The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-09-08
The Manufacture Of Steel Pens.

the once familiar gray goose quill" has
passed into history and symbolism. The
iirst,step of progress from the oft-mended
quill with fringed top, was the making Of
separate pens frem the barrel Of the quill,
to be used in "holder" From this the
transition to metal pen was a bold one,
as the fine sharp pocket-knife, called she
'pen-knife" from its most frequent usage,
would not form the metal pen, and ma
ehinery had to be designed aud made to
produce the new invention. We will pass
over the early history Of the steel pen and
consider the processes which are involved
in its manufacture.
In the first place, the desiderdtd Of
steel pen are that its point shall be fine
enough TO make a hair line and hard
enough to resist rough usage, and yet not
sharp enough to penetrate or scratch the
paper. The pen must be stiff enough to
bear constant pressure and elastic enough
to open out and make broad line. Il
must permit certain amount Of ink to
flow down to the point only when the
point is touched to paper, and must supply
larger amount at once when the wide
line is required, without letting "blobn
Of ink drop. 1t must resist in part the
corrosive action Of the inks in common
use. Each one Of kind must be exactly
like its million fellows, SO that once suited,
penman can always be satisfied. Ali
this requires fine machinery and material,
and great skill to effect For long time
we depended on England and France for
our pens. Now, after repeated failure of
many firms to introduce the manufacture
and produce good work, one company in
Essex, Mass, has succeeded in doing both.
The following description of the manu-
facture, as carried on at this establishment,
should prove interesting to our readers.
The steel employed is of the finest quail.
ity, asd comes from Sheffield, England, in
sheets 60 by 1S inches, q inch thick.
These are cut into strips from to y
inches wide, which are luted up in iron
pots and put in an enclosed furnace, the
"mufie." By being heated the temper is
drawn, and before being rolled it requires
merely to be "pickled" suitably to remove
scale, dirt, etc. The rolls (of which there
are FIVE sets, driven bya 50-horse engine)
draw out the strips into lengths Of from
three to four feet, of the exact thickness
required for pen. The rolls require TO
be kept cool by streams Of water.
From these long strips, screw presses,
operated by girls, strike out the fat blanks.
Other presses then cut the piece holes and
the side Sits, the blanks being guided by
girls, and each kind requiring separate dies.
The fiat and pierced pens Cor blanks)
are then returned to the pots and muffle
and heated, then allowed to cool slowly or
"anneal. In the marking shop they are
next stamped by steel dies, with the name
Of the manufacturers.
They are next struck up or ''raised" one
at time, by lever presses, into the proper
curved form some grades receiving a
transverse buckle or corrugation claimed
to give both stiffness and elasticity.
Hardening and tempering is next in
order This is effected in sheet iron cyl
inders (revolying slowly, 50 as to maintain
uniformity Of temperature) over a mild
but even fire. The spring temper being
attained, the pens are next revolved in the
galvanized iron cylinders with polishing
material, and when smooth and bright are
ground, one by one On very fine emery
wheels, first lengthwise on the back of the
point, and then crosswise. But all this
time the pen has lacked the most essential
charact ristic, the centre slit-which must
be central from the point to the pierce
hole, must have no "kerf" removed, and
must have its sides and edges perfectly
smooth so as not to "catch" and ''splut-
ter" The tool which cuts these Sits, one
at time, is accurate and rapid in opera
ton. Now comes the ordeal-for the fiery
experiences heretofore have not been or
deals but helpful processes to enable the
pens to bear the operations performedupon
them by the presses and emery wheels.
The ordeal is a cold-blooded one. Expert
examiners take up each pen, one with
each hand and try the points, examine the
the marking, stamping, grinding, finish,
temper and general appearance, throwing
out pen if the slightest defect be observ-
able. For the customer, you, for instance,
reader--who would have endured the
squeaking or sputtering Of quill pen, win
allow of no imperfections in the steel one.
Although there are twelve tests Of i'm
perfection, blemishes are detected with
such marvellous dexterity Cor dmbi-dexter-
ity) that each examiner will pick out
a hundred gross Of good pens per day
The polishing, bronzing and vanishing
processes are next in succession.
Being returned to the warehouse, they
are renAighed (for counting is out Of the
question, and weighing Is even more sure,)
and then bronzed if SO desired, and var
nished, to prevent rusting and to give
fine appearance. This vanishing is ac-
by putting them into wire
vessel and dipping them into varnish and
then rapidly revolving the swinger, to
throw off superhuous varnish and partially
dry them--an operation continued BY
shaking them in a riddle and then by
baking them about FIVE minutes at low
In the boxing department
they are weighed into gross boxes and
shipped. We are glad to note that ship
ments are not only made to all parts Of
this county, but to Canada, South Ameri-
ca, Mexico, Cuba, and even to Eaglancl--
carrying Goals to Newcastle The works
employ about 200 hands--iAostly girls, as
being DETER than boys or men. Each pen
passes through from 20 to rs distinct 6pe-
rations, many Of which require special
machinery and skilled operatives. - The
Polytechnic ReUiep.
Only two Of the great nations will not
be represented at the Paris Exposition
next year, Germany and Brazil, the abb
stention of the latter heinp eaueed h Il