The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-23
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PENS.
The Process by Which the Little Steel Writ
lug Implements Are Made.

States. What becomes of themP
Twenty years ago most of the steel
pens used in this country were impor-
ted. Now comparatively few are i'm
ported, and there are several factories
in the country in which they are made
in large quantities. One factory is in
Connecticut, another is in Pennsylva-
MIA, and large one is in Camden.
The manufacturers say that the indus
try has been fostered by the protective
tariff, and that if the tariff were to be
taken off the market would be flooded
with cheap steel pens at lower prices
than ours and of inferior quality. At
present the importation of foreign
pens is mainly confined to high-priced
articles.
1t was at first doubted that steel
pens could be made in this country,
but it was soon learned that the requi-
site skilled labor could be obtained for
high wages, and the success of the
| pioneers led one manufacturer after
another into the business, until now
the field is pretty well supplied.
Most of the work on these little in
struments is done with the aid of very
nice machinery worked by women and
girls. The steel used is imported, be-
cause it is believed that the quality is
| more uniform than American steel.
This uniformity of quality is necessary
because of the very delicate tempering
required in the manufacture of the
pens. That mysterious quality of
steel which gives different grades of
elasticity and brittleness to different
colors Of steel is a quality that re-
quires expert manipulation on the
part of the workman who does the
tempering. He must know the nature
of the material with which he works,
and with that knowledge must exer-
else a celebrity and skill that seizes up
on the proper instant to fasten the
steel at heat which insures the requi-
site quality.
First the steel is rolled into big
sheets. This is cut into strips about
three inches wide. These strips are
annealed; that is, they are heated to
a red heat, and permitted to cool very
gradually, so that the brittleness is
all removed and the steel is soft
enough to be easily worked. Then the
strips are again rolled to the required
thickness, or, rather thinness, for the
avefage steel pen is not thicker than
sheet of thin letter paper. Next the
blank pen is cut out of the fiat strip.
On this the name of the maker or of
the brand is stamped The last is a
very important factor. There are
numbers that have come to be valu-
able propety to manufacturers. Many
clerks say they can not work to advan-
tage unless they have particular styles
of pens. The result is that by passing
the word from one writer to another
a market is soon created for favorite
style. Each steel pen has therefore
10 be stamped with sufficient reading
matter to identify it thoroughly. The
stamping is done with very nicely cut
sharp dies, that cut deep and clean,
so that the reading matter will not be
obliterated by the finishing process.
Next the pen is moulded in a form
which combines gracefulness with
strength. The rounding enables the
pen to hold the requisite ink, and to
distribute it more gradually than could
be done with fiat blade.
The little hole which is cut at the
end of the slit serves to regulate the
elasticity, and also facilitates the run
ming of the ink. Then comes the process
of hardening and tempering. The
steel is heated to chrry red, and
then plunged suddenly into some cool
substance. This at once changes the
quality of the metal from that of
soft lead-like substance to brittle,
springy one. Then the temper of the
steel must be drawn, for without this
process it would be too brittle. The
drawing consists of heating the pen
until it reaches certain color. The
quality of the temper varies according
to the color to which the steel is per-
mitted to run. 1t is the quick eye for
color and the quick hand to fasten it
that constitutes the skill of the tenn
perer of steel. When the steel is
heated for tempering it is bright
The first color that appears is straw
color. This canges rapidly to blue.
The elasticity of the metal varies with
the color, and is fastened at any point
by instantly plunging in cold water.
The process of sitting, polishing,
pointing, and finishing the pens are
operations requiring dexterity, but by
long praCllCe une WOTklucu anu WOTh-
women become very expert. There
have been few changes of late years,
and the process of manufacture is
much the same that it was twenty
years ago, and the prices are rather
uniform, ranging from rs cents to 81 a
gross, according to the quality of the
finish. The boxes sold almost univer-
sally contain a gross.
Fancies come and go in the style of |
pens as in other fashions, One Ameri- |
can maker alone turns out about $50 |
different patterns. Some are very odd,
such as the stub-pens, the draughts-
mans pen, which makes two parallel
lines at once; the mammoth pen, suit
ed to use on rough paper, and the pen
with turned-up point, that writes
thick mark yet runs smoothly over the
paper. Then there are delicate pens
for ladies, pens that make fine hair
line and yet can spring out to heavy
shading. Already the American steel
pens have become famous abroad, and
many are exported. Many pens are
l.