These precise, practical pens were made in Birmingham, England, the historical center of the steel pen trade. C. Brandauer & Co. was one of several major penmakers in the city, along with giants like Gillott, Perry, and Leonardt. More than 100 companies made steel pens in Birmingham in the 1930s, but few are still around. Brandauer no longer makes pens, but the company remains in business after more than 160 years; they now make precise parts out of metal for other manufacturers.

The Biscribe #1 is a classic pointed pen, but with Brandauer's typical style of rounding away any corners or actual points from the pen shape. It comes to a narrow tip which is sized nicely for modern lined notebooks or gridlined paper. The tip is hand-ground (each was done individually by the women who worked in Birmingham's pen factories) which improves flow consistency. There is very little flexibility, making the pen easy to control on a variety of surfaces.

We estimate that this nib was made 100 years ago, around 1920. (It is marked with "Birmingham" rather than "England" or "Made in England" like later pens, and the box art matches earlier styles.) It's amazing how well they still write after so much time in storage.

ABOUT OUR VINTAGE DIP PENS

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.