H.M. Smith & Co.

[umenohana]

Does anyone have any information on this company? I tried googling it, but I just got whole bunch of eBay listings, etc. Thanks.

 

-Hana

[kamakura-pens]

Not to go into TOOOO much detail but, Horace M. Smith had a pen shop on Nassau Street in Manhattan. He had been selling gold and steel dip pens along with mechanical pencils since the Civil war.

 

In his 1880 Census records he put down that he was a pen manufacturer, however he had no known pen or pencil patents of his own. I am not even sure he had a facotry. I would guess that he originally made gold nibs himself, but latter when fountain pens came out, he would license other makers designs and have them made with his name on them. In a few cases, he became an agent for a pen maker and sold those pens in his store.

 

Such was the case with Wirt pens. In 1886 Smith was the New York Agent for the Paul Wirt Pen, which was based in Bloomsburg, PA.

 

On November 29, 1886. Mark Twain entered Smith's shop and bought several Wirt pens from H M Smith. Twain was pleased with the service that Smith showed him and was totally delighted with the Wirt pen. Twain would later endorse the Wirt pen, if you haven't already seen the 1890 Ads.

 

Most of the Smith pens that I have are pearl and abalone slab eyedroppers. I have seen a few gold-filled chased filigree models, but these seem to be quite rare.

 

Stay Well

 

Ron Dutcher

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com

http://www.lionandpen.com

[umenohana]

Ooh, interesting. I already use Mark Twain beauty products, so why not pens? lol Do the nibs have remarkable flex?

 

-Hana

[kamakura-pens]

Ooh, interesting. I already use Mark Twain beauty products, so why not pens? lol Do the nibs have remarkable flex?

 

-Hana

Please forgive me..... I've lived in Japan for the last 20 years....and I have never heard of Mark Twain Beauty products. That seems rather oxymornoic to me.

 

As for Smith nibs, they tend to vary. This is all part of the book I am writing (nearly finished now and about to go the printers) about Mark Twain and his writing tools. Smith was probably connected with Fairchild, Bagley, Foley and the rest who evolved out of Levi Brown's first gold pen entrtprise. The Smith gold dip pens are quite flexible and the few that I have are an absolute dream to write with...if dip pens and dream writing doesn't sound oxymoronic to you...

 

The Smith Fountain pens are nice, but I haven't found any that I would say are any better...or worse... than the rest of the 1880-1890 2nd tier fountain pen makers.

 

Stay Well, Plum Blossum

 

RD

[umenohana]

Ooh, interesting. I already use Mark Twain beauty products, so why not pens? lol Do the nibs have remarkable flex?

 

-Hana

Please forgive me..... I've lived in Japan for the last 20 years....and I have never heard of Mark Twain Beauty products. That seems rather oxymornoic to me.

 

As for Smith nibs, they tend to vary. This is all part of the book I am writing (nearly finished now and about to go the printers) about Mark Twain and his writing tools. Smith was probably connected with Fairchild, Bagley, Foley and the rest who evolved out of Levi Brown's first gold pen entrtprise. The Smith gold dip pens are quite flexible and the few that I have are an absolute dream to write with...if dip pens and dream writing doesn't sound oxymoronic to you...

 

The Smith Fountain pens are nice, but I haven't found any that I would say are any better...or worse... than the rest of the 1880-1890 2nd tier fountain pen makers.

 

Stay Well, Plum Blossum

 

RD

Actually, I prefer 付けペン to 万年筆.. :ph34r: They're what got me interested in 万年筆 in the first place. (I hope I don't get flamed..)

 

By Mark Twain beauty products, I meant C.O. Bigelow, the company which was:

 

"Founded in 1838, C.O. Bigelow is America's oldest apothecary, nestled in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village. Known to customers as a neighborhood hub and 'go to' destination for personal care needs, where the proprietor knows its customers, their individual needs and does the research to find all the perfect products to suit the unique tastes and needs of its customers. Famous and historical individuals like Eleanor Roosevelt, Mark Twain and Thomas Edison have all entered the doors of this prominent apothecary store for their personal care needs"(Limited Brands).

 

-Hana

[kamakura-pens]

Ooh, interesting. I already use Mark Twain beauty products, so why not pens? lol Do the nibs have remarkable flex?

 

-Hana

Please forgive me..... I've lived in Japan for the last 20 years....and I have never heard of Mark Twain Beauty products. That seems rather oxymornoic to me.

 

As for Smith nibs, they tend to vary. This is all part of the book I am writing (nearly finished now and about to go the printers) about Mark Twain and his writing tools. Smith was probably connected with Fairchild, Bagley, Foley and the rest who evolved out of Levi Brown's first gold pen entrtprise. The Smith gold dip pens are quite flexible and the few that I have are an absolute dream to write with...if dip pens and dream writing doesn't sound oxymoronic to you...

 

The Smith Fountain pens are nice, but I haven't found any that I would say are any better...or worse... than the rest of the 1880-1890 2nd tier fountain pen makers.

 

Stay Well, Plum Blossum

 

RD

Actually, I prefer 付けペン to 万年筆.. :ph34r: They're what got me interested in 万年筆 in the first place. (I hope I don't get flamed..)

 

By Mark Twain beauty products, I meant C.O. Bigelow, the company which was:

 

"Founded in 1838, C.O. Bigelow is America's oldest apothecary, nestled in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village. Known to customers as a neighborhood hub and 'go to' destination for personal care needs, where the proprietor knows its customers, their individual needs and does the research to find all the perfect products to suit the unique tastes and needs of its customers. Famous and historical individuals like Eleanor Roosevelt, Mark Twain and Thomas Edison have all entered the doors of this prominent apothecary store for their personal care needs"(Limited Brands).

 

-Hana

I see...now all you need is some of Garth's Dam*#est Cigars and then you would be all set.

 

And for the Japanese speaking people on FPN.....

 

ああそうううううですか。　実は、僕も筆ペンが大好きだよ。　時々筆ペンで手紙を書いる。　とても時間をかかりますでも楽しいですね。

 

じゃあ待ったね。

[kamakura-pens]

Here is an image of my favorite H. M. Smith pen. It is an eyedropper with a cone cap. No imprints, but it has H. M. Smith on the nib. I am rather sure that Smith didn't manufacture this himself, but had them ordered as many other pen companies started to do in the late 1920's.

 

It is a lovely pen to lok at and it writes amazingly well, but as with most eyedroppers, ink will slowly seep out and stain my fingers as I write. Sigh... I guess this was a great selling point for crescent and lever fillers when they first came out.

 

Stay Well, guys.

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/SiteImages/Wirt/HMSmith.jpg

[umenohana]

I love MOP eyedroppers.

 

If I ever start collecting pens, I will certainly have to get one.

 

Thank you for the picture,

Hana

[kamakura-pens]

I too have something of a fondness for MOP eyedroppers. At first I thought they were too.... feminine. But the more I looked at them the more I appreciated the pens. If I were a rich person I would build a complete collection of Parker #15's, and pregnant parkers. But since I have modest means, I managed to snare only a few nice MOP eyedroppers in the last 10 years of collecting.

 

Here are two of my favorites: An early Paul Wirt pen with an over feed. Every now and then you see a pearl Wirt underfeed, but this is the only pearl Wirt overfeed that I have ever seen.

 

The other pen is my only Parker #15 with pearl and abalone corregated slabs. My dream Parker would be a similar pen but with Red Hard Rubber.

 

And Hana.... I chacked out you web site. Wow! I love your Galileo drawing... and don't even get me going on Rembrandt, Vermeer, Duyster or any of the other Dutch Masters.....

 

Hey if you are really fond of MOP eyedroppers, I'd be willing to trade you one of my no name pearl pens for a commisioned drawing.

 

Probably we should move out this public forum and discuss it over coffee out in the lobby.

 

Stay Well,

 

Dr. Ron Dutcher

http://www.lionandpen.com

 

http://kamakurapens.com/SiteImages/Wirt/ParkerWirtPearl.jpg

[umenohana]

I too have something of a fondness for MOP eyedroppers. At first I thought they were too.... feminine. But the more I looked at them the more I appreciated the pens. If I were a rich person I would build a complete collection of Parker #15's, and pregnant parkers. But since I have modest means, I managed to snare only a few nice MOP eyedroppers in the last 10 years of collecting.

 

Here are two of my favorites: An early Paul Wirt pen with an over feed. Every now and then you see a pearl Wirt underfeed, but this is the only pearl Wirt overfeed that I have ever seen.

 

The other pen is my only Parker #15 with pearl and abalone corregated slabs. My dream Parker would be a similar pen but with Red Hard Rubber.

 

And Hana.... I chacked out you web site. Wow! I love your Galileo drawing... and don't even get me going on Rembrandt, Vermeer, Duyster or any of the other Dutch Masters.....

 

Hey if you are really fond of MOP eyedroppers, I'd be willing to trade you one of my no name pearl pens for a commisioned drawing.

 

Probably we should move out this public forum and discuss it over coffee out in the lobby.

 

Stay Well,

 

Dr. Ron Dutcher

http://www.lionandpen.com

Oh my, oh my, oh my.. I've sent you an email.

 

Your Parker 15 is amazing.

 

-Hana

[umenohana]

P.S. Is that writing I see on the Wirt pen with the over feed, or just natural designs in the MOP?

 

-Hana

[kamakura-pens]

P.S. Is that writing I see on the Wirt pen with the over feed, or just natural designs in the MOP?

 

-Hana

Yes Hana, there is an inscription carved into the pearl. It reads:

 

"Presented to F.M.T.

By Effie Dec. 25th '90"

 

And speaking of Wirts... here is another early Wirt Overfed. This is a huge #8 nib Wirt Mint with the Original Price sticker.

 

Stay Well,

 

http://www.lionandpen.com

 

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/SiteImages/WirtOverfeed8.jpg

[umenohana]

You have the best collection of pens, ever, IMO. Were inscriptions often carved into MOP? Yours is the first I've seen of it.

 

-Hana

[Dave Johannsen]

This is all part of the book I am writing (nearly finished now and about to go the printers) about Mark Twain and his writing tools.

Ron:

 

This is news to me, but quite welcome news. I knew of your interest, but didn't know that you were working on a book. You can rest assured that you'll sell at least one copy, as I would love to read it. I hope that you keep us posted on the publication.

 

 

Dave