Made in Birmingham, England around 1920-1940, these unusually-named nibs were manufactured by one of the major English pen companies for export. We found these nibs in Spain, likely indicating that the "Tennis" brand was made for sale in retail stores in the European continent. 

Generic English-sounding names like "Tennis" were very common for this type of export business. The idea was to let customers around the world know at a glance that the product was of English origin. Since most of the best nib manufacturers were in England, this was a powerful selling point in export markets.

This particular pen is an "X Pen," a style of narrow stub pen with an elongated tip, a gull-wing vent hole, and a straight body. This style was made by numerous manufacturers—not just in England but also in continental Europe (we've had examples from Germany and Italy come through our store in the past.) It was popular because it's a smooth, easy writer that still offers precision and stays within the lines on ordinary ruled paper.

Sold individually. Made in England.

ABOUT OUR VINTAGE PEN NIBS

Like all our vintage pens, these nibs are in "new old stock" condition; they have never been used even though they were manufactured 70-120 years ago. Thanks to the protective coating applied to all dip pens (even new ones produced today), they are in excellent shape. They've been checked for rust and other defects by our experts and are ready to return to service on your desk.

New to dip pens? Don't forget: you will need to remove the protective coating before the first use, 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 per nib.