The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-10-26

Scientific American.

The steel pen Is . modern invention, not
fifty years having elapsed since 1t was intro
duced, and like many other innovations 1t
met with much opposition and had 4 num-
Der Of rivals. OF these the quill pen was
tho most formidable, and to this day the
quilts Of geese are used by some old stagers.
Pens Of silver and gold, the latter especially,
have been great favorites with those who
admire much fexibllity with pen, and the
handy selffeeders, As the stylographic, have
plenty of users. But, after all, the steel
pen Is the most generally used, and unlike
most Inventions, the method of its manufac-
fscture has not been essentially changed or
improved.
q The steel from which pens ara made is the
finest crucible cast steel rolled into sheets
7-1000 of an inch thick. From this the
blanks are cut by means Of punch and die
in presses worked by hand or foot, the oper-
asos being girls. The side slits In the pen,
the central oval or semicircular hole, the
corrugations or embossings, the curved or
semicirculsr form 10 the original fat blank,
and the stamp Of the pen or the maker, are
all formed and produced by similar means
the screw hand press or the lever foot press
-by the use Of punches and dies, each pen
being handled separately. . '
These corrugations and Sits and central
cuts are not merely fancifnl ornaments, but
are intended to adapt the pen TO the user.
Some want . resisting pen, very stifi, and
allowing considerable pressure without open.
ing the nibs wide enough to make . heavy
mark; others yielding psn thai requires
but = touch to open the nibs. Then there
are many degrees or these qualities required
y we'll as differences in sizes 50 that . sin
gle establishment makes no less than 40
styles Of steel pens. 1 q
or course, cast steel Of such extreme ten
uity becomes hardened by these successive
dressings and punchings, and must be an
nesled. This Is done by placing the blanks,
or unfinished pens, In cast iron box, which
is then covered by . larger box, leaving .
space all around Of half an inch, or more,
which Is filed with ashes or fine charcoal.
The whole is then subjected to . glowing
red heat for about two hours, and allowed
to cool. When snnealed, these blanks may
he rolled up BY the fingers just like so many
hits Of tea lead, which they much resemble
In softness. ...
In heating for hardening the same method
b used-packing In double boxes six or
eight inches square-and when tbs pens are
red hot they are poured into tank Of ami
NAL oil. When taken ont from this bath
they must be handled carefully, as they are
not orly stiff and brittle, but erumbly they
can be squeezed to minute fragments be-
tween thumb and finger. They are then
placed within cone. shaped sheet iron re-
csptacle, opsn st the large end and mounted
on spindle, and are rotated over glowing
hre until they turn to full or Glow" blue.
They are then chilled In oil, and when cool
are ratified In sawdust until they are quits
clean and bright. The next process 10 the
grinding of the nibs on minute wheels of
6ns emery and corundum, and lastly comss
the essential process that completes the pen
and makes IL psn--shs slisting Of the nibs.
This b dons bysa pair Of shean acting the
same - the presses and punches. This spliss
the steal from point 70 central hole without
removing . particle Of material. The pens
are then lacqusrsd. straw or brown, blned or
biacksd, or Ian bright, = the style demands,
and packed for the market. ifs