An artist’s safety pen.

In my mind there are two kinds of safety pens: the Moore kind, and the Waterman kind. Like eyedroppers, they are designed to hold ink in the barrel; unlike eyedroppers, they have a mechanism (usually a built-in seal and a retractable nib) that ensures ink doesn’t leak when the pen is in any position other than upright. Richard Binder explains this all very well, with cross-sections to boot.

Waterman-type safety in RMHR
Waterman-type safety in RMHR

RMHR is red mottled hard rubber, one of my favorite pen materials. This safety’s fanciness is all in the material. The shape is a simple tube, no curves, no steps. I think this pen is from the mid-1930s.

Detail: knob
Detail: knob

The end of the barrel has a knob you turn clockwise to push up the nib.

Faint markings
Faint markings

The markings seem to say “The Untout” (?) and “Made in England.”

Aftermarket clip
Aftermarket clip

Back in the day, if your pen didn’t come with a clip, you could buy one. This one has a simple stamped star.

Safety, uncapped
Safety, uncapped

I try to remember to hold the pen upright when I’m unscrewing the cap. Safeties have threads near the lip of the barrel. It’s filled like a standard eyedropper, while the nib is still retracted.

Nib, half-exposed
Nib, half-exposed

I don’t think the act of twisting the knob to expose the nib will ever be mundane. It feels almost like a ritual.

Warranted nib
Warranted nib

The warranted nib is on the toothy side, but pleasantly flexible. The ink flow is more than generous. And this is where the artist part comes in. The great thing about eyedroppers is fewer parts.I plan to try drawing ink (like Winsor & Newton) in it, Ecoline, or diluted gouache. Wish me luck. I’ll post results in another blog entry.

Gratuitous shot
Gratuitous shot that makes the nib look like it's bent, but it's not

Both these safeties came to me by way of Tom, and you should read what he wrote under “Safety Dance.

Two safeties
Two safeties - compare the threads

I am now the grateful guardian of four safety pens. Talk about safety in numbers. (Badabing!)

Safety in numbers
Aren't they lovely?

There’s something indescribably sexy about a pen that gushes ink  the way this one does.

Writing sample
Writing sample

The ink pools when I pause the nib. I can’t wait to play with that effect with other inks.