Townsend Nib

[RUGMAN]

Anybody know if Townsend nibs were ever made in France?

I have a green lacquer with the gullioche pattern that has this on the nib.....St'e

 

Thanks

[RUGMAN]

Dear Mr. Rappeport,

Thank you for your email and picture.

I finally have an answer to your question and I apologize for the late reply.

So the (Ste) with an accent over the e is a Hallmark Stamp which means “Company” in French.

If you look at the Nib you will see A T X (for Cross) and above that Ste (Which all stands for: AT Cross Company)

Stamped on our 18KT Solid Gold Nibs (France/Switzerland)

[Kodiac136]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing your findings.

[Braxfield]

Societé (sté) suggests a separate corporate entity.

 

From public records in France I have been able to ascertain the following-

 

A.T.Cross (the US company) created a subsidiary company ("un establissement secondaire") on Aug 1, 2010. Its offices were at 5 Avenue Georges Bataille in the town of Le Plessis-Belleville. (Le Plessis-Belleville is a very small town in Northern France, of only two or three thousand people).

 

When the subsidiary closed down (on March 17, 2015) it had a staff of between 10 and 19. The records indicate a prior enterprise dating back to 1992.

 

The records give a very general sense of what the 2010 entity did: "commerce de gros" which I think is distribution. So, what does that tell us about where the nibs were actually made? I'm not sure we know.

 

I believe France has (or had) higher standards than the US when it comes to gold. None of this "14k" for the French. So I assume it's an 18k at least (or would have to be before it could be sold as "gold". Do these rules still apply? Dunno.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Braxfield

[RMN]

Societé (sté) suggests a separate corporate entity.

 

From public records in France I have been able to ascertain the following-

 

A.T.Cross (the US company) created a subsidiary company ("un establissement secondaire") on Aug 1, 2010. Its offices were at 5 Avenue Georges Bataille in the town of Le Plessis-Belleville. (Le Plessis-Belleville is a very small town in Northern France, of only two or three thousand people).

 

When the subsidiary closed down (on March 17, 2015) it had a staff of between 10 and 19. The records indicate a prior enterprise dating back to 1992.

 

The records give a very general sense of what the 2010 entity did: "commerce de gros" which I think is distribution. So, what does that tell us about where the nibs were actually made? I'm not sure we know.

 

I believe France has (or had) higher standards than the US when it comes to gold. None of this "14k" for the French. So I assume it's an 18k at least (or would have to be before it could be sold as "gold". Do these rules still apply? Dunno.

 

Sorry for a late reply.

 

It looks like the subsidiary company was dismantled around the time when Cross was bought by another company and around the time when they bought Sheaffer.

 

And yes, French law says you only can call it a gold if it has 18 carat or more.

 

Actually I have heard you also see this in other brands that the pens for the French market are 18ct and for the rest of the world 14ct.

 

 

D.ick

[Matlock]

 

Sorry for a late reply.

 

It looks like the subsidiary company was dismantled around the time when Cross was bought by another company and around the time when they bought Sheaffer.

 

And yes, French law says you only can call it a gold if it has 18 carat or more.

 

Actually I have heard you also see this in other brands that the pens for the French market are 18ct and for the rest of the world 14ct.

 

 

D.ick

 

That is only partially true. Many French nibs are 14ct but they cannot be referred to as Gold. The Parker 75 was available in France with 14ct nibs (amongst several others).

[RMN]

 

That is only partially true. Many French nibs are 14ct but they cannot be referred to as Gold. The Parker 75 was available in France with 14ct nibs (amongst several others).

 

Yes, no doubt there are 14ct, but if you want to advertise gold it has to be 18. Like I said. And some, not all, companies went for the 18. No doubt at a premium...

 

 

D.ick