Benedict, Barney & Co.
Benedict, Barney & Co.
Also known as Benedict & Barney, the Syracuse, New York firm’s Gold Pen nibs are extremely rare.
The depicted Gold Pen nib and Silver Pen Holder are the only example I have seen.
The Silver Pen Holder is a Bagley Extension Pen Holder that was marked Benedict & Barney.
The Gold Pen nib is a wholesale to-the-trade obtained from Jean-Benoit Mallat. This nib is not composed of two gold strips like the Mallat 1842 nibs, however; the underside is the Mallat ink reservoir system. Note that this Gold Pen nib has a crack on the left side near the attachment point on the underside platinum/silver plate, and is likely the reason few , if any, other examples survived.
W.S. Hicks and Mabie, Todd & Co.
A W.S. Hicks patent pen / pencil combo in pristine condition. The Nelson Goodyear May 6, 1851 patent, the Ryne/Hicks Dec. 24, 1867 patent, and Mabie, Todd & Co. marks are all three present on the outer pen case.
A William S. Hicks No. 5 D Gold Pen nib is present, and the box interior is marked J.E. Caldwell & Co. Philad.
Mabie, Todd & Co. often resold products by other makers, many of which were marked Mabie, Todd & Co. by agreement for resale purposes.
The background document is a Mabie, Todd & Bard, 130 Fulton Street, New York, repair receipt dated February 26, 1895.
Mabie, Todd & Co MAKERS
The Hicks combo boxtop is marked Mabie, Todd & Co. MAKERS NEW-YORK.
Hicks Combo Marks
The Goodyear ebonite is unexposed to light and all marks are crisp.
Alexander Morton Patents
Patent Gold Pen Blank Roller Press
Alexander Morton was apprenticed under Albert G. Bagley and signed as a witness along with Houghton on Mr. Bagley’s pen & pencil case extension patent no. 6,891, awarded on January 1, 1850.
Morton began his own business as early as 1850. Morton’s Gold Pens began appearing in newspaper advertising in 1851 which continued until at least 1910.
Alexander Morton was awarded two patents for gold pen manufacturing innovations that resulted in mechanization of the gold rolling and hammering processes, resulting in uniformity and reduction of personnel.
Discussion of each patent
GOLD PENS WITHOUT CASES
For 26 cents, the Magic Pen: for 38 cents, the Lucky Pen; for 50 cents, the Always-Ready Pen; for 75 cents, the Elegant Pen; and for $1, the Excelsior Pen. These Pens are not numbered, but correspond in size to numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively.
THE SAME PENS IN SILVER-PLATED EXTENSION CASES, WITH PENCILS.
For 50 cents, the Magic Pen; for 75 cents, the Lucky Pen; for $1, the Always-Ready Pen for $1.25, the Elegant Pen; and for $1.50, the Excelsior Pen. These are well-finished, good-writing Gold Pens, with Iridosmin Points, the average wear of every one of which will far outlast a gross of the best Steel Pens.
Gold Pen Blank Making
Morton Patent No. 29,809, awarded August 28, 1860, for a Mechanized Gold Roller Press for Producing Gold Pen blanks, producing a more uniform Gold Pen blank.
The machine increased production while reducing payroll costs and time-to-market.
Early Gold Pen
Alexander Morton No. 1 Gold Pen nib.
The Trip Hammer
Morton Patent No.30,080, awarded September 18, 1860, for a Trip Hammer to hammer Gold Pen blanks in the finishing stages, resulting in fewer rejected Gold Pen blanks while reducing payroll costs and time-to-market for finished product.
As a result of the improvements in production quality and volume, Morton advertised and sold a cheaper line of Gold Pen nibs along with a classic Bagley pen/pencil extension case produced more cheaply from silver plated copper.
John H. Knapp
Knapp Patent No. 142,243 Awarded August 26, 1873
For improvements in pen & pencil cases.