Passionate about Pens

Metal pens did not start to become until at least the early nineteenth century but they were made long before, the Naples Museum has a bronze pen from Pompeu.

In 1780 Samuel Harrison, a split ring manufacturer, made a steel pen for Dr Joseph Priestley.  In 1803 steel pens were made and sold in London for 5 shillings each, these were stiff and hard, not very satisfactory and unpopular.

J I Hawkins and S Mordon patented horn and tortoiseshell pen nibs in 1822.  They strengthened the point with small pieces of diamond or ruby.  Also, around this time John Mitchell made the first machine made pens.  Then in 1828 Josiah Mason improved and cheapened the method of manufacture.

The penny post greatly increased the demand for still nibbed pens, Joseph Gillot, pen manufacturer to Queen Victoria, was turning out 70 million pens per year by 1842 at his Birmingham factory.  A year later production had increased to 105 million.

A piece found in a very old notebook written by Ronnie