Dip Pen Nibs: Straight Cut Vintage Nibs, 'J' type 501 by West, Brook and Co

'Eskimo' Single 'J' type nib No. 501 B by West, Brooks & Co

'J' type nib 501 B is a Gold Plated nib well suited to a flowing hand.
Good continuous ink flow with a medium to strong flex.
Some nibs have light tarnishing, easily removed with soap, water, brush and a soft cloth.

Shown here fitted to a universal pen holder.

West, Brooks & Co were a medium sized pen manufacturers and stationers, based in Leicester from the early nineteen hundreds.
West Brooks as a stationers closed in 1970's, it is unknown when pen manufacture ceased.
They were a well known and respected local company and it is rare to find nibsbearing their name.

I was lucky enough to speak with a Grandchild of the founder of 'West, Brooks' and to purchase some, unknown and unusual, dip pen nibs which were new, unopened boxes of old stock. During the conversation he told me that ‘Eskimo’ was the official TradeMark of the company and that the company finished when his Grandfather died. As far as he was aware, they did not produce their own nibs, he thought they may have come from Birmingham. He told me he has a photograph of his Grandfather Brooks shaking hands with King George V around 1930's. Also that his Grandfather was instrumental in organising the raising of money for the 'war effort' in Leicester. The ship 'HMS Leicester City' was launched in 1934, details of the ship can be found by clicking the link, perhaps that is the connection to the photo.

These vintage nibs are in excellent condition and give a tiny glimpse into the history of the different trades that used Dip Pen Nibs during the first half of the 1900’s, around the Leicestershire area.
I’ve put them together as a ‘Tradesman’ Vintage Dip Pen Nib set.

******
Some of West, Brooks nibs may have been made by The Wyvern Pen Company which was based at the Vulcanite Works, on Woodboy Street in Leicester from its inception in 1895 till closing in 1955. They had offices in London until the 2nd world war and they obtain their last patent in 1946 from the same address in Leicester. They specialised in eyedroppers, gold plated nibs and fountain pens.
The Wyvern logo on their fountain pen nibs is the same as that on the Leicestershire Coat of Arms, which was the Arms main emblem,
before the supporting lions were added at a later date.

Leicestershire Coat of Arms circa 1894

We don't currently have that one in stock

'J' type 501 by West, Brook and Co