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Yard O Led Standard Barley F Nib

hari317

By hari317
in Fountain Pen Reviews

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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A review of the Yard O Led Viceroy Standard with the Barleycorn Guilloche on the cap and barrel. I call this the new style due to the full sterling silver gripping section. The older pens came fitted with plastic gripping sections, I have already reviewed an example of the older one.

 

There is just a one year age difference between these two variants in my possesion. The plastic grip one was made in 1992 and this one is made in 1993, from the S and T datecodes respectively. Both the pens have the "Delta" imported goods hallmark, assayed for the silver content by the Birmingham assay office.

 

I bought this pen used from its previous owner in Leeds, UK. The pen came packaged in a red velvet covered YOL box with the leaflet tucked under the shelf. No polishing cloth or leather pouch was included, maybe none was supplied by YOL or maybe the previous owner lost them, I don't know.

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6721.jpg

 

Side by side: Newer pen on the bottom.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6722.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6724.jpg

 

Notice the converters. The newer one already has the steel covering on the knob, but the plastic is still green, the current production models have black plastic parts in the converter.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6725.jpg

 

The nibs: Two tone Vs Single tone:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6727.jpg

 

Changed feeder design. The feeder remains identical to date.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6728.jpg

 

Hallmarks: The newer pen has the import hallmarks on both the cap and barrel:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6737.jpg

On Cap:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6738.jpg

On Barrel:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6739.jpg

 

Engraving pattern: Newer one on the left:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6741.jpg

 

The clip rivets: Beautifully done.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6743.jpg

 

The pen writes very well. It has a responsive nib, the older nib is rigid and precise, I liked both the variants.

 

From all accounts, YOL switched to the all sterling grip in 1999/2000. This pen was made in 1993, So maybe this pen was returned to the factory for repairs and they put in the newer section, it is possible. I have checked and the parts interchange easily between the two pens.

 

I hope you find this useful.

 

Cheers!

Hari

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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kazoolaw Collectors Item

kazoolaw

Posted
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You have a major addiction to YOL, and I appreciate you documenting it for us so closely.

 

I much prefer the sterling section to the plastic.

 

My eyes would never have picked up the change in engraving without your close-up.

 

Love the barley, but if I could find a Smythson's pattern in a standard pen at a bargain price...

 

gary

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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Thank you Gary, Jayant, Jar. Yes, I have been buying some YOLs lately, I hope to document a few more models in the coming days.

 

Jar, The solder is there on both the old and new std Barleys with me and it seems like a part of teh manufacturing process, solder first and then rivet. or use solder as a filler to close the unsightly gap between the clip and cap due to curvature mismatches, I can only speculate. I think it might have to do with the "imported" Yols. I have not seen any evidence of solder on the Smythson, the Esprit or the Grands that I have.

 

Best

Hari

Edited by hari317

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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Like your reviews, very much.

 

 

Thanks, Hari, for another great review. Your photographs are terrific!

 

Thank you for your kind comments. Much appreciated.

 

Best

hari

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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Nice images, I really like these Y-O-L silver barley designs.

Is the new feed an improvement or just a 'style' change?

Thank you.

 

I couldn't say, I feel no difference in usage. But YOL must be satisfied with it, they are using the same design on the standard/Esprit to now.

 

Best

Hari

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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raging.dragon Antique

raging.dragon

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The images have been replaced with "bandwidth exceeded, please upgrade..." messages from Photobucket.

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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The images have been replaced with "bandwidth exceeded, please upgrade..." messages from Photobucket.

Fixed now. Thanks!

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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Ghost Plane Ancient Artifact

Ghost Plane

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Sent in a 92 for repairs some years back [major section leak] and got the monotone nib and silver section back in return. Way better performance. I sold it a couple of years back as the standard was giving me hand cramps - too narrow. But it had a finned feed, not the one you have, so that style must have come and gone as all mine have fins now, including the 4 year old repaired Grand where they also substituted the entire section to repair.

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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Sent in a 92 for repairs some years back [major section leak] and got the monotone nib and silver section back in return. Way better performance. I sold it a couple of years back as the standard was giving me hand cramps - too narrow. But it had a finned feed, not the one you have, so that style must have come and gone as all mine have fins now, including the 4 year old repaired Grand where they also substituted the entire section to repair.

 

The Grands that I have, bought new, are fitted with the finned feeds. The standards including the latest new Esprit that came in, are fitted with the solid underside feed that I have shown, the feed is finned, but the fins are underneath the nib. I would be interested in seeing the finned feed on a new standard with all sterling section, if anyone can post a picture.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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twdpens Collectors Item

twdpens

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The clip rivets: Beautifully done.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/YOLStdBarleyNew/IMG_6743.jpg

 

Lovely photos and a lovely comparison.

 

For you information, those rivets are cosmetic only. The clips on Yard-O-Led pens and pencils are soldered into place. Sorry if this dashes your dreams but the method used is probably stronger than riveting!

 

HTH,

 

Martin

The Writing Desk

Fountain Pen Specialists since 2000

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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Lovely photos and a lovely comparison.

 

For you information, those rivets are cosmetic only. The clips on Yard-O-Led pens and pencils are soldered into place. Sorry if this dashes your dreams but the method used is probably stronger than riveting!

 

HTH,

 

Martin

 

Thank you Martin, but really, I am shocked to hear this :crybaby: Anyway on the newer ones I am unable to see any visible solder, am I just lucky or is the solder application much neater nowadays?

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

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Sent in a 92 for repairs some years back [major section leak] and got the monotone nib and silver section back in return. Way better performance. I sold it a couple of years back as the standard was giving me hand cramps - too narrow. But it had a finned feed, not the one you have, so that style must have come and gone as all mine have fins now, including the 4 year old repaired Grand where they also substituted the entire section to repair.

 

The Grands that I have, bought new, are fitted with the finned feeds. The standards including the latest new Esprit that came in, are fitted with the solid underside feed that I have shown, the feed is finned, but the fins are underneath the nib. I would be interested in seeing the finned feed on a new standard with all sterling section, if anyone can post a picture.

 

The feed on my Symthson (you might remember it) and the Corinth and the Pocket Viceroy Victorian all have the feed you show. My Grands all have the finned feed.

 

My Website

 

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hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

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The feed on my Symthson (you might remember it) and the Corinth and the Pocket Viceroy Victorian all have the feed you show. My Grands all have the finned feed.

 

Thanks Jar. At the moment I think YOL have only two nib sizes the 23mm one and the 35mm one. The larger ones get the visibly finned feed and the smaller ones gets this monolith feed.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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Ghost Plane Ancient Artifact

Ghost Plane

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Hmm. As I recall, my repair was about 4 years ago. Either they were using up parts or that was shortly before the phase in. :hmm1:

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raging.dragon Antique

raging.dragon

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The feed on my Symthson (you might remember it) and the Corinth and the Pocket Viceroy Victorian all have the feed you show. My Grands all have the finned feed.

 

Thanks Jar. At the moment I think YOL have only two nib sizes the 23mm one and the 35mm one. The larger ones get the visibly finned feed and the smaller ones gets this monolith feed.

 

I suspect they're using standard Bock feeds. If you look closely at the page below, the Bock feeds for 22 and 35 mm nibs are different and (from the side anyway) resemble those of your standard and grand YoL's respectively:

 

http://www.peter-bock.com/content/e4/e39/index_eng.html

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