Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-07
ORIGIN OF GOLD PENS
THE FIRST ONES WERE MADE IN ENG
LAND AND WE'RE FAILURES.

fcct Zen Resulted.
To an American is due the credit
for having made the fountain pen the
useful article it has come to be, for
without the gold pen point, which Gun.
not corrodc, the fountain pen would be
useless.
The manufacture Of gold pens was
commenced in the United States IN 1885
by matchmaker OF Detroit. Attempts
had been made III England to make
gold pens prior to that time, but they
met with little success. Aloyed gold
Is too soft to make IL durable point, and
this circumstance made II necessary
to protect the pen points with dia-
monds or rubies until John Isaac Haw-
kins, citizen of the United States. but
residing In England while the expert
mcnts III the manufacturing of gold
pens were In progress there. accidental
~ discovered that the mtive alloy OF
iridium and osmium ore, one of the
hardest and most rcfrac Try OF all me.
Ing the points to much better udvun-
taYe and more chcaply.
Hawkins rights were purchased by
Clergyman Of Detroit who induced the
matchmaker above mentioned to manu-
facturc gold pens. The first pens made
by him were poor substitutes for the
quill then In use. In 1910 his plant
WAS taken to New York, where the
business was enlarged
Quite I'M improvements. was added to
the plant by the machines for the max
Ing and tempering OF the pens, invent
ell by John Rendell. one OF the EN-
ployees of the establishment This cs-
tablishment soon produced gold pen
so perfect that 1t combined the elus-
ticity Of the quill with the permanency
OF the metal. About 1850 1t WINS dis
covered that by Unfolding tho iridium
points in the gold instead OF soldering
them on the corrosive influence OF the
Ink OH the two metals, the solder and
the gold, was avoided and firlncr
hold In the pen was given to the points.
The gold pen has been brought to It's
present degree Of perfection by the
American manufacturer, and the In
dustry from its inception has been
characterized by the use OF American
methods. For the production of the
gold pen high degree of skill Is neccs-
snry. and only experts arc employed
In the different plants.
The gold used In the making OF the
pens Is obtained from the United
States assay office. 1t is then melted
anu alleged about sixteen carats fine
and rolled Into n long. narrow ribbon,
from which pen blanks or flat plates
In the shape of pen but considerably
thicker than the finished pen, arc cut
by means Of lever press or die and
punch. The blunt nib OF tho blank Is
notched or recessed at the end to re.
celvc the Iridium that forms tho ex.
ceedingly hard point which oil good
pens possess.
The iridium Is coated with a cream
OF borax ground In water and laid In
the notch formed In the end of the
blank. 1t Is then secured by a process
OF sweating. which Is nothing more or
less than melting the gold Of which the
pen Is formed SO that It unites solidly
with the Iridium. Tho blank Is then
passed between rollers of peculiar
form to give gradually diminishing
thickness from the point backward
The rolls have small cavity In which
the extreme end Of the iridium pointed
Nib Is placed to prevent injury to the
iridium. After rolling the nib of every
pen Is stiffcned and rendered spongy
by hammcrlng.
THIS Is the most Important process
In the manufacture of the pen, rs the
elasticity Of the pen depends entirely
upon this operation. Tho pen Is then
trimmed by press similar to TINT
which Is used for cutting out the
blanks or by automatic machinery.
When the blank has been trimmed the
name Of the manufacturer and the
number Of the pen are stamped on 1t
by means of n screw press.
The pen Is given Its convex surface
Also by means of n screw press, the
blank being pressed between Il concayc
die beneath and convex ono above
Quite little force Is necessary to
bring the pen to the required convex.
ity, and when this operation Is COM
pleted two jaws approach the blank
ana press 1t up Oh opposite edges, thus
giving the pen its final shape
The next step Is to cut the iridium
into two points by holding IL OH the
edge Of q thin copper disk which IS
charged with fine emery and oil and
revolvcs Mt high speed. The nib Is
then slit by machine and the slit
cleared by means of fine circular
saw. After Sitting, the nibs are
brought together by hammcring, and
the pen is FURNISHED OH the Inside by n
concnve form and OIL the outside by n
convex form. This Is necessary to give
the pen uniform surface and greater