The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen.
Edward Hyde
(Scotland) for very many years. It was an advert for MacNiven and
Cameron, wholesale stationers, Edinburgh and I think the Camerons were
related to the then proprietors of the Oban Times.
"They come as a boon and a blessing to men,
the Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
These, I believe were nibs for dip pens. Has anyone had dealings with
them?
--
Ed.
PENDEMONIUM
The phrase above was printed on boxes of MacNiven and Cameron steel dip
pen nibs ... in those days known as just "pens". The Waverley was one
of the more common Mac&C pens, they manufactured many different styles
as did most pen manufacturers at that time.
Sam
Philip J. Kuhl
The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
What a kind man you are, Mr Hyde, to have posted this! I first read this
quip several decades ago, had forgotten it in its detail, and have been
trying for some years to recall it. Now, thanks to you, I have it. I
believe I shall steal it and use it in my e-mail signature!
I cannot help with the Pickwick or the Owl pen (Can anyone else give us
details?), but I can speak a bit to the Waverley: The Waverley was indeed a
steel nib for a dipping pen, but it's great advantage was that at the tip of
the nib where the two tines meet was affixed a small ball of metal, just as
we think is now normal on a standard fountain pen nib.
Conventional practice at the time was to have the nib end in a sharp point.
While the sharp point allows for a very thin line (helpful with a flexible
nib when one is a 19th Century schoolboy attempting to master Copperplate),
but it also digs into the paper when used improperly (by that same
schoolboy), can flick ink about if dug in to that paper and the tension is
released abruptly, and in general can serve better as a dart than as a pen
(by a schoolboy of any era).
The Waverley, with its "ball" point, wrote smoothly, without digging into
the paper. It did not provide as much contrast between think and thin lines
as did its sharp predecessor, but as a practical writing nib for general
writing it was far superior and thus, in the opinion of its makers, "a boon
and a blessing to men." And quite right they were, too, in my opinion!
Thank you again for solving a minor, but irritatingly unsolved mystery.
Philip J. Kuhl
Arlington 4, Virginia
Edward Hyde
wrote:
>"They come as a boon and a blessing to men:
>The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
The only thing I can think of is a possible connection with famous
writers. Charles Dickens wrote the Pickwick Papers and Sir Walter
Scott wrote the Waverley Novels. The only owl I can think of is
Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" but perhaps some other
contributors to the ng know a bit more.
--
Ed.
N. Moore
one is the "Four-Page Nib" which is advertised to "write over 300
words with one dip of ink!" - and I am inclined to think it possible.
This is a brass-colored dip pen nib, sent to me be a kindly gentleman
in Scotland, and it is a very pleasurable nib to write with. Haven't
gotten to 300 words yet, but think it could be done. The underside of
the nib has storage for the ink; it sort is a series of folds which
feed to the point, much as we see on fountain pens. And the little
card that the nib was attached to has this rhyme.
Victor Chen
> >The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
>
I have a very faint memory that the Pickwick was one of the first of a
chain of rooming houses in England, and if that memory is at all correct,
then the Owl is probably a pub. To sleep comfortably, to eat and drink,
and to write with a good pen, would certainly be a boon.
Best wishes
Victor
Philip J. Kuhl
might have to impose on some of my UK friends to search about for one for
me.
Thanks!
Phil Kuhl
Arlington, Virginia
N. Moore
think they are neat, and think I may see if I can get more!
On Sun, 3 Oct 1999 15:40:40 -0400, "Philip J. Kuhl" <pjk...@erols.com>
wrote:
>Nancy, do you happen to know if these nibs are still available? If so, I
Steve Lehman
BHR Eyedropper about two years ago, back when you still had a storefront
(boothfront?) at that little antique mall on Rt 1. Well, I was me as bought
it, ma'm. And its a great pen.
Basically, about two years ago, the Battersea Pen Home had a batch of NOS
MacNiven and Cameron eyedroppers, in chased BHR, with Waverly nibs, in gold.
I kept intending to buy one, but didn't get an opportunity. Soon thereafter
I found one for sale at Sam's place.
The pen, BTW, is sort of streamlined about like a vacumatic on overall
profile, with an admittedly cheap looking blue plastic cap jewel. I
believe BPH wrote that they dated from about the 1940s (the brits continued
making eyedroppers for a long time after they were dropped in the US. )
MacNiven and Cameron seem to have done more than just make steel nibs.
Mine isn't for sale, at least not for anything anyone would condsider
reasonable. ( I will of course trade it for a nice original Waterman
Patrician) ;-)
Steve L
PENDEMONIUM wrote in message <37F6CA89...@pendemonium.com>...
>Edward Hyde wrote:
>>
>> The following couplet appeared weekly in the Oban Times newspaper
>> (Scotland) for very many years. It was an advert for MacNiven and
>> Cameron, wholesale stationers, Edinburgh and I think the Camerons were
>> related to the then proprietors of the Oban Times.
>>
>> "They come as a boon and a blessing to men,
>> the Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
>>
>> These, I believe were nibs for dip pens. Has anyone had dealings with
>> them?
>
Charles W. Lingard
sent to the cited author.]
In article <7t8be7$kg5$1...@autumn.news.rcn.net>, pjk...@erols.com says...
> Nancy, do you happen to know if these nibs are still available? If so, I
> might have to impose on some of my UK friends to search about for one for
> me.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Phil Kuhl
> Arlington, Virginia
>
>
>
Sam and Frank at Pendemonium:
http://www.pendemonium.com
have McNiven and Cameron's Waverly pens listed on their site, I bought a
couple of them a year or so ago from them. The Owl and The Pickwick are
references to other nibs that McNiven and Cameron also made; alas, not
listed as carried by Pendemonium.
Pendemonium carries all manner of nibs, penholders, inks, and such, and
Sam and Frank are great people to deal with!
--
--------------------
Charles W. Lingard
ca...@wave.net
cal...@yahoo.com
Philip J. Kuhl
acquaintance of mine and I didn't even think to check there for the
Waverley -- and of course she has LOTS of them! She will soon have one
less.
Many thanks for the tip!
Edward Hyde
wrote:
>Nancy, do you happen to know if these nibs are still available? If so, I
>might have to impose on some of my UK friends to search about for one for
>me.
>
>Thanks!
>
>Phil Kuhl
>Arlington, Virginia
Come to think of it, I bought a box of the Waverley nibs from MacNiven
and Cameron themselves when they were in business in Edinburgh in the
50s or 60s. It is still somewhere but trying to find such a thing in
my house is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Now
that I know they are in such demand, I shall have a rummage around.
The box contained, I think, 144 (a gross) nibs.
--
Ed.
Robby
>Now I do feel very much the silly goose! Sam at Pendemonium is an
>acquaintance of mine and I didn't even think to check there for the
>Waverley -- and of course she has LOTS of them! She will soon have one
>less.
Sorry for entering this thread so late - I had to retrieve all the
previous messages from deja.com !
MacNiven & Cameron was an old firm, based in Edinburgh and producing
stationery from 1770. They started a production of steel nibs in 1875,
and soon the Pickwick-Owl-Waverley poem became widely known. It was
written on the boxes, and on several pieces of advertisement. Whatever
the origin of these names (literature ?), the Pickwick and the Owl
were pen models like the Waverley. The Owl looks like a Waverley with
a larger point and an owl engraved on it; the Pickwick is shorter,
with a roundish heart-shaped point and a peculiar hole. Other famous
models by Mc N. & C.include the Nile pen, the Hindoo pen, the Phaeton
pen.
For sure the Waverley was their best known model, perhaps the most
popular in Britain and reproduced by all the major manufacturers. It
has several variants like the Big Waverley (just a bigger size), the
Four-Page Waverley already mentioned, and the Waverley Barrel, a big
tubular nib (barrel) ending with a Waverley-like point. For a
collector, more variants are provided by the city name (Edinburgh or
Birmingham) and by some minor changes in the word sequence.
I have a huge collection of steel nibs, and several Waverley pens in
my stock of doubles. I'll be glad to send free samples of this, please
contact me privately (sorry Sam..... it's not intended to deflate your
business: this nib is so common.....).
I'm always ready to try and answer questions on the topic of steel
nibs, so please don't be shy.....
Robby
--
*** Per risposte private, cancellare TUTTE le "x" dal mio address ! ***
*** To reply privately, remove ALL the "x" from my address ! ***
PENDEMONIUM
You really should clarify that Waverly nibs are quite common in Europe
and UK, but they are a most uncommon nib in the US!
keoghpc...@gtempaccount.com
> The following couplet appeared weekly in the Oban Times newspaper
> (Scotland) for very many years. It was an advert for MacNiven and
> Cameron, wholesale stationers, Edinburgh and I think the Camerons were
> related to the then proprietors of the Oban Times.
>
> "They come as a boon and a blessing to men,
> the Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
>
> These, I believe were nibs for dip pens. Has anyone had dealings with
> them?
>
> Ed.
yes i have a have a box old waverley nibs and pens,keo...@tcd.ie
edwardse...@gmail.com
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/ENW0YN/orderly-queue-of-passengers-for-train-to-wemyss-bay-glasgow-central-ENW0YN.jpg
On Saturday, 2 October 1999 08:00:00 UTC+1, Edward Hyde wrote:
> The following couplet appeared weekly in the Oban Times newspaper
> (Scotland) for very many years. It was an advert for MacNiven and
> Cameron, wholesale stationers, Edinburgh and I think the Camerons were
> related to the then proprietors of the Oban Times.
>
> "They come as a boon and a blessing to men,
> the Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
>
> These, I believe were nibs for dip pens. Has anyone had dealings with
> them?
> --
>
> Ed.
Kim Miller
> "They come as a boon and a blessing to men:
> The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
> quip several decades ago, had forgotten it in its detail, and have been
> trying for some years to recall it. Now, thanks to you, I have it. I
> believe I shall steal it and use it in my e-mail signature!
> I cannot help with the Pickwick or the Owl pen (Can anyone else give us
> details?), but I can speak a bit to the Waverley: The Waverley was indeed a
> steel nib for a dipping pen, but it's great advantage was that at the tip of
> the nib where the two tines meet was affixed a small ball of metal, just as
> we think is now normal on a standard fountain pen nib.
> Conventional practice at the time was to have the nib end in a sharp point.
> While the sharp point allows for a very thin line (helpful with a flexible
> nib when one is a 19th Century schoolboy attempting to master Copperplate),
> but it also digs into the paper when used improperly (by that same
> schoolboy), can flick ink about if dug in to that paper and the tension is
> released abruptly, and in general can serve better as a dart than as a pen
> (by a schoolboy of any era).
> The Waverley, with its "ball" point, wrote smoothly, without digging into
> the paper. It did not provide as much contrast between think and thin lines
> as did its sharp predecessor, but as a practical writing nib for general
Kim Miller
> On Sun, 3 Oct 1999 08:28:50 -0400, "Philip J. Kuhl" <pjk...@erols.com>
> >"They come as a boon and a blessing to men:
> >The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen".
> writers. Charles Dickens wrote the Pickwick Papers and Sir Walter
> Scott wrote the Waverley Novels. The only owl I can think of is
> Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" but perhaps some other
> contributors to the ng know a bit more.
> --
> Ed.
I was researching my PENN family tree and asked my aunt why my father was called Waverley. She mentioned that my grandfather loved the jingle of the Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen so went on to call him Waverley PENN.
Regards
Kim