Parker Sonnet Marks

The new Parker Sonnet 10 series Sterling Silver model is a lovely pen having great presence without being excessively large. Available in fountain pen and ballpoint, the only slightly misunderstood element is the hallmarking. The marks are embossed just above the chrome band and are so small they look like blemishes in the finish. Not so! With our super macro lens in place we have reproduced the marks large enough to see.

The 925 signifies 92.5% purity with the remaining 7.5% probably comprising of copper. The second mark is the makers' mark.

So if you want one, please don't complain about he marks in the pens!

What is it made from?

In the wonderful world of fountain pens the use of precious metal elements are used widely but what are they?

We are generally familiar with gold, silver and platinum but rhodium, palladium and iridium are a little more exotic.

Rhodium, palladium and iridium are chemically inert mineral elements which are part of the platinum group and are similarly rare. They are used industrially either alloyed with other platinum group metals or used as catalysts in chemical processes, with palladium being used extensively in catalytic converters in cars. However, used as a plating finish and polished, rhodium and palladium offer a highly durable, deep shine finish which is resistant to discolouration through oxidisation, making them especially suitable for nibs and trims on fountain pens.

The use of 'rhodium coating' is where a fine 'layer' of rhodium is plated onto silver or other substrate as a means of preventing discoloration of the base through oxidisation. Rhodium plating onto gold nibs is a means of retaining the physical properties of the gold while maintaining the decorative silver colouration required for a silver trimmed pen.

Iridium, a relatively dense element, can also be used in the manufacture of nibs to offer a more durable writing tip.

The principle link on this blog is to a Caran d'Ache Leman Ebony Black fountain pen which uses rhodium onto both gold and silver.

PenFountain Guide to Nib Widths

How long’s a piece of string? We have applied the question to fountain pen nib widths. Each manufacturer has chosen their own standard and, as result, unless you have a friendly retailer who is happy to swap nibs while you try each one, or your friend has an extensive collection of similar pens you’ll never know. We are constantly asked what the difference is and it lead us to doing the research.

We have produced a nib width guide showing various manufacturer / model ranges in a comparative form. It’s not exhaustive and it is only a guide but you may find some of the results interesting (or perhaps contentious!). Some of the data is supplied by the manufacturers and some is generated by our own research. However, some of the data supplied doesn’t match with our findings and therefore, may be different from your experience. The main case is with Pelikan who have been supportive but their spec suggests the M400 medium is between 0.45 and 0.55 but our experience is a line width of 0.75 based on 2 separate nibs.

We have also produced a video on You Tube showing some of our method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdwU1epNJUs

Conway Stewart Centenary Collectors

Conway Stewart is coming to the end of the production run of its Centenary Collectors limited edition. It's a great shame because this pen offered a good entry level product for the Conway Stewart brand whilst still offering the presence of a high quality pen and, of course its nib range. If you are thinking of buying one, you had better be quick. There are no fine or extra fine nibs in gold finish left in stock and the there's only the broad in the oblique series left.

Pelikans and Snow

Christmas over! Happy New Year – And the joke is that we had a white before Christmas and a white after Christmas but no white Christmas! We’re in a slight fix at the moment with suppliers having had production and distribution disrupted by the weather. So we’re starting find some of our stock a bit patchy. But things are starting to sort themselves out at the moment – fingers crossed.

Just got into Pelikan Souveran pens. They’re beautiful. With a great range of pens and sizes, they’re worth considering with an entry level of £120.00. Special offer – buy one get a free Paperblanks diary.

Makes you Cross

With Christmas approaching, frankly sales have been a bit slow but starting to move. Leaving it to the last minute in the hope of bagging a bagain is OK if you are flexibile. However, the first casualty has emerged, the Cross Affinity fountain pen in Opalescent Black. With an introductory offer of just £50 we had strong demand for this pen but have now been informed that there are no further stocks expected into the UK this side of Christmas. If you're flexible with your colours we should be able to maintain the offer on the blue and red. Keep in touch.

A Night at the Opera

Mrs PenFountain and I went for an evening of Romantic Opera at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford yesterday evening. We are not opera buffs but enjoy lighter performances and we were not disappointed. The troupe comprised of 4 outstanding performers from Opera Box ( www.operabox.co.uk ) performing a range of arias from many popular operas together with some less well known pieces. Each was introduced with a brief outline of the plot, the principle characters and the specific setting. There were also amusing anecdotes about specific performances. For me, the highlight of the evening was the performance of Delibes Flower Duet (B.A. Sig. tune!) performed by Soprano, Alicia Fashae and Mezzo-Soprano Jeanette Ager accompanied by a simple piano. Wow!

So, what has this got to do with PenFountain.com? Well, not so much PenFountain, but trading conditions. The couple sitting next to us were regulars and they commented on the low attendance. If I was an optimist, I would say the theatre was one third full…. This was an outstanding performance in an affluent area and yet, even here customers have a mind-set of not spending money.

A number statisticians have identified that there is more disposable income in the economy this year than last, but confidence is at a very low ebb and that is impacting on a willingness to spend. Well, if we don’t start spending soon, choice will be a thing of the past and small businesses will be the first casualties. The choice to go to performances like last night’s will disappear. However, the good news is that there is another performance on Wednesday 25 November 2009. A visit is highly recommended.