Turner & Harrison #257 Post Office Pen (Vintage)

Made in Philadelphia around 1930, these silver-plated, pointed pens were everyday writers—with a touch of added class from their shiny coating and their smooth feel on paper. "Post Office pens" were a popular style from the early 20th century through the end of major dip pen production in the 1970s. They always looked something like this: large and long, with flat wings and a rectangular vent hole.

As a premium penmaker (the T&H catalog goes into some detail about the company's refusal to make less expensive models) Turner & Harrison brought considerable finesse to this silver-plated version of the classic Post Office shape. Firm but springy, with a medium-fine point and great ink capacity, the #257 Post Office Pen remains a practical and pleasant writer.

Turner & Harrison's silver-plating process 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.

The #257 pens in our stock were made approximately 90 years ago. Like all of our vintage nibs, it is in new condition, individually inspected and packaged here in our St. Louis offices.

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.