Author Topic: A Cast of Falcons  (Read 1717 times)

Offline AAAndrew

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A Cast of Falcons
« on: November 25, 2015, 11:23:12 AM »
Doing some sorting last night and realized I had a few different "Falcon" shaped dip pens of various manufacturers.

So, in honor of my birthday gift of a Pilot Falcon that's winging its way to me at this moment, I thought I'd share a Cast of dip pen Falcons.

I'm not exactly sure where the Falcon shape came from. I read one place (it was on the internet so it must be true) is that was first designed by Esterbrook. It's certainly true that the 048 (the zero is always there) Falcon was the most popular pen they made, it was the symbol of the Esterbrook Steel Pen company. They made jewelry and awards all using this nib. It was on most ads and touted as their most popular nib since the 19th-century. And for good reason.

The falcon shape is sturdy, tends to be smooth (depending on manufacturer), and holds a large amount of ink. I'm particularly fond of the nibs. It's also interesting the variation in stiffness of the different nibs, from the very flexible Spencerian, to the super-stiff Woolco. I even threw in my one stub Falcon, the also iconic 442 Jackson Stub.

If anyone has any other info on where the Falcon shape came from, and why it was called a Falcon, I would be most curious to find out.

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Offline Marc

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2015, 01:55:07 PM »
Nicely done!  I love seeing comparison shots like these.

In this line up, is there one in particular that you go to more than the others?

I've got the Pilot Falcon (via massdrop a little while back) and love it.  I got the Fine (technically soft fine) but generally only use it as a monoline -- a bit too chicken to flex it out!  It does seem to like a four-knuckles up approach to holding it, when I do give it some flex.  It's by many multiples the most expensive pen I've ever splurged on, and have zero regrets spending the money.  Enjoy!

Marc

Offline AAAndrew

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2015, 02:25:11 PM »
For the pointed pen Falcons, by far the venerable Esterbrook 048 (there's a reason it was consistently their most popular model), and the Spencerian "Forty" #40 Falcon. I am also a huge fan of the Esterbrook 442 Jackson Stub.

As for the others, the Eagle is quite nice, even though the couple of examples I have look to be later ones. I'm sure the one manufactured before 1940 are much nicer, as are most Eagle pens. And for the firm ones, the Cross and Lambert and Turner and Harrison examples are quite nice writers. The Bancogilt are decent enough, and the Woolco is generally unremarkable excerpt for its sharpness.

I could see myself getting into trouble collecting more of these. I now really want an Esterbrook 340 Mammoth Falcon (I was so close to getting a couple recently but was sniped out of them at the last second), and  at least one example of the #182 Lady Falcon. And I keep coming across other manufacturers of Falcon shapes on the auction site which will not be named.

Something about that shape was incredibly popular.

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Offline AAAndrew

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2015, 05:30:02 PM »
Received my Pilot Falcon fountain pen with a Soft Extra-Fine nib. Pilot does not advertise these as "flexible" but instead calls them soft. And while they're not truly Falcon-shaped, the name is there, and it does behave like one of the more firm Falcons, like the Cross and Lambert or Turner and Harrison.

I'm using R&K Salix, which is an iron gall ink. It's a great pen for writing. Not as smooth as most fountain pens, but it is smoother when flexing, and smoother than a dip pen. A nice compromise.

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Offline AAAndrew

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2015, 05:08:17 PM »
A new Falcon, a BABY!

And it's so cute. It's the one in the middle. The top is an Esterbrook 354, the bottom is a regular 048 Esterbrook Falcon. The middle is the Isaac.

After some more research, I'm pretty sure this is from the 1890's or "aughts". By 1910 they used a different typography for their labels, and in 1889 Leon Isaac was still independent of Turner and Harrison.
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Offline melanie jane

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2015, 09:17:02 PM »
I've got several of the 048 Falcons, and also recently received a couple of Gillott Falcons (can't remember the number) in a random bundle I bought. 

I must admit, I can't seem to get on very well with them, nor any other semi flex nibs.  I've only recently started calligraphy, but for some reason I seem to much prefer the more flexible nibs.  Possibly because they make my writing look much better than it actually is!  Maybe I'll give them another try in a few months. 
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Offline AAAndrew

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2015, 12:32:39 PM »
If they ever become too much of a burden, I'll be glad to dispose of them in an ecologically sound manner by storing them in a climate-controlled, security-enhanced environment. They shall not pollute the ground-water nor contaminate the air. I am a certified Un-used Nib Disposal Expert after all.  ;D

Actually, I like the semi-flex and even firm-flex nibs for regular writing since I'm no calligrapher. They work well for my writing as they allow for some shading but I can still write fairly quickly with them, which I can't do with the more full-flex nibs.
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Offline melanie jane

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Re: A Cast of Falcons
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2015, 04:50:20 PM »
Thanks, that is selfless of you.  I'll bear it in mind should I need the space.   ;)

However, if you don't already have some of the Gillott Falcons, I'm happy to send the 2 or 3 that I have to you, so you can compare them to the rest.  Let me know.
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