Signature with a Stamp
Stampers built into fountain pens
Pairing writing instruments with other devices is a long-known solution. Perhaps the process began with the image-viewing Stanhope devices, which I wrote about here, but a watch was also a common accessory (article here), and there was even a revolver fountain pen (article here). Below, we will discuss a stamp pen with decades of tradition, which is still manufactured today and available as a ballpoint pen, but it has not managed to become popular. Older pieces are quite rare.
In business, it is often necessary to authenticate a document with a stamp after signing it. Although pocket-compatible stamps now exist, the first patent for a stamp fountain pen was registered by Samuel Blitz in Missouri in 1884. Subsequently, numerous innovations were registered for the invention, but the basic idea remained unchanged. The image below shows this basic dip pen type, a 19th-century piece. The stamp pad is in the lower part, and the pen nib can be retracted into the cylinder.
The stamp pen is primarily associated with the Goldring brand, especially due to its structural solutions. Other pen manufacturers also produced similar devices where the stamp part could be attached to the cap. Its advantage is that only the metal plate needs to be submitted when ordering a stamp. Its disadvantage is that the fitting part can wear out over many years.
There are versions with removable mechanisms – these were mainly used by Goldring for fountain pens – as well as built-in types where the stamp handle is the pen itself. Newer ones are typically ballpoint pens. Goldring still manufactures such pens today, and the Trodat company has also joined in their distribution.
The image below shows an older Goldring stamp mechanical pencil. On the right side is the mechanical pencil mechanism, and the "quasi cap" is actually the stamp handle. The stamp pad is found within the pen body. A stamp with a pencil is relatively rare.
I held a Goldring fountain pen in my hand, and the first surprise was its weight. The pen weighs 43 grams, its length without the cap is 142 mm, while with the cap it is 162 mm. Nearly half of this length is taken up by the stamp sleeve. The pen can be used with a standard EU fountain pen cartridge.
Naturally, only the most important text fits on the narrow stamping surface, but graphics, a signature, or even a design usable as an ex libris stamp can also be placed on it.
Tamás Szűcs / 08.2025
