Is this a dipping pen

[Loki]

This is silver and has the anchor for Birmingham, lion and letter U for (I think) 1919.  I am going to stick it on ebay, can I describe it as a dipping pen?

There is obviously the place where the shaft would go, but the nib just fits into a tiny hole in the main body.  The nib is quite flat and I would have thought it should have some sort of chanel in it.  It weighs about 3 grams and is about 2 and a half inches long.  On the reverse there are 2 slots which I assume is to collect the ink in, it doesn't look very efficient.  It is probably just scrap.

[mart]

I believe you have a calligraphy pen !! Can the nibs be changed ??

[Loki]

Well yes, the nib comes out and so presumably you could insert a different one.  We don't have any history with this item and so it is going on ebay, I want to know how to describe it (without looking like an idiot)

[mart]

Mmmm,, can you take some close ups of both sides, the marks, and the nib when out of the pen ?? Its possible that the nib does not go with this pen. On looking closer the nib looks more like an engraving nib. If you have some food coloring you can check to see if it works with that !! Just use it like ink.

[Loki]

Food colouring?  I would never have thought of that!  I am learning all the time!  Yes I will take the photos and post tomorrow, am off out shortly.  Thanks.

[Loki]

Here is the reverse side of the pen.  I tried the food colouring and although it went into the slots, nothing came out of the nib, you could not write with it.  Both sides of the nib are flat, no groove.

I did find that the band that is in the middle does slide up and down.  No idea why.

[waywardangler]

I do not think it is an ink pen. I do not see how any ink would flow to the tip. It is some other type of tool. If that was sharp, I would say it was an ink eraser but it is not sharp. I think a search of antique desk/writing instruments may be helpful.

I think it is a pencil holder. Are both ends open? Does a pencil fit in the barrel? The sliding band would allow the pencil to be moved down each time it is sharpened until it is too short of a nub to be used.

The metal tip may be a burnisher/letter opener. Without actually trying it or looking at the tip and edges, that would be my guess.

[Loki]

Hi

It is sharp in a very pointed way!  The point is nothing like the ink erasors I have seen.  I think the nib is also made of silver. The body has the maker's mark M & C on it and this is the nearest thing I have found.  If it is similar to this item, I am probably missing the top:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200634150878&clk_rvr_id=252752082936&item=200634150878&lgeo=1&vectorid=229508

S.Mordan solid silver slide pencil/dip pen 1920's exc

[waywardangler]

I am not so sure. Yours does not have a 'z' channel, only a straight channel. The nib in the ebay one will actually hold ink and write, yours does not. If the tip of yours is actually silver, which I highly doubt, it would be too soft to do anything with it.

The M&C (in a rectangle) maker's mark is for Marks & Cohen of Birmingham. It is not for Mordan. http://www.silver2treasure.co.uk/blog/silver-makers-marks/silver-makers-marks-beginning-with-the-letter-m/  and   http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/Birmingham-M.html

But the years Marks & Cohen operated (1903-1910) in Birmingham does not match the letter date you gave of 1919.

The pencil would go in the end with the ring around it. I doubt you are missing the top for the other end as that would cover up the maker's mark.

[mart]

On closer look,. I don`t think the nib goes with that holder at all !!  I am not sure what this thing is !!  It may be a pencil holder. Is it open on the ends ??

[waywardangler]

Most of the holders on the internet have a ring on one end probably to hang from a chain/cord/necklace.

[Loki]

Sorry, got called away.

I think it has got something to do with these pencil sliders, and yes I think the nib is an addition, and I still think it is silver, it is soft.  There is an opening at the end in which you could put pencil leads, but the hole that the nib fits into is very fine, presumably they would drop out of the slot.  It is a puzzle.  I think it is missing something, I thought at first it would have been a shaft that fitted in.  Perhaps it is a "top" with chain like some of the others.

I agree that it is most unlikely to have anything to do with Mordant (I should be so lucky) and the maker M&C doesn't show up as a notable maker in my book.  I suspect that it will go for scrap, at 3 grams, it's not worth the postage!  I would still like to know what it is though.  I suspect my father picked it up somewhere.  He had ruling pens for his watercolour work.  I wonder if he tried to use it for that.

[mart]

If your father was a watercolorist I may have part of the answer !! When you work  with watercolor hard lines and detail work are done by scoring/scratching the paper and the paint flows into the grooves created by any sharp point and makes the dark lines that you see in fenceposts, tree trunks flower stamens. I am an acrylic/oil painter and I did do watercolor a very short while and didn`t particularly like it. Way too much layering and drying for me !! I think that your father used the point for that type scoring. Still not sure it actually goes together but artists tend to use what they have on hand as long as it works !!

[Loki]

Ah ha!

Thanks Mart.  I suspect it was not suitable for the purpose because it was not with his art stuff.  Mum didn't recognise it as a family piece so we are just speculating that he picked it up for that purpose.  I think in view of the fact that it is missing bits etc and it's value is probably just scrap, I will leave it there.  If I find anything else out about it, I will post.

I am learning an awful lot on this forum!  Great fun, thanks for all the help.

[mart]

Just out of curiosity where did you find it ??  On a desk, just laying around, or what ?? That might help !!
I used a sharpened brush end for scoring. Wish I had found somethink like that,, I may not have disliked watercolor so much !!