Out of curiosity, not being a subject of which I have any great knowledge, given that this is clearly not a fountain pen (these being invented some time after Waterloo, in any case) and since all pens prior to that development had to be dipped to replenish the ink supply, is this not simply 'a pen'- or more accurately a metal nib for a pen?
My understanding is that before the widespread introduction of mass produced pressed metal nibs, all writers had to be proficient in cutting their own. Usually this meant quill or other hollow material. At least one post Waterloo writer confessed to improvising with a straw.This would require not a little skill, and a sharp small knife. This was, of course, the pen knife. It was originally fixed, but from the mid eighteen century folding ones were introduced. Around the turn of the century a fruit knife blade was added, making the classic pocket knife we know today. It’s worth noting that is the smaller blade that is the pen knife.
@david Tomlinson I agree, also the quills were treated to make the tip harder and in case if possible only certain feathers of a wing were used being more suitable than others, in the end seemingly whatever was available was used.
The word 'pen' itself comes from an avian context, deriving from the Middle English penne, from Anglo-French, feather, pen, from Latin penna, pinna feather (Merriam Webster)
Interesting comments. They were around in 1815 but of course it may have been a later drop. I will now need to find a photo of my dip pen being used on the battlefield in 1815!!!
Hi @Hans - Karl WeißThis article:https://www.zenzoi.com/blogs/articles/the-journey-of-the-pen-nibsuggests:“In 1792, The Times (London) advertised 'New invented' metal pens. A metal pen point was patented in 1803 by inventor Bryan Donkin”Our old friend Wikipedia merely suggests:“Dip pens emerged in the early 19th century, when they replaced quill pens and, in some parts of the world, reed pens. “Perhaps German states lagged behind, as this article:http://www.historyofpencils.com/writing-instruments-history/dip-pen-history/States;“In Germany the first dip pens were made in 1842 by Heintze & Blanckertz of Berlin.”So although the technology was known about, so examples may have existed, the mass manufacture does not actually kick in until the 1820’s. So although not impossible, you may be right in it being a later drop.Come to think of it, I can recall at least one British Waterloo correspondent decrying the loss of his baggage and explaining that he was writing using a piece of straw!
Out of curiosity, not being a subject of which I have any great knowledge, given that this is clearly not a fountain pen (these being invented some time after Waterloo, in any case) and since all pens prior to that development had to be dipped to replenish the ink supply, is this not simply 'a pen'- or more accurately a metal nib for a pen?
Interesting comments. They were around in 1815 but of course it may have been a later drop. I will now need to find a photo of my dip pen being used on the battlefield in 1815!!!
I was not aware that metal tips were available then - but was under the impression that they still used quills?
Pretty generic I’d have thought. Many other ranks were literate, but we’d like to think SNCO or Officer?