Hard Rubber Or Permanite?

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi all,

 

This is probably a dumb question to most of you, but please indulge me...

 

When Big Red Duofold shopping, how can you tell if it's hard rubber or Permanite?

 

Does the rubber feel like ebonite and Permanite feel like celluloid???

 

When looking at pictures online, is there Any way to tell the difference?

 

Any input would be appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

 

- Anthony

[kestrel]

Rub your thumb (NOT the nail) rapidly up and down on the barrel a few times and sniff. Ebonite will have a distinct odor of burning rubber. Once you have seen enough of them you can usually tell just by looking.

 

The teacher in me says there only two dumb questions. One is the question you don't ask. The other is the one you know the answer to already and you use it to lull the person you are asking into complacency. Attorneys are good at that last one.

[Wahl]

Hard rubber is ebonite.

 

Permanite is just a plastic.

[ParkerDuofold]

Rub your thumb (NOT the nail) rapidly up and down on the barrel a few times and sniff. Ebonite will have a distinct odor of burning rubber. Once you have seen enough of them you can usually tell just by looking.

 

The teacher in me says there only two dumb questions. One is the question you don't ask. The other is the one you know the answer to already and you use it to lull the person you are asking into complacency. Attorneys are good at that last one.

Hi Kestral,

 

Okay, thanks for the tip.

 

Yes, I think that's the second thing they teach in law school... right after "Ingenious & Effective Billing Protocols," is never ask a question you do not already know the answer for.

 

Thanks again,

 

Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

Hard rubber is ebonite.

 

Permanite is just a plastic.

Thanks Wahl, that's kind of what I thought.

 

I guess in online pictures, the rubber will have a duller or more matte sheen, correct??

 

- Anthony

[kestrel]

Thanks Wahl, that's kind of what I thought.

 

I guess in online pictures, the rubber will have a duller or more matte sheen, correct??

 

- Anthony

Not always. It just "looks" different. Years ago one of my birding acquaintances was trying to explain to me how to identify the lone Thayer's gull flying amongst a flock of thousands of more mundane, common other gulls. Finally he just blurted out, "It just LOOKS like a Thayer's gull!" I finally got the idea but it took a lot of practice. The same thing for cottonmouths and regular water snakes. There are field marks to look for but after years of dealing with both I don't use them because the snakes look nothing alike. Permanite and ebonite fall into the same category. They just feel different.

[ParkerDuofold]

Not always. It just "looks" different. Years ago one of my birding acquaintances was trying to explain to me how to identify the lone Thayer's gull flying amongst a flock of thousands of more mundane, common other gulls. Finally he just blurted out, "It just LOOKS like a Thayer's gull!" I finally got the idea but it took a lot of practice. The same thing for cottonmouths and regular water snakes. There are field marks to look for but after years of dealing with both I don't use them because the snakes look nothing alike. Permanite and ebonite fall into the same category. They just feel different.

 

Hi Kestral,

 

Okay. I understand. What you're basically telling me is that's its an "acquired talent" and there are no easy "tricks of the trade" when looking at digital pictures.

 

No problem, I'll just have to take the extra step of asking the seller.

 

Thank you for all of your help and input.

 

- Anthony

 

PS: One last question, please; is there a general preference for one material over the other?

[kestrel]

Individual taste. I prefer the feel of the ebonite. Others prefer Permanite. I own both and enjoy using both for a lot of reasons starting with the nibs but also because the size, weight, and balance of a vintage senior Duofold are almost perfect for my hands. Part of the fun of vintage fountain pens is the variety and discovering what you like and which pens are best left for others with different preferences. For me it isn't so much the acquisition as it is the hunt and the use that follows the purchase.

 

Ebonite came first so dating the pen can help. This site is a fantastic reference with lots of pictures.

https://parkerpens.net/

 

There are other sites that go into all the details of imprint size and style for dating duofolds. Google "how old is my Duofold."

 

Enjoy the hunt and the pens.

[ParkerDuofold]

Okay, Kestral, thank you very much... I will.

 

Thank you for the link as well.

 

 

- Anthony