Topics

16

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Curing quills - The "Why's" of the steps

« on: October 10, 2019, 01:50:52 PM »

My son's 8th-grade science teacher is going to have them make iron gall ink as part of their chemistry section this year. They normally take it to art class and use it to paint a bit. I asked if she would like to have some quills instead to try and write with, and she enthusiastically replied in the affirmative. So, this has be back trying to figure out how to cure and cut quills.

I've read and watched videos and the curing process is straightforward enough, in theory. What I'm trying to figure out now is if anyone has clear answers as to why we do the different steps. I think I have an idea, possibly, but thought I'd pass it by you all to see if there is any agreement or disagreement.  I would like to know why each step of curing is done, so that I can better figure out how to address non-standard situations, like feathers which have been sitting for a couple of years.

As far as I can tell, the main reason for soaking your feathers seems to be, that it brings them to a standard state of softness. At this stage you can flatten them a bit, if you want. It also starts all feathers off at a common state. This appears to eliminates the vagaries of feathers some of which are older, or younger, harder or softer.  I'm not exactly sure the action of the alum in the soak. I may try both with and without alum and see what the difference may be. I haven't seen a comparison. It seems that some soak with and some without without any explanation.

Heating the soaked feathers then will dry out to a specific amount. It seems that once you have a wet, flexible quill shaft, you then want to heat it up, dry it out to make it the right level of hardness for cutting into a writing quill. I'm wondering if the heating also does anything else? I've seen references to the heating to help loosen the outer membrane which needs to be removed from the quill. I've also seen references to it reducing the "greasiness" of the natural quill. It definitely seems to make the quill clearer. How hot do we need this? Can you dry out the quill too much? Could this be done with a heat gun rather than hot sand, if the goal is merely to heat up the quill? (possibly, but may be much more time and labor consuming considering with hot sand you can heat a handful of quills all at once in a matter of a minute or two with sand. )

It seems all modern quill preparers seem to make a preliminary cut in the quill before heating, and often before soaking. This, it seems, ensures that the alum as well as the heat can get inside the quill as well as the outside.  I assume this is for consistency sake.

Am I forgetting anything? Are there alternate methods which I'm not finding? Has anyone experimented with other methods?

I'd love to find out.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Anyone recognize this style of shorthand from 1858?

« on: October 09, 2019, 09:24:57 AM »

Ah historian acquaintance is studying the journal of a ship's carpenter in 1858. She's come upon some shorthand sections and is trying to find out if it can be translated. I knew some here had studied shorthand, so thought I'd give it a try.

I like the writer's "hand" and have asked if I can see a larger selection. I'll share that if I get it.

18

Tools & Supplies / Common, vintage, non-calligraphy nib videos.

« on: August 29, 2019, 09:41:18 PM »

I’m still learning, but have started to make some brief videos showing different vintage nibs. I’m not a calligrapher, and these aren’t really calligraphy nibs, but might be of interest to some. Here’s the latest wher I look at three tapered pens.

Andrew

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Need some help with early quill oblique cuts - what terminology was used?

« on: June 13, 2019, 03:24:14 PM »

I've been away too long, but I immediately thought of y'all when I had such an esoteric question about quills.

I am trying to track down the origin of the use of the term "oblique" to mean a nib cut at an angle, rather than the nib pointed at an angle to the line of the holder. In pointed, steel pens, we have Sampson Mordan patenting the first "Oblique Pen" and oblique holder in 1831. He uses the term "Oblique" to mean pointing off at an oblique angle. This is the origins of what pointed pen calligraphers call the "oblique pen" and the less-common "oblique nib."

In later fountain pen days, a stub nib cut at an angle was (and still is) called an "oblique" nib. If the right tine is longer, it's a "left oblique" and if the left is longer, it's a "right oblique."

What I'm trying to figure out is if in the treatises which Mordan's oblique pens, like Paillason's famous treatise, L'Art d'Ecrire, use the term oblique? In Paillason's Plate 4, there is an illustration of a specific way of cutting the tip of your quill into what the fountain pen folks call a "right oblique" with different angles used for different hands. (Ronde, Batard and Coulée)

What I don't know, is what those pre-steel-pen masters called this cutting at an angle. I've read references to  "French Cut" in English texts, but not sure what the French called it. Did anyone at the time use the term "Oblique" to refer to the angled cut?

If anyone has an idea, or has access (and can read) the older texts, or has suggestions where I can find this out or someone I could ask, I would be most, most, grateful.

Thanks
Andrew

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Tools & Supplies / The Art of the Central Piercing

« on: March 10, 2019, 04:18:35 PM »

And, no, I'm not talking about navel piercings. (or naval, for that matter) I'm speaking of the piercing of a steel pen at the base of the slit separating the tines. This has been called many things, many of them silly or misleading ("gravity well"? "breather hole"?)  Lately I had taken to calling it just the "hole" but I've begun to change my mind and instead I'm going to begin to call it the "central piercing."

First off, it is a piercing of the surface of the pen, as much so as any side piercings. it is also centrally located as it stops the slit, which is (almost) always on-center. (Only the multi-line pens violate this truism). And, by calling it a piercing, we also acknowledge the fact that these gaps often have a decorative role in addition to any functional ones.

I recently purchased my first lightboard, and since then I have actually spent more time photographing steel pens in my collection that have interesting central piercings, then I have using it for writing practice.

At first, I took a picture of some pens from a recent mass purchase. (one of those fabled "bag o' pens" where you don't know what you're getting, but you do know you're getting a lot of it) This is the first picture below.

These pens have a nice mixture of standard shapes, as well as unusual ones.Some piercing shapes are associated with specific pen shapes or types. The first image (Esterbrook 914) with the torch-shaped piercing is almost always found on Bank Pens, long beak-shaped pens. The second inverted chevron (or "inverted V") is often found on stub pens, most of which are of one shape, but this one (Hunt 709 Courier Stub) has a different silhouette. Then there are the unusual ones. You have the Hunt 1681 Pennsylvania with it's upside-down keystone shape. Pennsylvania is known as The Keystone State, so this is an unusual example of the piercing shape related to the name of the pen. The other fun one is a Spencerian 41 Panama Pen. The ax-shaped piercing is one of my favorites. Not sure what an Ax has to do with Panama, unless it's indirectly referencing the amount of trees they had to cut down to build the canal through the jungle. That theory falls apart, though, when you consider the pen is actually made by Perry and was sold outside the US as the Perry 92EF Glastone. What an ax has to do with the prime minister, perhaps someone more, shall we say, British can answer.

If these are of interest, let me know and I can post more. Not all are quite as quirky as the ax, but there are a fair number that aren't simple ovals.

Andrew

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Everyday Handwriting | Penmanship / Handwriting examples from the 1870's

« on: January 29, 2019, 09:55:30 AM »

I recently purchased a miscellaneous set of documents from around 1872-74 related to the running of the Vermont and Massachusetts Railway. I picked them up because I'm interested in old styles of penmanship. Most are not terribly interesting from a content perspective, but the variation in handwriting is quite fun. I haven't gone through them all yet, but here are three of my favorites so far.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Lecture on the history of Armenian Calligraphy

« on: January 23, 2019, 11:09:48 AM »

The artist Ruben Malayan has been almost single-handedly reviving the lost art of Armenian calligraphy over the last decade or so. This is amazing since the Armenian culture revers their alphabet and the written word more than pretty much any other I've encountered. (it's easy to find jewelry with nothing on it but the alphabet)

Ruben was invited last December to teach a workshop on Armenian calligraphy. His talk on the history of Armenian calligraphy was recorded and can be watched from here.

https://hrantdink.org/en/activities/projects/history-program/1550-armenian-calligraphy-tradition-past-present-and-future-talk

Worth watching if you're interested in learning more about other traditions of calligraphy.

Andrew

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Pen history - Exhibition Pens

« on: January 23, 2019, 10:42:42 AM »

Recently on eBay a series of large, decorative steel pens were sold.

These are almost certainly what I call "Exhibition Pens." These were not made as actual writing pens, but were used in the large, decorative displays entered by the pen makers into the major exhibitions, like the 1851 Great London Exhibition, or the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. I've included below a photo of a Wm Mitchell display from the Paris Exhibition in 1900 that is currently in the collection of the pen museum in Birmingham.

These pens were meant to display the penmaker's art, like grinding, finishing, piercing, etc...

I have two of them. One is a slightly over-sized example in a beautiful, deep blue finish with a triple grind: parallel, perpendicular and parallel to the axis of the pen. The imprint on this one just says, "Joseph Gillott Pen Maker to the Queen."

The other is an example of complex and difficult piercings. To make such delicate and complex designs by piercing, you need incredibly fine dies made in very hard steel. This is quite difficult and demonstrates the skill of your tool and die makers.

I've included a pen that is normally considered a large pen to give you an idea of scale. The large nib is 68mm long.

Thought some might appreciate.

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Everyday Handwriting | Penmanship / The Great Vertical/Slant wars of the turn of the century.

« on: January 21, 2019, 05:05:15 PM »

From about 1890-1910 a great debate was heating up. Should students be taught to write with a slant, or write more vertically.

Around 1894, a teacher named Jackson first published a book advocating vertical writing as more natural and less damaging to young hands. It's also easier to read and faster to write. Within a couple of years several more authors jumped on the vertical bandwagon.

In the 1890's Vertical writing took off with an explosion, but was soon met with sitff opposition.

Here's a quote from an article in 1901 explaining the move towards "Intermedial Slant" or "Modified Slant" writing from "Vertical Penmanship."

It gives you an idea of the churning of ideas and debates within the educational systems on the proper way to write, and how important penmanship had become by the end of the 19th-century. This is from The School Journal, January 05, 1901.

"When the sudden rage for vertical penmanship came into vogue in 1890, [AAA: Jackson originally published his first book on vertical writing in 1875] there was not a series of copy-books published in this country that did not follow, substantially, the standard Spencerian slant of fifty-two degrees. Professional penmen were therefore very slow to follow any departure from that slant, and it was only when they began to investigate the writing that was in use in business offices that they saw there was some foundation and reason for a considerable departure from the old standard."

Then some penman, led by Lyman and Heman P. Smith, studied the problem by getting actual samples from hundreds of clerks and others who have to write quickly and clearly. They had them write on tracing paper, and then put that up against an under-sheet with angles on it. What they found was that 90-percent wrote somewhere in the 70-80-degree slant, rather than purely vertical or the Spencerian 52-degrees. Thus, Smith's Intermedial Round Hand Penmanship was published.

In the same issue of the journal an ad for Esterbrook steel pens asks the question, "Vertical or Slant" They then go on to say, "Whatever is the decision of the powers that be as to which shall be used, we shall be able to supply orders for either style with Esterbrook Pens."



Later that year, you find this article published.

"The Solution of the Writing Problem"

Resolutions adopted By The National Penmanship Teachers' Association, at Detroit, Michigan, December 29, 1900.

We the Penmanship Teachers' Association of the National Commercial Teachers' Federation in convention assembled, in order to suggest the proper solution of the Public School Writing problem, adopt the following preamble and resolutions:

Whereas, No system of writing, whether vertical or slant, will in itself, insure good writing, whether taught by copy-book, copy-slip, tablet, blackboard, or by any other method;

Whereas, the best results can only be secured by earnest, faithful, intelligent teaching on the part of well-qualified teachers;

Whereas, It is a very well known fact that a large per cent of teachers have no prepared themselves to teach this important brand, simply because their boards of examiners have not subjected them to as rigid an examination in this as in other branches, but have simply graded them from their manuscripts, and have never refused to grant certificates however illegible the writing; ...

The article then goes to to say that the Penmanship Teachers' Association calls upon boards of examiners to examine ability to teach penmanship as rigidly as in other branches, and they should "call to their aid the assistance of specialists." (i.e. them, surprise) And that instructors of penmanship should be hired by every school in every district. (another not surprise)

Interestingly enough, they call for primary school students to write less, as they are incredibly prone to finger writing and it's hard to break them of that habit once it is taken up.

For a while, every pen maker was making a "Vertical Writer" and also quickly began making "Modified Slant" or "Natural Slant" pens. By 1920, it seems the debate, at least in the United States, had mostly ended in favor of a form of Intermedial Slant called Palmer.


BTW,
I also found this great resource for penmanship books. http://davidkaminski.org/wiki/Timeline_of_handwriting_and_penmanship_books

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Tools & Supplies / Playing with video.

« on: January 20, 2019, 03:26:59 PM »

After this I figured how to set up to video from above, but I had fun with these Jaclin Parrot nibs.  I figured out that they are Eagle College pens. I suspected it when I first wrote with them, and confirmed it after.

It’s strange to watch yourself write.

Andrew



First attempt at overhead, but hand held. Next one i make will be with a tripod.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / What would you call this, besides amazing

« on: January 19, 2019, 09:43:36 PM »

Kind of Spencerian, kind of , all original.

It’s a receipt from a men’s clothing store in Philadelphia in 1904

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Tools & Supplies / In praise of the common, ordinary, Esterbrook 048 Falcon

« on: January 08, 2019, 11:46:32 AM »

Esterbrook made millions of their flagship pen, the 048 Falcon. It's too large to put into oblique holders, so they're often overlooked, which is good for those of us who use straight holders. Many of the common, inexpensive pens made for general writing are also surprisingly fun to write with and can even be very responsive.

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Tools & Supplies / Classifying Pen Shapes: A Proposed Glossary

« on: December 08, 2018, 09:59:13 AM »

I feel bad that I’ve not been around for a while. Things are quite busy at work and at home. What little time I have is spent working on my pen history stuff. I’m also creating a more rigorous inventory of my collection and the entirety of Easterbrook’s pen catalog in my effort to help migrate The Esterbrook Project to a new site, bugger and better than ever!

Anyway, as part of all of this I have finally written up a first pass at an incomplete glossary of terms for the major pen shapes. Vintage pens came in so many different shapes, but there is no “official” list of what to call them. So, I started with the Esterbrooks. Since US pens came in fewer variations of shape, this is wholly inadequate to encompass British and Continental pens as they display an amazing variety.

Regardless of shortcomings, I thought it good enough to get the conversation started, so here it is. Feel free to suggest additional shapes or alternative names, especially if you can show evidence for use of the names in the past.

Andrew

https://thesteelpen.com/2018/12/07/pen-shapes-a-proposed-glossary/

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Spencerian Script / Anyone ever hear of a Professor Wing teaching Spencerian in the 19th-century?

« on: August 30, 2018, 09:17:37 AM »

So, I picked up a curious object from the 'Bay and I'm trying to do some research.

It's a broadside advertising Spencerian Penmanship classes by a Professor Wing who studied under P.R. Spencer.

It claims that he was at that time (approx 1868 or so) a faculty member of the Iron City Commercial College. Iron City Commercial College was originally founded in 1851 as Duff's Mercantile College, the fist commercial college in the US, and is still in business as Everest Institute's Pittsburgh campus.

There are numerous testimonials, including one from P.R. Spencer himself written in Geneva, Ohio.

Mr. Wing
Dear Student: - On your leaving the Geneva Writing Class, wherein you have labored diligently and ingeniously, securing an high degree of excellence, and mastering the theory of "The Art of Arts," permit me to say that I believe you will be in the path of duty, should you devote your time to instructing the youth of the country in the use of the pen. I am confident of your ability to do good, and bid you success therein.
P.R. Spencer
Author and Teacher of Spencerian or Semi-angular Penmanship

The broadside says that Professor Wing "visits this place during his leave of absence, and will remain four weeks only, during which time he will give private instruction in his Art and the Science of Accounts to all who may desire it. Having attended, some years ago the Lectures of Prof. P. R. Spencer, Sen., now decieased, whose works on Penmanship have long been before the public, together with an actual experience fo ten years as teacher enables him to guarantee entire satisfaction to every patron"

The poster is about 20.5" long and 7.25" wide. I will get it framed and preserved because it's so interesting. And my wife's from Pittsburgh, so I know where the building used to be, on the corner of Penn Ave. and St. Clair.

Here's an ad for Iron City Commercial College from 1863, and here's the photograph of the poster. I haven't gotten good photos of it yet, so this will have to do.

So, let me know if anyone has any info on Professor Wing. He may well have just been one of the thousands of undistinguished penmanship teachers at the time. It would be interesting to find out.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / The Seven Cardinal Virtues Of A Dip Pen c. 1886

« on: August 07, 2018, 11:00:21 PM »

From an ad in The London Lancet of 1886. (Later just called "The Lancet")
 

"Seven cardinal virtues should be found in a pen. It must be elastic, well tempered, durable, even-pointed, easy writing, well shaped and neatly finished. Esterbrook's have all these qualities in perfection."

 
"Elastic" means that it's not a nail, there's some give to the pen. That give can be from flexible tines, or a spring in the body of the pen. It's not a measure of "flex" (spread of tines) as we think of it today. It is the opposite of a "nail."
 
Well tempered: will spring back well from any flex, will not bend without coming immediately back into shape
 
Even-pointed: Tines are aligned and without flat spots or roughness. Steel pens of quality manufacturing need no adjustment or smoothing.
 
Easy-writing: smooth tip that allows you to write quickly and easily without over-worry of a too-sharp tip. Many nibs favored by calligraphers have very sharp tips and so while they can produce extremely fine hairlines, they are slow and require great control to write with. A good every-day pen should write easily
 
Well-shaped: I guess this just means that it looks good and is a comfortable size? Some of the novelty shapes popular with European makers were never really sold here. I've never seen an American manufacturer make any pen in the shape of something else with one exception. Esterbrook, in their very earliest years, did make a version of the pointing finger pen. But they are extremely rare (only two examples are known) and weren't made after 1883.
 
Neatly finished: an even color and smooth surface are two signs of a good finish.
 
If you're interested in how steel pens were made to get these characteristics, I have a description on my site. https://thesteelpen.com/