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Penmanship was a sign of education in early America; having a “fine hand” was highly regarded as an indicator of civility and was actually more important to many people than was correct spelling or proper grammar! With this in mind, much time was devoted to developing a personal flourish that would be recognized as unique to an individual. Probably the best known signature from early America is that of John Hancock who had spent several years studying good penmanship at the school of Abdiah Holbrook in Boston. Even today John Hancock’s signature is so well known that sometimes people will ask to “put your John Hancock on the dotted line” meaning to write your signature. The following supplies are representative of some of the materials used in writing letters and documents in early America. |
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| WS-001 Writing Paper was expensive and sometimes hard to find on the frontier in America’s early years. Our paper is a light brown color similar to that of parchment or hand-laid paper. Comes 15 sheets to a packet, each piece measures 8 ˝ x 11 inches. $2.00 |
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WS-002 Quill Pen Made from domestic turkey feathers, these quill pens are handy to use and cut in the same manner as has been done for centuries. Remember - the key to successful writing with a quill pen is a light touch. We suggest that you keep in mind the phrase “Light as a feather” as you practice this form of writing. With practice, the user can easily write four or five words before having to dip back into the inkwell. $2.00 |
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| WS-003 Pocket Ink Finely powdered black ink that requires only warm water to produce a fine quality writing media. Producing the right ink for you will require a minimum of experimentation. We suggest that you start out with no more than a tablespoonful of water into which you sprinkle a few grains of the powdered ink. Add more ink until desired color is achieved. $1.00 |
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| WS-004 Horn Pen Steel-pointed pen with a lathe-turned horn body. The point or nib is removable for cleaning, storage, or travel. $5.00 |
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| WS-005 Wood Pen Steel-pointed pen with a lathe-turned wood body similar to the WS-004 Horn Pen. The point or nib of this pen can be removed for cleaning, storage, or travel. $5.00 |
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WS-006 Ceramic Inkpot Writing Set Everything needed to write letters or keep notes in your journal. This set includes a salt-glazed conical inkwell, a packet of powdered ink sufficient to make 2 ounces of black ink, and a properly cut quill pen made from a domestic turkey feather. Although all 2 ounces of ink can be mixed at one time, unless you are planning on writing a volume or two, we recommend that you mix your ink a tablespoon full or so at a time. This way, the powdered ink will last much longer. A thimble full of ink is sufficient for writing 4 or 5 pages. $12.00 |
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| WS-007 Ceramic Inkpot A colonial-style inkpot handmade of salt-glazed earthenware. Decorations vary but are consistent with those used in early American pottery. $8.00 |
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WS-008 Hand-Blown Green Glass Inkpot Made in the style and tradition of those found in excavations at Jamestown and Williamsburg, Virginia, this small, hand-crafted inkwell is well suited for use in lap desks. $15.00 |
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| WS-009 Clear Glass Inkpot Early American style inkwell measures 2x2 inches square and has an attractive silver-plated hinged cap. $10.00 |
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WS-010 Cobalt Glass Inkpot This little inkwell is ideal for boxed writing sets or lap desks. It has a bright metal lid with a friction fit snap to keep the lid closed. $10.00 |
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| WS-011 Round Cobalt Glass Inkpot This inkwell measures about 3 inches in diameter and is the largest inkwell that we stock. It has a hinged, silver-plated cap and is well suited for use on a full sized desk or writing table. $12.00 |
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WS-016 Le Porte Crayon This writing and drawing instrument was first recorded in use during the Renaissance and has been in continuous use ever since. It consists of a brass tube with compression rings on either end which tightly hold sharpened pieces of graphite. This is a very handy instrument for note keeping in the field. It was used in the past by journalists, tradesmen, engineers (it easily marks on wood and rock) and artists. Conti chalk can be substituted by you for the graphite if you would like to add color to your sketches. (Conti is available through many art supply stores.) In a pinch, a lead musket ball can be hammered to shape and used in place of the graphite. And, of course, if you are very wealthy, a lump of pure silver can be hammered into shape and inserted in the Crayon for writing purposes! Our Porte Crayon comes with graphite in each end. $15.00 |
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| WS-017 Woodless Pencil This is pure graphite, wrapped in plastic, and can be used as it is for writing or drawing – however, it is not historically correct. We sell this as replacement graphite for the Porte Crayon (at left). To use, simply scrape off the plastic wrapper, break the stick into pieces about an inch long, scrape one end to fit into the Porte Crayon, sharpen the other end for writing or drawing, and you are back in business. $3.00 |
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| WS-018 Wood and Metal Seal After you have written your historic letter or penned your official document, the proper way to ensure that only the intended recipient of your text is the one who reads it is to fold the paper and seal it with a wax seal. The two seals that we offer here are real beauties with turned wood handles and cast metal bases. The seals are offered in two styles: a French fleur de lis and a Scottish/English thistle. $10.00 |
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| WS-020 Red Sealing Wax Using sealing wax to seal your documents is the proper way to finish your writing project in an historic fashion. Our sealing wax has just the right amount of shellac in it to ensure that your seal will remain intact until the recipient breaks it to read what you have written. To use, simply heat the wax stick over a candle flame until it begins to soften and flow. Then, rub or drip a small amount onto the document and apply your seal. If you are unfamiliar with this process, it is best to practice on a scrap of paper first. Sealing wax is brittle and the sticks often break in transit – whether in shipping from us or in your own travels. This does not mean the wax is no good! You can either heat the broken ends and stick them back together or use the short pieces as they are. When pieces become too short to safely handle, “glue” them together by heating the ends, sticking them together making one piece out of several short pieces. Children should be supervised by an adult when using sealing wax. $2.00 per stick |
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