I suppose this as good a place as any to find out about these things. How are nibs made? How is the cut (slit) in them made? Is it done after the point is soldered on or folded over?

matthew

There are pictures here, if you don't mind trying to read a little German.

There's a good step-by-step procedure on the Nakaya english website: http://www.nakaya.org/ekoutei.html

Nakaya (Platinum) make their own nibs.

Hi,

In the Cross forum, I wrote about the production of nibs at the Cross factory.

Dillon

See:

http://www.nibs.com/Jack%20Leone%20Bock%20Article.htm (interesting article on Bock from Mottishaw's site)

http://www.google.com/books?id=1t0JAAAAIAA...bs&as_brr=1

but I like this one best:

the article on pens from the 1911 Britannica

AZ

Thanks for all the resources.....I have some jewelry fabricating experience so this has been nagging me.

matthew

You can find an interesting article, with some pictures, in The Southern Scribe.

Cutting, shaping, engraving, shaping and tempering/hardening the actual gold is not so tricky but the bit that has me driven mad is where to get the tipping material & how to get it on in a home workshop (albeit a well equipped one)!!



Any ideas welcome.

Ruaidhrí

My Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight list some uses the Platinum group.
>plating on the tips of fountain pens for durability (especially osmium)

Could it be that the tip is melted into a ball then plated?

matthew

The two thoughts that come to my mind, and would take some research are (1) dripping the osmium/rutherium/irridium alloy from a shot tower, and (2) dripping same on a spinning metal platter.

These come from the article "where has the irridium gone," or something near that title, on one of the sites that gives the alloy percentages of sample nib points, storys of the old lead shot towers, and that story of the visit to Sheafers or talking to Sheaffer employees about out they made their pen points.

Then there is that fellow in ? L.A. who retips nibs. He might disclose his source.

As far as the welder, it might be a jewelers tool rather than something special.

As I have said before this stuff is obviously dueable as they tipped in the 1800s with far less equipment than is avaible to the average home shop hobbiest. I thought I saw a couple of references that in those days the irridium was collected from meteorites and the fuse was done through white phosphoros ignition welding.

Montblanc has a nice little video/ flash thing on their nib manufactuer

I posted a question on iridium tipping on some usenet groups. I'll post what I learn here.

Thanks to all who are contributing to this thread.

matthew

They weld the iridium bead on using an arc and then slit the nib and polish it. I think it was in a Penworld a few years ago.

Kurt

The best info I have found so far is at alt.collecting.pens-pencils you can find them through google.com/groups
I forget what I named my post but one should easily find it.


I really need to get back into that group and reply.