Collection of nibs, nib holders and proprelling pencils

Pierre Blanzy and Eugène Poure created a factory at Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1846 to produce metal nibs, which until then had been imported from England. Its machines and skills came from across the Channel. Making a nib involved some twenty different operations, carried out by qualified, mainly female workers operating sophisticated equipment: laminating sheet metal, cutting, piercing, pressing, shaping, polishing, sharpening, varnishing, mounting the nib, etc. The company acquired a solid reputation for the quality and variety of its products, which were acclaimed and awarded prizes at national and international exhibitions. It diversified its production, much of which was exported, to include dip pens, propelling pencils, pencil holders, stud seals for envelopes, and also cases for perfumery products and stamped pieces for a variety of industries.