Weird Nibs?

[em_the_pen]

I've seen a couple pens around with these weird bowl-like tips on their nibs. However, I can't seem to find any information about them. Is there a specific term for them? What benefit does the bowl tip have (if any)? Thanks!

[AAAndrew]

When you find these on dip nibs, they are to make the pen smoother to write with, and therefore easier to write quickly. Rather than the sharp tip touching the paper, you have a round tip. In the early days you can find them called "ball point pens" and this has confused the casual reader who encounters the term before Biro invented what we know as the ball point pen. They were also called round points, oval points, and other variations on the same.

 

This is a variant of the general category of "turned-up points." Esterbrook made their first one of these in 1876, the #1876 Telegraphic. The early pens just have a slightly turned-up tip. Later you get into variations including the round point where it looks like someone took a very small, round punch and punched in the very tip, creating a small bowl. One of these days I'm going to photograph the variations I've found in my collection.

 

Some of the most popular numbers made by American companies had turned up or round pointed tips. The Esterbrook #788 was one of their biggest sellers and it is a round-tipped spoon pen. Esterbrook called them "Oval points" as their indentation was more oval than round.

[OCArt]

There is also a "spoon" nib that looks like its name. I always assumed this was a less expensive way to make a smooth nib without tipping.

[AAAndrew]

A spoon nib is actually a dip pen where the body of the pen is rounded, like a spoon. The 788 is a classic spoon. The tip is called a round or oval point. But I can see how it looks like a spoon, and most spoon pens are also round pointed or tip up. The spoon shape supposedly holds more ink, and it kind of does, but I'm not a huge fan of the big ones.

[Inky.Fingers]

This is not to be confused with the nib bent slightly upward, the Waverly nib. Common on Shaeffer

[AAAndrew]

the Waverly was a dip nib made by Macniven & Cameron and had one of the first turned up tips. It was a true turned-up tip. It was so popular that it was copied and a turned up tip was even known as a Waverly nib in some circles.

 

As always, Mr. Nishamura has the low-down.

http://vintagepensblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-is-waverley-nib.html

[Bo Bo Olson]

Great info for me, I do have a couple of Telegraphers in my western saga. I did have them using an Esterbrook.... but not that one.

""""This is a variant of the general category of "turned-up points." Esterbrook made their first one of these in 1876, the #1876 Telegraphic. The early pens just have a slightly turned-up tip.""""""

[OCArt]

I thought this was a "spoon" nib.

[AAAndrew]

Nope. That’s a good picture of a Round Point.

[em_the_pen]

Nope. Thats a good picture of a Round Point.

So is the benefit of this nib mostly just a smoother writing experience? Or is there more to it (like the bowl acting as a small reservoir of sorts)?

[AAAndrew]

Just a smoother writing experience. It also widens the line a little, which may be seen as a drawback

[Tweel]

I thought this was a "spoon" nib.

 

I've always seen those referred to as spoon points, too.

[Inky.Fingers]

Spoon nibs are not to be confused with a spoon tipped nib.

Edited May 16, 2018 by _InkyFingers

[AAAndrew]

In the old days, that would have been called a spoon nib with an oval or round tip, depending on the manufacturer.

 

Here's the 1926 Esterbrook Catalog. I can also quote the 1938, the 1921 J.L. Hammet School Supply Catalog and others. Notice the #802 below. It is a spoon pen with an oval point. A #788 is a large spoon pen, the #802 is what I call a small spoon with a pinched waist.

 

 

 

Now, that's not to say some other manufacturers needed another name to call the same kind of tip and used "spoon tip", but traditionally, a spoon pen referred to the shape of the body of the pen, not the tip. Actually, if you can find a reference to a "spoon tip" I'd love to see it and add it to my taxonomy study which includes lots of different names for the same shapes and characteristics.

 

Andrew

[Tseg]

Spoon nibs are not to be confused with a spoon tipped nib.

Hmm, my ST Dupont looks like a spoon nib.