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Silent Movie showing making of Conklin Crescent Fillers, c. 1920?


AAAndrew

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Stumbled across this silent movie showing how they make Conklin Crescent filler pens, from the cutting of the raw rubber, through the making of the barrels, to the final installation of the nib (which they still call the "pen"). One cool image shows a cutaway cap and how the clip and cap liner are held together. Only 6 minutes long, but totally fascinating. 

 

From the National Archives. 

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/92342

 

 

 

“When the historians of education do equal and exact justice to all who have contributed toward educational progress, they will devote several pages to those revolutionists who invented steel pens and blackboards.” V.T. Thayer, 1928

Check out my Steel Pen Blog

"No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the mistake is to do it solemnly."

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That's a really cool find!  Thanks for posting.  You always find such interesting bits of history about pens and writing.  
Loved how they called it an "ink bag" when nowadays we call it a "sac".  Now I'm wondering when and where the change in terminology came in.

And as for your question in the header about the year -- the copyright on the title card does say 1920, so that would have been, I think, when the finished film was released (if not the year it was made).

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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Wonderful find. I was a little nonplussed when I saw they were using the exact same tool back then to put the sac on the sac nipple that I use today. 100 years and no improvements? I keep hoping someone will invent a 3-pronged tool for that purpose, it would be much easier to use, and they could make tens of dollars from the patent!

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Great find, thank you for posting! Very interesting to see all the steps, and what specialized tools and machinery they had. But I was also amazed by how much was done by hand without a template (or what that is called), for example, how the section was made.

 

If you ever come about a similar film on how they made the nib, that would be great too.

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23 hours ago, Paul-in-SF said:

I keep hoping someone will invent a 3-pronged tool for that purpose, it would be much easier to use, and they could make tens of dollars from the patent!

hilltopshoot2_-_20_1_1_3nd.jpg

"Sleeve Expanders". These are used for assembling electrical wiring etc with stretch-rubber tube sleeves.

The image linked above is from this website:

https://hilltop-products.co.uk/cable-sleeving-protection/rubber-tubing/sleeve-expanders.html

 

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Thank you for posting this.  Vintage Conklin crescents were my gateway drug into this addiction hobby so you just made my day.  In your honor I will ink a MK 50 crescent this evening.

Dave Campbell
Retired Science Teacher and Active Pen Addict
Every day is a chance to reduce my level of ignorance.

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pi

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+1 more to the "Thank You" column.

Quite interesting film.

Of course now I am on my way to the Bay to check out the availability of Conklin Crescent-fillers.

“Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today, because if you do it today and like it, you can do again tomorrow!”

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I remember seeing a very pretty one (with a gold or gold-filled overlay) at one of the pen shows I was at last fall (OPS, as I recall).  Then I saw the price tag.... :wallbash:

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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Excellent find!  Thanks!

Has anyone told Conklin/Yafa about this find? I'm sure they would be fascinated by this piece of Conklin history.

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Thank you, AAAndrew.  This is great. What an interesting piece of history.  I especially enjoy "ink bag" and the fact that the nib was still called "the pen" at the time of this film. After all, it's the part which resembles a carved quill (penna). Will share this with friends not at this site. Thanks again. Best wishes, Barry

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Wonderful.

Such a joy to watch, I was rapt. Not just for the pens, but everything else which spoke of a bygone age.

Not that long ago, and yet a million years ago, too.

 

Thank you very much for sharing.

Best thing I've watched in a long time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very interesting indeed. The craftsmanship the workers had is incredible!!!

Thank you

Marco

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  • 3 weeks later...
42 minutes ago, Black Spot said:

So the rumor is true things were once made in the U.S.

:sm_cat:

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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6 hours ago, Black Spot said:

So the rumor is true things were once made in the U.S.

Wonderful things.

Dave Campbell
Retired Science Teacher and Active Pen Addict
Every day is a chance to reduce my level of ignorance.

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pi

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