Jump to content

Letter Codes On Mabie Todd Nibs


Recommended Posts

I often see Mabie Todd nibs with a letter stamped on the nib below the size number. The most common examples seem to be D, G and H. Is it known what these letters designate?

 

Examples:

 

http://i.imgur.com/IzQiBvd.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VkefZtW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8g0UJCD.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/utQ9Ep9.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Replies 3
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Goudy

    3

  • Cepasaccus

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

I noticed that one of my Swans has a "K" nib:

 

http://i.imgur.com/vKyoeW3.jpg

 

It's a 3240 self-filler. The nib is a reluctant semi-flex, fairly stiff, despite the long tines. The Swan logo round the breather hole is unlike the other letter nibs above, but in common with those the nib has the "14C - 585" line of text underneath (14 carat, 58.5% gold).

 

I've been comparing it to a "D" nib in a safety eyedropper, which has a wider, easier flex, almost a full flex.

 

So far, then, all I've concluded is that D > K (assuming that the letters do indeed refer to flexibility).

Edited by Goudy

http://i.imgur.com/utQ9Ep9.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just spotted a flexible "H" nib on eBay - which would appear to rule out the "H = hard" theory.

 

From the writing sample it looks like it's flexier than my "K" but less than my "D": D > H > K

 

So maybe the firmer nibs were the ones with the letters later in the alphabet.

 

I don't think it has to do with nib width, as suggested in the comments on a goodwriterspens blog post. Here's another "D", which as a stub is considerably wider than the other "D" I posted above:

 

http://i.imgur.com/nFicDBd.jpg

 

Some other info gleaned from the comment by "Mike" on the goodwriterspens link: "As far as I know they didn’t start adding letters to the nib numbers till the late 40s, and didn’t adopt the European-style “14C-585″ designation till the early 50s."

 

[Edited to remove eBay link in accordance with Forum rules]

Edited by Goudy

http://i.imgur.com/utQ9Ep9.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...