Baff, Is This A Dip-Less Pen Brand?

May 27, 2018

I'm looking at a dip-less pen.

No markings on the pen taper.

The nib is marked BAFF and other usual nib things.

Is BAFF a company that made nibs or dip-less pens or both?

Anyone know? Or have stronger google-fu?

June 6, 2018

BAFF is an old vintage company. Some were 14 kt gold and some gold plated. Some BAFF pens were bakelite I believe and may have had bladders. Made dip pen nibs. BAFF may have been pre WW2 or WW2 vintage. I believe this is correct or close to it.

October 21, 2018

My name is MAYNARD BRUCE BAFF and my father, ABRAHAM BAFF, was the founder of the Baff Manufacturing Company, a firm established (approximately) in the early-to-mid 1930's in North Arlington, New Jersey (USA). The company made a variety of stationery items including its signature product, the "Baff" Fountain Feed Pen with its iconic "Write A Letter - With One Dip" trademark. The company also sold mechanical pencils (many crafted with long tapered bodies), some of which included a "BAFF" dip pen on the opposite end. Most every item in the line--which eventually consisted of a hundred or so different writing and related products--were designed by my father and made from a cast phenolic resin called CATALIN. FYI: Catalin came into existence when Bakelite's 1910 patent expired in 1927. Other "BAFF" products made from Catalin included small, multi-color mechanical pencils conveniently mounted on key chains; also dip pen and mechanical pencil desk sets; and dip pens sold together with an inkwell. Another immensely popular item in the 1930's and 1940's: the "BAFF" Dial Pencil whose non-working round-end could conveniently be stored inside rotary phone dial pads, so a writing instrument would always be close-by for taking notes when talking on the phone!

Fortunately, I have samples of many of the above-mentioned products, most with original packaging, exactly as sold in five and dime chains throughout the United States like Woolworth's and Kresge's. Every product made from Catalin sold by our company was individually hand-polished and predated the mass-produced, injection-molding process. My mother, Mae Baff, ran the company for five years from 1946 to 1950, when my father died at age 55 in December of 1945.

I am attaching four photos below (though I actually have about 100 in my files) which illustrate some of the many Baff Manufacturing products.

If anyone is interested in possibly purchasing a BAFF dip pen or matching mechanical pencil (or related stationery product), I would be happy to hear from you to discuss same. Moreover, I even have a supply of promotional material on our 1935-1950 product line (most in black and white; some in color), were you interested in purchasing this material as well.

My e-mail address: bruceb07013@yahoo.com I live in Clifton, New Jersey In the United States.