOX0iGpqKbDk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

there is no absolute guarantee that the nib will be the same size but its the best bet without taking it to a repair person. one of the dangers is that you will fall in love with your donor pen as much as the pen as the one you were seeking the part for

July 22, 2014

Thanks, that is really helpful. I'll keep an eye out for likely candidates. Seeing that also gives me an ideal for the type of nib that may work in it. BTW, I know what you mean about donor pens. I have two on my desk that started out like that and ended up being "adopted" instead.