Jefferson's Fountain Pen

[avbill]

Then I visited my son this past week He took me into several areas of special interest. Below is a fountain pen used by the third president of the United States.

though you pen turners would like this!

ps he works at the smithsonian as a researcher.

 

[tim self]

That looks like something Skiprat would make.

 

[HoratioHornblower]

That looks to be quite a nice polish for 300 years old! I wonder what they used to sand, etc. back then.

David

 

[Smitty37]

Interesting question

That is a good question. They did make some things that seem to be very highly finished. Your arithmetic is off a tad though, it is more like 200 years....

That looks to be quite a nice polish for 300 years old! I wonder what they used to sand, etc. back then.

David

 

[The Penguin]

That looks like something Skiprat would make.

I thought the same when I saw it. I've missed him being around...I enjoy his work

 

[glycerine]

That looks to be quite a nice polish for 300 years old! I wonder what they used to sand, etc. back then.

David

Spit shine!

 

[sbell111]

That looks to be quite a nice polish for 300 years old! I wonder what they used to sand, etc. back then.

David

I suspect that the Smithsonian had it restored and then is doing some sort of air magic in the display case to keep it and the book in good condition.

 

[Smitty37]

That looks to be quite a nice polish for 300 years old! I wonder what they used to sand, etc. back then.

David

I suspect that the Smithsonian had it restored and then is doing some sort of air magic in the display case to keep it and the book in good condition.

It's almost dead certain they are doing something, particularily since it is displayed with a document (book) - they really go to great lengths to preserve the original of important documents.

 

[IPD_Mr]

Was it a fountain pen or a dip pen? In other words did it retain it's own ink reservoir? The first cartridge for a pen was in the late 1820s and the first practical fountain pen was from the 1880s by Waterman. It very well could have been and I would love to know more about it. I would bet it was a gift from a foreign dignitary.

 

[vanngo5d]

Found some more information on this.
Jefferson hired William Cowen, a watchmaker from Richmond, to make for him a silver dip pen. Because he kept wearing out the quills.

Nice little story to go with it.

Thomas Jefferson quill and dip Pens

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Don Vann