Quill Pens
The Royal Windsor Quill Pens
Pen of Choice Early as 547
Quill production had risen in Europe to substantial levels by the onset of the Industrial Revolution, powering the documentary ability of scribes, banking, accountants, intellectual property developers, and businesses in general. Quills were customized for royalty and professional use by only right or left hand use and for style of writing to accommodate demand.
Estimates of the numbers are found to be quite impressive when exports to Britain alone exceeded 30,000,000 annually.
Poland and Russia were largely engaged in it, and immense flocks of geese were raised in those countries chiefly for their quills. In a single year St. Petersburg, Russia furnished to England over 27,000,000 quills. Germany and the Netherlands were also large producers of goose quills.
Brass, Horn & Wood Penners
Jessop Penner
Appearing in the 1787 Sheffield Directory among other makers is the name Jessop.
Overall length of this brass penner is xx cm / xx in.
Jessop Penner
In a classic British form, the travel writing set is complete with its own brass pen and pen knife blades to prepare quills along with an inkwell.
Jessop Penner
The makers mark is found on the bottom of the inkwell. All sections are threaded to compose the penner.
This item was acquired in Connecticut, indicating that it had been imported during the Revolutionary War for Independence.
W. Mycock Penner
The makers mark is found on the bottom of the inkwell. Both sections slide together to compose the penner, see below.
Another maker listed in the 1787 Sheffield Directory.
W. Mycock Penner
The lower section contains an earthenware inkwell and space for two quill pens, the length of which is limited by the height of the top cover.
W. Mycock Penner
The makers mark is found on the bottom of the inkwell section.
Exhibited is the mark W. MYCOCK.
Horn & Wood Penners
These 18th century penners are primarily composed of inkwell and sander.
Horn Penner
Another Revolutionary War item, this large horn penner contains multiple sections to accommodate wafer seals (patented in England as early as 1635), a sander, an inkwell, and ample space for quill pens.
Horn Penner
Five of the six sections displayed separately, the mica sprinkles are still present in the sander. Red wafer seals are stored in the top compartment of another section.
Leather Penners
Michael Finlay
In his book “Western Writing Implements in the Age of the Quill Pen” published in 1990,
Mr. Finlay discovered that quill pen usage began as early as 547. Through unpublished and ephemeral sources, his research has provided many collectors invaluable guidance regarding early British writing instrument developments with partial coverage of French, German, and other European writing instruments.
Finlay found that more then. 2,000,000 quill pens were produced for the India Office of Her Majesty (HM) alone in 1894.
This supports statements in the 1879 edition of American Cyclopædia that:
”A great trade grew up in these articles, and continued for several centuries. Poland and Russia were largely engaged in it, and immense flocks of geese were raised in those countries chiefly for their quills. In a single year St. Petersburg furnished to England over 27,000,000 quills.”
Greenland Sharkskin
Shagreen aka Galuchat leather penner with silver mounts, the hinged cover enclosing a glass inkwell and D-section pen compartment, late eighteenth century. The interior is cardboard.
Greenland Sharkskin
Shagreen aka Galuchat leather penner.
T?he hinged cover encloses a glass inkwell and D-section pen compartment, late eighteenth century.
16cm long.
Black & Red
Pigskin leather penner with earthenware ink bottle, the interior may have been black lead-glazed. 12.5cm length.
Black & Red
Space for two quills and a cavity for a pen-knife, which is present. Circa 1800
Thomas Clark
Leather penner with glass bottle and cork stopper, the hinged cover of the pen-case impressed T. CLARK, EDR.
A Thomas Clark, Paper Ruler and Law Bookseller worked in Edinburgh from 1817 until at least 1831.
A penner of such simple and serviceable form, the ideal working tool of a scrivener or law writer, would no doubt be part of the normal stock-in-trade of a law stationer.
Early nineteenth century, 216 mm.
Thomas Clark
Leather penner with glass bottle and cork stopper, the hinged cover of the pen-case impressed T. CLARK, EDR.
A Thomas Clark, Paper Ruler and Law Bookseller worked in Edinburgh from 1817 until at least 1831.
A penner of such simple and serviceable form, the ideal working tool of a scrivener or law writer, would no doubt be part of the normal stock-in-trade of a law stationer.
Early nineteenth century, 216 mm.
Thomas Clark
Leather penner with glass bottle and cork stopper, the hinged cover of the pen-case impressed T. CLARK, EDR.
A Thomas Clark, Paper Ruler and Law Bookseller worked in Edinburgh from 1817 until at least 1831.
A penner of such simple and serviceable form, the ideal working tool of a scrivener or law writer, would no doubt be part of the normal stock-in-trade of a law stationer.
Early nineteenth century, 216 mm.