Product Description
Type Simple telescoping dip pen holder in a silverplated storage tube.
Product Name Unknown
Manufacturer and Year C. E. Barrett & Company - this company manufactured dip pens, nib holders, and fountain pens starting in 1908. This piece was probably made no later than 1920.
Length 5-1/5" from the bottom to the tip of the nib when it's fully extended (as in our third photo below), 3-1/16" when the nib is retracted or in its cylindrical protective tube.
Filling System None, this is a dip pen so you dip the nib in ink. There's no ink reservoir and no feed, so you need to use the right ink and re-dip a lot. The nib retracts or extends by sliding a band on the holding-section up or down. You pull out the ebonite rod to give the pen a little more length.
Color Gold plated or gold filled, though it's not marked, with a nice pattern on it. The storage tube looks to be silverplated.
Nib EXTRA FINE nib is marked Barret & Co New York 4. It appears to be steel and has easy flex from extra fine to a nice broad. It is very responsive, and appears to have two tiny dots of tipping material. This is a wet noodle, but you are probably going to have to use something close to India ink .... we couldn't get more than a few strokes without having to re-dip.
Condition Gold plated nib holder: Excellent condtion with hardly any wear. No apparent brassing, just a little light scratching on the smooth, unpatterned parts of the finish and the black plastic or hard rubber end pieces. Silverplated Storage Tube: It's protective canister has a few minor dents and dings, and some fairly light scratching, but even that is still looking quite nice. It's a beautiful little piece, very unique and interesting.