The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-08-25
ORIGIN OF GOLD PENS
THE FIRST ONES WE'RE MADE IN ENG
LAND AND WERE FAILURES.

That Iridium Could BE Used For
Protecting the Points, and the Per-
feet Pen 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 can
not corrode, 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 In England to make
gold pens prior to that time, but they
met with little success. Alloyed gold
is too soft to make durable point, and
this circumstance made 1t 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
ments In the manufacturing of gold
pens were in progress there. accidental
ly discovered that the native alloy Of
iridium and osmium ore, one of the
hardest and most refractory Of all me-
tallic alloys, could be used for protect
ing the points to much better advan-
tage and more cheaply.
Hawkins rights were purchased by
clergyman Of Detroit who induced the
matchmaker above mentioned to manu-
facture gold pens The first pens made
by him We're poor substitutes for the
quill then in use. In 1910 his plant
was taken to New York, where the
business was enlarged.
Quite an improvement was added to
the plant by the machines for the max
Ing aud tempering of the pens, invent
ed by John Rendell, one Of the en-
ployees OF the establishment. This es-
Enlistment soon produced gold pen
so perfect that 1t combined the elias.
ITCHY Of the quill with the permanency
of the metal. About 1850 1t was dis
covered that by Embedding the iridium
points In the gold instead of soldering
them on the corrosive influence of the
ink on the two metals, the solder and
the gold, was avoided and a firmer
hold in the pen was given to the points.
The gold pen has been brought to its
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 neces-
sary, and only experts are employed
In the different plants.
The gold used In the making of the
pens is obtained from the United
States assay office. II Is then melted
and alleged about sixteen carats fine
aud rolled into long narrow ribbon,
from which pen blanks or fat plates
In the shape Of pen. but considerably
thicker than the finished pen, are cut
by means Of lever press or die and
punch. The blunt nib Of the blank is
notched or recessed at the end to re-
celve the iridium that forms the ex-
ceedingly hard point which all good
pens possess.
The iridium is coated with cream
of borax ground In water and laid in
the notch formed In the end Of the
blank. 1t Is then secured by process
Of sweating, which Is nothing more or
less than melting the gold Of which the
pen Is formed SO that 1t unltes solidly
with the iridium. The blank Ia then
passed between rollers Of peculiar
form to give gradually diminishing
thickness from the point backward.
The rolls have a 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 stlffened and rendered spongy
by hammerlng.
This Is the most important process
In the manufacture OF the pen, as the
elasticity Of the pen depends entirely
upon this operation. The pen is then
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 a screw press.
also by means of screw press, the
blank being pressed between concave
die beneath and convex one above.
Quite a little force is necessary to
bring the pen to the required convex
lty, and when this operation Is CON-
pleted two jaws approach the blank
and press 1t up on opposite edges, thus
giving the pen Its final shape.
The next step Is to cut the iridiur
into two points by holding 1t on the
edge Of thin copper disk which is
charged with fine emery and oil and
revolves at high speed. The nib is
then slit by a machine and the slit
cleared by means Of a fine circular
saw. After Sitting. the nlbs are
brought together by hammering, and
the pen is FURNISHED on the inside by
concave form and on the outside by
convex form. This is necessary to give
the pen a uniform surface and greater
elasticity.
These nlbs are then set by the fingers
alone, after which operation the pen is
ground by lathe with a thin steel
disk and a copper cylinder, both charg-
ed with fine emery and oil. The slit
is then ground by fine disk. and the
sides or the nlbs and the points are
ground upon the copper cylinder. After
the grinding is done the pen is polished
upon bun wheels, which completes the
process Of manufacture.
Before the pen is placed upon the
market, however, 1t is given thorough
inspection to see that it possesses the
proper elasticity. ineness and weight,
then passed to an inspector who tests
IL and wei asha Il -fyhicnno Chrnnicla