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Victorian Writing Slope!

Bisquitlips

By Bisquitlips
in Paper and Pen Paraphernalia

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Bisquitlips Collectors Item

Bisquitlips

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Guys,

 

A joy shared is twice the joy! A sorrow shared is half the sorrow! Just sharing a recent joy!

If you ever get a chance to add one of these to your collection of ephemera, do so!

What a lovely cornerstone to a collection of fountain pens, inkwells, papers, vellum indentures, and papers. This one dates back to the 1840's and is built to last another 150 years or so from the initial examination. I just received it a couple of hours ago. I wish we had craftsmen today that would invest themselves in such a work! Simply luscious!

 

Can there be anything better than opening up something that screams "write on me!!!!". :D There is so much storage for stationery, dip pens, fountain pens, papers, stamps, wax seals, and even some secret drawers for a few gold double eagles or perhaps a few diamond rings or bracelets! I just like the "secret" drawers part of it all. It's the 007 in me I suppose! I need to pick up a couple of nice small inkwells for the end compartments and I should be good.

I found a couple in Britain that restores writing slopes (not refinishes... there is a huge difference), and after some great communications I decided to give this one a chance. So glad I did! And did I mention that it SMELLS so GOOD! Love the scent of 150 year old restored / reconstituted tung oil!!!

For those that don't know, these were used typically on ships, trains, and whenever the owners were traveling. A prelude to the laptop computer.

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The leather top is a perfect pad for writing with a flexy dip pen. The two compartments on the ends are for inkwells. The center is for pens and the one on the right next to the long pen compartment is called a stamp slope.
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The best lap desks have hidden drawers. Lovely!!!
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And lots of storage! Papers, stationery, and so forth! All compact and neat!
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"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."  - Selwyn Duke    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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Wow. That's a nice one. Love the decorations on the leather.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Bisquitlips Collectors Item

Bisquitlips

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I'll just leave these here...

 

11231873_1604048886520258_2430200572142310644727_1604048889853591_5213305495817811148848_1604048883186925_79985494029672

 

 

Sweet!!!!

"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."  - Selwyn Duke    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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I'll just leave these here...

 

11231873_1604048886520258_2430200572142310644727_1604048889853591_5213305495817811148848_1604048883186925_79985494029672

Showoff.... :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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ac12 Donor Pen

ac12

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dupe

Edited by ac12

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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ac12 Donor Pen

ac12

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I saw one at an estate sale but did not want to pay the $250 they were asking, and did not want to come back on the last day.

Unfortunately I did not think of trying to negotiate the price down. Which is usually difficult on the first day.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Bisquitlips Collectors Item

Bisquitlips

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I saw one at an estate sale but did not want to pay the $250 they were asking, and did not want to come back on the last day.

Unfortunately I did not think of trying to negotiate the price down. Which is usually difficult on the first day.

 

I am always on the look out for anything FP related.

 

$250.00 for a writing slope / lap desk is "strong" for a price.

 

The one I acquired was about $120.00 plus shipping. I have to believe that writing slopes are one of the last bastions of cheap pricing when it comes to fountain pen desires.

"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."  - Selwyn Duke    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Shangas Donor Pen

Shangas

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I'm very much attracted to the middle one. Any info on it?

 

You may be attracted, and you may have information, but you may not have *it*!

 

10375133_1594720457453101_59827807988646

 

11147867_1594720400786440_76669554671444

 

11154651_1594720407453106_13713911065387

 

Manufactured in London, England, in the 1860s, by Toulmin & Gale (Established 1735. Bankrupt 1876).

 

Black and navy blue Moroccan leather fully-fitted writing slope.

 

Box features a full set of writing accessories in ivory.

 

The ink-knife is made by Joseph Rodgers & Sons.

 

The pen & pencil set is made by Mappin & Webb.

 

The ruler is made by Lund.

 

The lock is made by Bramah.

http://www.throughouthistory.com/ - My Blog on History & Antiques

 

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Sasha Royale Museum Piece

Sasha Royale

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" Writing Slope " is an inclined surface !

I passed this topic several times, thinking it was a style of writing.

Learning all the time. I love this site !

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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delano Extremely Rare

delano

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You may be attracted, and you may have information, but you may not have *it*!

 

 

Sorry, Shangas, but I have no plans in that direction. :) I've been looking for a writing slope that would hold all I wanted, and the design of your Toulmin & Gale looks like it could. I'm not looking for a vintage slope, but one I could actually use without worry of condition and preservation. I've found a woodworker I could trust to make one, and now what I need are some design ideas. I like that one a lot. Thank you so much for the info.

 

O.K., you got me.... 10 bucks -- my final offer :D

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UDog Vintage

UDog

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Out of curiosity, what is the angle in degrees of the writing slope?

Walk in shadow / Walk in dread / Loosefish walk / As Like one dead

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Shangas Donor Pen

Shangas

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The angles on writing slopes are very shallow. In my experience, no more than about 15-20 degrees. That said, there were numerous styles of writing slopes and boxes, and some could have writing surfaces which were completely flat with almost no 'slope' component at all. But most that I've seen, the angle ranges between 10-20 degrees, I'd say.

http://www.throughouthistory.com/ - My Blog on History & Antiques

 

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flummoxed Extremely Rare

flummoxed

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Beautiful! My grandparents had one such portable desk which matched a writing desk (with one of those rolling desk shutters). I was too young to realise that I'll regret it later when they decided to throw/sell a tonne of things they didn't have space or use for when they moved to a smaller manageable space.

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Bisquitlips Collectors Item

Bisquitlips

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You may be attracted, and you may have information, but you may not have *it*!

 

10375133_1594720457453101_59827807988646

 

11147867_1594720400786440_76669554671444

 

11154651_1594720407453106_13713911065387

 

Manufactured in London, England, in the 1860s, by Toulmin & Gale (Established 1735. Bankrupt 1876).

 

Black and navy blue Moroccan leather fully-fitted writing slope.

 

Box features a full set of writing accessories in ivory.

 

The ink-knife is made by Joseph Rodgers & Sons.

 

The pen & pencil set is made by Mappin & Webb.

 

The ruler is made by Lund.

 

The lock is made by Bramah.

Holy COW!!!!

 

I love lap desks.... but this one sends tingles up my left leg!

"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."  - Selwyn Duke    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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