Turner & Harrison #536 Silver-Alloy Spoon Pen (Vintage)

Firm, with an upturned 'oval point' for smooth writing, and plated in silver alloy, the #536 was a premium pen in Turner & Harrison's midcentury lineup. It's a great everyday writer for soft, loopy cursive and free-flowing print lettering. There is no flex, so the line width is fairly uniform. That makes this handsome vintage nib a great beginner's choice.

The silver plating process actually involved several different metals—the base steel pen was first plated with copper and then plated "with a heavy coating of Silver Alloy," as the 1917 Turner & Harrison catalog puts it. The result is an unusually shiny and smooth pen, with a superior feel and longer life than similar pens in steel.

Based on the packaging, we think these nibs are from later in Turner & Harrison's history, around 1940. This nib has no grinding or groove stamping, no side cuts, and a very simple spoon shape with exclamation-point vent hole.

As with any dip pen, you will need to remove the protective coating so that ink will stick to the nib consistently. To remove the coating, simply dip your new pen in ink a couple of times and wipe it off. Repeat until the ink coats the nib completely and doesn't bead up. This process takes about 15 seconds and only needs to be done once, before you use the pen for the first time.

Sold individually. Made in the United States.