A Fountain Pen Review, But Not A Recent One

[Ink Stained Wretch]

This has recently been posted by Project Gutenberg, which is digitizing everything in the public domain that they can get their hands on.

Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX.—No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878

FOUNTAIN PENS.

For several days we have had in use in our office examples of the Mackinnon Fountain Pen, and find it to be a very serviceable and effective instrument. This is a handsome looking pen, with a hollow handle, in which a supply of ink is carried, and the fluid flows from the point in the act of writing. The necessity of an inkstand is thus avoided. One of the difficulties heretofore with pens of this character has been to insure a free and certain delivery of the ink, and also to bring the instrument within the compass and weight of an ordinary pen. The inventor seems to have admirably succeeded in the example before us. The ink flows with certainty, and there is no scratching as with the ordinary pen; it writes with facility on either smooth or rough paper; writes even more smoothly than a lead pencil; may be carried in the pocket; is always ready for use; there is no spilling or blotting of ink. The construction is simple, durable, and the action effective. One filling lasts a week or more, according to the extent of use. These are some of the qualities that our use of the pen so far has seemed to demonstrate; and which made us think that whoever supplies himself with a Mackinnon Pen will possess a good thing. The sole agency is at No. 21 Park Row, New York city.

 

I wish they'd stated the price, but it's nice to see this short review in the magazine.

 

 

[Chopper88]

Great find!

 

It's a pleasure to read these kind of things, I like how the wrote everything in a very 'analytical' style. "a hollow handle in which a supply of ink is carried", that's just brilliant!