RE: VMs: How translucent is vellum?

["GC" <glenclaston@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nick wrote:

> ...I'm not a metal nib historian by any means, but when I went to the
> Hanse@Medici multi-site exhibition in Bruges, I remember seeing a glass
> display containing some metal nibs owned by the Medici family - 15th
> Century, IIRC.
>
> They were certainly not in *wide* use then, though. :-)


With that I agree, and I'd love to have a picture of these nibs for the
site.  Part of this kind of research is to gain an understanding of the
available technology for the period in question.

Most things I've read on pens say the metal nib wasn't in use (wide use
anyway, from your example) until the late 17th century.  My lay
understanding of the problem is that a nib requires a *feed*, basically a
wooden or plastic section the nib is mounted on that draws ink and feeds it
to the nib.  Without a feed, the slot in the nib can hold barely enough ink
for a single character to be written, and therefore useless to the writer.
Quills held enough ink for a few characters however.  In 1819, a British
chap by the name of John Scheffer patented the first metal nib with a feed,
basically a metal nib mounted on a quill, using the quill as a feed.  He was
able to use a larger quill, and thus increase ink storage.

There were other things around, similar to the bow compass Don mentioned.
How far back they go I haven't a clue. On one end of the compass, a wooden
or metal set of tongs were attached, with a slot running their length.  The
slot held enough ink to draw a circle.

With all the devices, the problem was ink storage. This apparently wasn't
tackled until the 18th century, and only with improvements to the makeup and
consistency of inks was this problem fully solved.  It's a lay understanding
to be certain, but this is what I've been able to glean from my reading on
writing instruments.  Some sources I've discounted for obvious reasons, such
as their assertion that the quill was a 16th century invention!

More detailed information would be greatly appreciated!

GC



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