Dip Pens

Dip Pen (Early Modern to Early 20th Century)

• Earliest Use: c. 1780s (metal nibs began to appear), widespread by 1830s
• Materials: A separate metal nib (steel, gold, or other alloys) inserted into a holder made of wood, bone, mother-of-pearl, or other materials.
• Steele Nibs: Pens with steel nibs were first produced commercially in 1858 by Richard Esterbrook, a manufacturer, at his factory in Camden NJ.
• Characteristics: Offered a more durable and consistent writing point than quills, which constantly needed re-cutting. Still required dipping into an inkwell after every few words.
• Significance: Revolutionized writing efficiency, leading to the decline of the quill. Mass production of steel nibs made writing more affordable and accessible.
• An assemblage of pen nibs – pictured.
  • In the middle of the bottom row is a nib shaped like a hand, finger pointing. (It’s the index finger, not the middle finger).
  • On the far left of the bottom row is a five-pronged nib, which would have been used by a composer to draw the musical staff.