Spencerian Society No 18 Stub B

[oliverob]

Can anyone tell my anything about this particular nib? It came attached to a Thompson FP that I bought on ebay. Should anyone know anything about that particular make of pen as well, I should be very grateful if they would share it.

Many thanks in advance,

Oliver

[ANM]

Is it a gold pen? As far as i can determine, Spencerian is the name of the maker. Society stub no 18 is the name of the pen.

 

There were other pens marked Spencerian that denoted the style of the pen and a number/and or letter stating size, that were made by other companies, but There was a a Spencerian company.

 

That is gnereally how pens were described: maker, style, size/configuration.

Edited May 26, 2008 by ANM

[oliverob]

Is it a gold pen? As far as i can determine, Spencerian is the name of the maker. Society stub no 18 is the name of the pen.

 

There were other pens marked Spencerian that denoted the style of the pen and a number/and or letter stating size, that were made by other companies, but There was a a Spencerian company.

 

That is gnereally how pens were described: maker, style, size/configuration.

"Spencerian Society No 18 Stub B" is what is written on the nib of the pen. On the clip is inscribed Thompson, which, in this case, is a black flat top with gold furniture. The nib is gold in color, but whether it's simply plated or 14 or 18Kt gold is not stated.

Thank you for your kind reply,

Oliver

[ANM]

I was referring to the nib as a pen. The dip pens were called pens instead of nibs. Sorry if there was some confusion.

[oliverob]

I was referring to the nib as a pen. The dip pens were called pens instead of nibs. Sorry if there was some confusion.

I didn't know that. I know next to nothing about dip pens. My apologies! The Thompson fountain pen feed the nib is on looks like a perfect fit. The nib doesn't have an air hole though, which seems strange to me for a fountain pen nib. So, maybe, for reasons unknown, someone fitted a dip pen nib to a fountain pen.

Thanks again,

Oliver

[ANM]

I have seen antique dealers substitute dip pens when the nib is missing. I have seen them substitute Esterbrook or even ball pens for missing ones missing in desk sets

 

I have also heard (shudder) of dealers removing gold nibs to sell as scrap gold.

Edited May 26, 2008 by ANM

[Paddler]

I have a small stack of new Spencerian Society Stub #18 dip pen nibs. They are definitely not gold; they look like they are tinned steel, like most of the other Spencerian nibs in my collection. They also have vent holes. Some Spencerian nibs like the Gilt Point Gold Point #4 are gold plated.

 

Some pen holders were made with feeds like fountain pens and would take any manufacturer's nibs, so long as the size was right. From there, it would be a small step to substitute a dip pen nib into a fountain pen.

 

Paddler

 

[oliverob]

This particular Spencerian No. 18 Society Stub B is definitely gold, in color at least. Further, it has no vent hole. Is it, therefore, fair to assume that, if there is no vent hole, it was intended for a dip pen? What would be the production date of this nib?

I bought the Thompson fountain pen from an individual who was selling fountain pens belonging to his late father, who would have purchased these pens during the late 20's and 30's. Having corresponded a bit with the seller, I am convinced that whatever was done to this particular Thompson, was done (or was had done) by his father for his personal use. When Googling for information on the pen and nib, the only mention of the nib I found was in a listing of the inventory of John Gwin's Personal Collection. I found nothing on the fountain pen. The Society Stub in his collection is stated as being gold in color as well. Can anyone tell me what "Society Stub B" would indicate with respect to the point? This nib definitely does not lay down what would correspond to a modern stub nib. It seems to write more of a medium to medium fine line (depending on pressure). Curiously, in Gwin's Personal Collection, was also mention of a Thompson nib manufactured by the Thompson Bros. Whether they also produced fountain pens, I cannot ascertain.

Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge with me.

Oliver

[Paddler]

With certain fountain pen feed designs, the vent hole interacts with the feed channels to let air into the reservoir and equalize the pressure. Some feeds don't need the vent hole in the nib.

 

Another function of the vent hole is to spread the stress from flexing the nib's tines. Stress is concentrated at points of greatest curvature. So, without the vent hole, the nib is more likely to crack at the end of the slit. A nib that is meant to flex a lot, will probably have the vent hole. The reverse is not true. As far as I can tell, there is no correlation between a nib's use (dipping or fountain) and the presence of a vent hole.

 

Paddler

 

[rroossinck]

Oliver, you and I need to get together on this Thompson ASAP, because there's precious few of them out there that I've been able to find. I've got two of 'em, and I'd like to compare notes and share what little information I've got. Never seen this particular nib that you refer to, either.

[philm]

Does the Thompson Pen look similar to this one?

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/Thompson%20pens/DSC_0008.jpg

 

If so, these were produced and distributed in the mid 1920s. I have scans of several newspaper advertisements from the Midwest during this time for these. They came in several sizes and colors and I have seen several examples.

 

Here is a picture of an original Thompson nib. If yours looks similar to the one above, this may be what the original nib looked like. Sorry for the blur on this one.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/Thompson%20pens/DSC_0008-1.jpg

 

I hope this helps.

 

Phil

[oliverob]

 

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I've been out of pocket all day. My pen looks exactly like the one in the picture with the exception that, on mine, the lever is not engraved "Thompson;" likewise my pen is not in mint condition, though in very good condition nevertheless; and, of course, there's the nib, which is a gold color Spencerian Society Stub (I incorrectly called it a Society Stub , not a Thompson.

Thanks so much for your respective posts. I never expected to see another example of this pen, nor learn as much as I have about it!

Oliver

[rroossinck]

Oliver, that one is identical to mine, except that mine is in a red striated pattern.

[philm]

Yes, yours is a vintage 1920s Thompson, sold mainly in retail outlets and has a substitute nib placed in it at a later date. The original Thompson nibs that I have seen are very cheaply made gold plate and I suspect that many have needed to be replaced, should they have survived.

 

Here is an advertisement for a Thompson pen.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/vintage%20ads/Thompson-pen-ad-1928-AppletonWI.jpg

[rroossinck]

For the record, I finally got some decent pictures of mine. They're posted over in the Photography forum.

[thompenshop]

I have 15-20 of these vintage pens. One or two have 14kt nibs in them.

 

Chris Thompson