Brause #660 "X" Dip Pen (Vintage)

Made in Germany around 80 years ago, the gold-plated Brause "X" Pen is an excellent medium-width writer and a beautiful example of 20th-century dip pen craftsmanship. The "X" Pen was one of the "letter pens" made by many manufacturers, and you'll see similarly shaped pens with the giant embossed X from other companies, too. The Brause #660 distinguishes itself from other X pens we've tried — it is quite precise even though it's bold, and it releases ink in a consistent and manageable flow. In our tests, it held enough for a sentence of writing and moved quite smoothly across the paper. The nib has a little flex, aided by the lovely hand-grind at the tip, and writing made with the #660 "X" Pen definitely has some personality. Still, as with other stub pens, most line variation with this nib will come from changing directions (vertical lines are thicker than horizontals), not pressing harder. A light touch will keep writing neat and make ink last longer between dips. ABOUT OUR VINTAGE DIP PENS Thanks to the protective coating applied to all dip pens (even new ones produced today), these pens are in excellent vintage condition. They've been checked for rust and other defects by our experts and are ready to return to service on your desk. As with any dip pen, you will need to remove the protective coating 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, before you use the pen for the first time. Sold individually. Made in Germany.