Chasing Basics and History
By Thomas Neureither December 12, 2010
Hello Pen Friends
Today I try to make a short review about fountain pen chasing.
Part 1.) Basics and History
It is reported that a French mechanical engineer named Guillot (not identical with the man who invented the Guillotine) invented a machine to transfer barley corns, lines, cycloides, Moire- patterns and others from a set of clichees with a chisel to watches, decoration of gold and silver in jewels, art objects, arm fire weapons but also for making imprint plates for banknotes.
The word "chasing" seems to be a little bit ambiguous but the etymology stemmed from the word chiesel. In Europe we use the word “guillochieren” or “guilloche” after the inventor Guillot. But there is another German word with a common etymology: “ziselieren” which stemmed from the French word “ciseau” which means “Meissel” in German and “chisel” in English.
It is possible to make chasings with a turnery, which was set up with an “Oval Machinery” but we are interested how fountain pens had been chased in the old times. The problem was, to transfer the technique from chasing planar surface, like watch caps or powder cans into the round surface of rods and tubes for fountain pens. Chasing is a scratching method and the first chasings on fountain pens and mechanical pencils had been lines, nothing but boring parallel lines.
Pic A Schwan BCHR penholder (Nuremberg/ Germany) and the first Penkala pencil Zagreb/ Croatia)
But these lines could be broken by several ups and downs of the chisel. If these ups and downs were linked by a mechanical function like a sinus curve, the application of stripes look like a wave.
Pic: Wave guilloches from Mercedes Pens Heidelberg and Waterman
How does a chasing machine work? Let’s have a look inside.
Make a look inside
Part 2.) The Machine
Compared to the other production machines this chasing machine is small but very heavy. You need 3 or 4 strong men to carry it upstairs. This “Guillochiermaschine” (spell in German: gee- lou- sheer- masheenah) did the job for several years here in this workshop at Mercedes Pen Factory in Heidelberg.
You can insert eight rods for chasing. The striped konusses in the background are the tongs to fix and to rotate the rods. The eight pins in the front contain very sharp industrial diamonds which do the scratching work.
close up chasing machine
The pins are fixed in a heavy bridge which is gliding forward and back in a sledge. During the back move the bridge elevates for a very small distance and the tube rotates in a micro angle turn. The job is similar to the work at a carpenter’s bench.
close up machine part
This disk is the heart of the machine and the ancient grandpa of the digital century. It rotates slowly co- axial with the hard rubber rods and the notches link a finger (right side) directly to the bridge.
But the machine uses one more grade: During a scratch period this gear makes the rods rocking to right and left. In this way longitudinal waves and “waffle” - patterns can be made.
gear close up
Part 3 The Patterns
Rocking longitudinal, wave guilloche and waffle pattern with imprint window.
Chasing patterns
Very nice pattern from Orgea Fountain pens in Heidelberg. Looks a little bit like a fish
fish pattern
Pattern from the old style Kaweco Sport
Kaweco patterns
Pattern on hard rubber and silver propelling pencil. (sorry, silver = OT, but has a very nice and uncommon pattern)
pattern on HR and silver
This review was personally made for my good old friend Len Provisor, a special friend of chasing machines. He supported and encouraged me and my daughter during so many years. I hope, you enjoyed my little thank you.
© 2010 Thomas Neureither
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