r/dippens

I have made the statement in the past that if one could not find vintage Estebrook 788 Oval Point, that the vintage Hunt 513 EF Globe or the Turner & Harrison No. 506 Bowl Point were comparable substitutes with the same performance. The problem is that until now I have only tested that with the Hunt 513, and never really got my hands on the Turner & Harrison No. 506. My assertions about this nib was based on the way they looked almost identical to the other two.

Well, that finally changed. I acquired a gross box of Turner & Harrison No. 506 Bowl Point pens. Immediately I could see that despite the similarities, the vent hole on them is smaller than the Esterbrook 788 and Hunt 513. It made me worried that perhaps I have been too hasty in my assumption, so I had to test all three side by side to see if I could tell the difference.

After writing a full page with each I have come to the conclusion that my original assertion is 100% spot on. By smoothness on paper, ink flow, and feel, they are so near identical to each other. If I was doing a blind writing test I don't think I'd be able to accurately tell which one I was using. Even on paper the lines are very similar.

I included here a writing sample with all 3 nibs writing their own names with the same type of ink, plus a separate photo of all three nibs side by side, and just the T&H 506.

So after all of that I stand by what I said, they are practically interchangeable. If for whatever reason you can't find find the Esterbrook 788, you can just get some vintage Hunt's 513 or Turner & Harrison 506 and get pretty much the same experience and feel you were looking for with the Esterbrook 788.

I found this pen tip but I can't get to work online I can't find anything about it please help if anyone knows what this tip is and how I can get it to work ( the groves don't reach the tip so the ink doesn't flow)

Brings my total inventory to 32, which is not a lot, but then again, this is not a nib that's a must have necessarily considering the Hunt No. 513 of which I have more than a hundred is practically identical in shape, size and performance, and I also have a mostly complete gross box of Turner & Harrison No. 506 which should also be identical in every way to the Esterbrook 788.

That's the great thing about vintage nibs, if you can't find an adequate enough supply of your favorite Estherbrook nibs, or at least not at a price you are willing to pay, chances are Hunt, Turner & Harrison, or even Eagle have the same identical nib, or very near identical, in their lineup under a different name and number.

Feel free to slap some sense into me here. This is not going well at all.

Nibs have been soaked in soapy water and rinsed out multiple times. Started with a ten minute soak then tried an hour. Still writes for sh**. Trying different grips, pressures.. is it supposed to be this hard?

I’ve started adding music to my journal because I want it to include more than just text and drawings so I bought an “automatic 5-line pen” that draws five line staffs and a Mitchell #0268 music writing nib, both from John Neal Books, and I think the finished product looks way better than anything I’ve gotten with any of my fountain pens that have music nib, including my sailor 1911.

This will go on my blog tonight at midnight.

I purchased this pen with a few other fountain pens in my first ever purchase on the cheap (you don’t want to know how low), and would love help identifying this beauty. I found out that it’s from Sampson Mordan, and seems to be a dip pen, but I can’t find any other identical versions of this online, though there are a few similar ones. I’ve had this for a while and it’s a favorite to hold, thought I’d share it to appreciate the beauty, and for any info the community might have on it.

The nib has: J. Simmons & co. VICTORIA CROSS Registered no. 79738 trademark

Any thoughts on the model, and what it might be worth?

Hello pen (and hopefully ink) enthusiasts!

Questions about vintage inks:

1. Is it likely that vintage drawing inks contain substances that would be a health concern today (heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury? strong acids/bases? etc? Would they be safe enough to, say, be turned into craft paints and use them on household objects that would be touched from time to time? Not dishware or anything, but stuff like flower pots, picture frames, soap bottles, that sort of thing?
2. What's the safest way to clean the more used-up bottles? Can they be washed down the drain? I've seen ammonia recommended on some other threads, but I'd rather not start adding chemicals until I have a better idea of what could be in the bottles

Added context:

The other day I rescued a large box of vintage inks at the end of an estate sale. I'm a crafter but not a pen person, but they were clearly old, and the pigments and glass bottles were so pretty I didnt want to see them just get thrown out. Some are still liquid, some are liquid but clearly separated, and some have dried out. I can't find 4 digit years on any of them. One says "Made in W - Germany," so they're from the 80s at least, but im guessing probably a bit earlier. Cause a couple have 2-digit numbers like "76", "53" molded in the glass on the bottoms that could be years, tho I'm not sure. As far as label info, some labels mention shellac, some say not to add acid, and a few specify diluting with water only. but most don't say much of anything, and none of them list ingredients. Representative photos attached.

Side note - I've done enough googling to know that these aren't meant for use in a fountain pen, and I don't intend to try that. I am NOT asking about the 'safety' of use in a fountain pen. Most are labeled as drawing inks and appear to have been intended for dip pens. Thanks a lot and hopefully this is an ok place to ask this question :)

I love dip pens but im super clumsy and I drip all the time. I am starting to kind of like what the blots add. Do you think they ruin everything?

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I would never have bought these in a million years as stubs are not my thing, but for $10 on eBay at auction, with 4 hours to go, I figured it may be worth it just for fun. I put in a bid at the last moment not expecting to really win it, but you never know. Well, I got them despite my minimum bid, much to my unexpected surprise.

Box is a little beat up, and pictures weren't the greatest, but I figured it at least half of these were in decent shape it would still be worth the $10 price just to try something cool that's not normally what I write with, or my prefer style of nibs.

I went over every single nib closely when I got them, and to my surprise, they were all in excellent shape. And even though I don't know how to write with stubs well, I have it a go, eventually ended up writing a full page, and I can't say my line variation was super impressive....and I am not doing them justice, but I found the Jackson stub to be a wet but controlled writer, glides smooth on paper. It did not catch on the paper even a single time!!!

I included a photo of me writing the nib name with red calligraphy ink. Sorry for my poor attempt at highlighting what this can do.

Picked up a mystery J. Herbin bottle from the 'estate sale find' table at the pen show! It's giving mixed messages. Missing label. 2 wax colors. The ink does look blue, and there is a gold shimmer, pictured.

I have no swatch image because I don't want to open it until I have a better idea of what it might be.

Whatcha think?