Gilbert & Blanzy-Poure #171 Montgolfier Pen Nib (Vintage)

Made in France between 1945 and 1960, the Gilbert & Blanzy-Poure #171EF nib was named for a pair of French aviation icons: the Montgolfier brothers, Jacques-Étienne and Joseph-Michel. In 1783, the Montgolfier hot air balloon was the first craft to carry humans in flight, setting the stage for numerous innovations to come.

As a tribute to the Montgolfiers' achievement, this beautiful dip pen features a raised hot-air balloon above its vent hole. Like other nibs with large, intricate designs (rose nibs, for example), the Montgolfier #171 has excellent ink capacity, aided by the balloon's extra surface area and the large, complex vent hole.

The tip is hand-ground, quite fine, and very flexible—essentially, a dream pen for calligraphy and cartooning, where the wide range from hairline to swell makes this pen very versatile. Finely manufactured by the leading French penmaker of its day, the Montgolfier #171 rarely snags paper and isn't prone to blobbing.

Thanks to the protective coating applied to all dip pens (even new ones produced today), these pens are in excellent vintage condition. They've been checked for rust and other defects by our experts and are ready to return to service on your desk.

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. Appearance may vary slightly since this is a vintage item. Limited stock.