Fountain Pen Thefts

[Tasmith]

While shopping at a local antique shop yesterday, I saw a Wahl Eversharp desk fountain pen locked in the display counter. While unlocking the display and retrieving the pen for me to look at the shop owner apologized for having it lock up, but explained that fountain pens with 14K nibs are being stolen for the gold. I believe he said thieves were getting $200 an ounce. He said it's very common in the DC area.

 

I wonder if that's the reason behind the rash of thefts from collections and a recent show, pens being stolen just for the scrap value of the nibs.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Tasmith

[fountainpenlady]

While shopping at a local antique shop yesterday, I saw a Wahl Eversharp desk fountain pen locked in the display counter. While unlocking the display and retrieving the pen for me to look at the shop owner apologized for having it lock up, but explained that fountain pens with 14K nibs are being stolen for the gold. I believe he said thieves were getting $200 an ounce. He said it's very common in the DC area.

 

I wonder if that's the reason behind the rash of thefts from collections and a recent show, pens being stolen just for the scrap value of the nibs.

If so more than messed up,since one would have to steal a whole bunch of nibs to even make an ounce. In the meantime, robbing someone of their pens, defacing or much more a fountain pen which could be used. Some people will resort to doing most anything for money and stupidity.

[penrivers]

While shopping at a local antique shop yesterday, I saw a Wahl Eversharp desk fountain pen locked in the display counter. While unlocking the display and retrieving the pen for me to look at the shop owner apologized for having it lock up, but explained that fountain pens with 14K nibs are being stolen for the gold. I believe he said thieves were getting $200 an ounce. He said it's very common in the DC area.

 

I wonder if that's the reason behind the rash of thefts from collections and a recent show, pens being stolen just for the scrap value of the nibs.

Well, if you live in the Washington D.C., área as I see, perhaps you remember the incident with the Graham Green fountain pen in Georgetown University, I hope they recovered it.

[fountainpenlady]

Also, I recall the L.A. Pen Show also had experience of pens being stolen. It makes for the affair of going to pen shows for those of us who do not have a brick and mortar and may attend simply to partake of the physical pens, inks etc. feel bad for those whose pens are being stolen. Not to mention the illegality of the theft. Even if one is not the one whose pen or pens were stolen, as someone who enjoys this passion, the idea of others simply stealing pens in order to pilfer the nibs for gold is sickening. Crimes of opportunity always aggravates and infuriates me.

[corgicoupe]

That happened with pocket watches back in the 1970s. The gold in the case was worth more than what collectors would pay for the watch in the case, so there was a glut of movements without cases. Really good movements often ended up in gold-filled cases.

[fountainpenlady]

That happened with pocket watches back in the 1970s. The gold in the case was worth more than what collectors would pay for the watch in the case, so there was a glut of movements without cases. Really good movements often ended up in gold-filled cases.

I am slightly confused. One would have to collect, steal many fountain pens with gold nibs in order for it to be profitable. Stealing one or two nibs would not warrant making any money or destroying the original use of a perfectly good fountain pen. It has to take many, many nibs to say make an ounce of gold. Nibs are so small and not that thick either.

[Sasha Royale]

Thieves of all kinds. Find 'em. Kill 'em. I'll swear you were never there.

[fountainpenlady]

Thieves of all kinds. Find 'em. Kill 'em. I'll swear you were never there.

I virtually agree. The level of audacity, trust eroded because of thieves. We'll plant cheap fountain pens in their wake, without nibs for confirmation of their disappearance. Don't know what happened to them! They were simply written off the earth!

Edited April 21, 2015 by fountainpenlady

[benbot517]

Reminds me of a seller I saw on ebay. They must have been bullion sellers, because they were selling gold nibs that had been ripped off of fountain pens. The nibs were mangled beyond repair.

Edited April 21, 2015 by benbot517

[fountainpenlady]

Reminds me of a seller I saw on ebay. They must have been bullion sellers, because they were selling gold nibs that had been ripped off of fountain pens. The nibs were mangled beyond repair.

So, it is a mass melt down, which causes the theft to be profitable. Sounds like back in the day when people used to snatch chains in NYC Subways and buses; or people used to knock out teeth which had gold on them in places.There are no further words for the sentiments felt.

[mislav]

One gram of 24K gold is $38, 14K = $22 and 18K = $28.5. Most gold nibs are made of 14K gold, so would anyone throw away Pelican M600 and sell less than $22 of gold?

I doubt they steal fountain pens because of golden nibs, pen worth much more.

[fountainpenlady]

One gram of 24K gold is $38, 14K = $22 and 18K = $28.5. Most gold nibs are made of 14K gold, so would anyone throw away Pelican M600 and sell less than $22 of gold?

I doubt they steal fountain pens because of golden nibs, pen worth much more.

[Tberry010]

Some years back I found some very nice pens in a flea market that, for the most part, had originally had gold nibs and now had no nib at all. When I asked the seller what had happened to the nibs, he told me he had removed them to sell for scrap!

And even so he was asking way more than the pen body was worth without the nib.

I took the time to explain to him that I would have paid X , a fairly high number, for one of the pens with nib but now would only pay a very few dollars, he seemed insulted.

There is just no accounting for how some people see the real world.

[Blue_Moon]

Some years back I found some very nice pens in a flea market that, for the most part, had originally had gold nibs and now had no nib at all. When I asked the seller what had happened to the nibs, he told me he had removed them to sell for scrap!

And even so he was asking way more than the pen body was worth without the nib.

I took the time to explain to him that I would have paid X , a fairly high number, for one of the pens with nib but now would only pay a very few dollars, he seemed insulted.

There is just no accounting for how some people see the real world.

 

Maybe he'll learn a lesson, and keep the pen intact next time.

[inkstainedruth]

One gram of 24K gold is $38, 14K = $22 and 18K = $28.5. Most gold nibs are made of 14K gold, so would anyone throw away Pelican M600 and sell less than $22 of gold?

I doubt they steal fountain pens because of golden nibs, pen worth much more.

Yes, but to people like that, the pens are worthless. They don't understand the intrinsic value of a pen itself (or care, for that matter).

It's only people such as ourselves who understand the real value of a pen (and by that I mean more than just what the pen cost to begin with).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PS104]

I'm surprised that masked banditos don't hold up B&Ms for their supply of Herbin's Stormy gray and just filter out the gold in the ink

As for the flea market jerk he just has a different point-of-view, namely, one where the sun never shines

These people remind me of Fred C Dobb's bags of gold and what happened to them

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/280884-j-herbin-stormy-grey/

[inkstainedruth]

I'm surprised that masked banditos don't hold up B&Ms for their supply of Herbin's Stormy gray and just filter out the gold in the ink

As for the flea market jerk he just has a different point-of-view, namely, one where the sun never shines

These people remind me of Fred C Dobb's bags of gold and what happened to them

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/280884-j-herbin-stormy-grey/

Yeah, but I'm betting that the flecks in Stormy Grey aren't actually 14K.... Not sure about my bottle of Rouge Hematite, which isn't the original release but still more or less the original formulation (with the big flakes). And for people like that, they want simple and fast. Or, as is attributed to Willie Sutton, (when asked why he robbed banks) "That's where the money is!"

Remember, most criminals aren't bright enough to have a real job.... Add to that a fair number are trying to get drug money, so their cognitive function isn't probably up to par to start with. So it's easier to take the nibs of old pens instead of trying to sell the intact pen on Ebay.

Not cost effective, mind, just easier.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[bbycrts]

One gram of 24K gold is $38, 14K = $22 and 18K = $28.5. Most gold nibs are made of 14K gold, so would anyone throw away Pelican M600 and sell less than $22 of gold?

I doubt they steal fountain pens because of golden nibs, pen worth much more.

Many of the answers here assume a certain level of good sense and intelligence among the thieves. In reality, there is little of that. How many thieves are really going to take the time researching a pen, finding a seller, negotiating a sale - all the while aware that as long as the pen is intact it is identifiable it's potentially traceable to the original owner?

 

Thieves who are actually smart and organized exist - but they are few and far between. Your average crook probably knows that gold is valuable. They couldn't care less about learning anything else. So yes, I can absolutely imagine a thief with a pair of pliers ripping gold nibs out of pens and throwing the rest away.

[JotterAddict62]

Thieves of all kinds. Find 'em. Kill 'em. I'll swear you were never there.

+1 On that.

 

Have you ever seen a dead bear in the woods?

[Cryptos]

 

How many thieves are really going to take the time researching a pen, finding a seller, negotiating a sale - all the while aware that as long as the pen is intact it is identifiable it's potentially traceable to the original owner?

 

^^This.