new flex gold alloy

Ok, I perhaps got a little carried away...

A custom gold alloy was made that flexes akin to the classic 1890s style - yet
better still it is EXTREMELY hard stuff at 14K, even harder at 12K. As an
experiment a 51 nib was cut as a series of extra needle fines - 16 in all,
approximately 2mm wide total. This is the closest to a metallic brush I've yet
seen on a gold nib. The pure ruthenium tips are 1.2mm deep for a very long nib
life. As the gold is so durable in this alloy, the flex can be quite dramatic
without risking a splay or hairline.....although every flex alloy 51 music and
brush nib needs a backing between itself and the cone wall deeper within the
pen or the flex will not function.

A rigid sheaffer lifetime nib had the tines reformed with the same alloy and it
now can be pushed to the limits of a 90 degree bend WITHOUT a splay or
hairline...and with complete recovery to the original tine partition. It's
good stuff...perhaps not identical to the 1890s masters long since dead..but
who knows? We have more alloys today...perhaps it is better?

I'll post images next week of a few of these in operation.

(Scaupaug1)

Ok, I perhaps got a little carried away...

A custom gold alloy was made that flexes akin to the classic 1890s style -
yet
better still it is EXTREMELY hard stuff at 14K, even harder at 12K. As an
experiment a 51 nib was cut as a series of extra needle fines - 16 in all,
approximately 2mm wide total. This is the closest to a metallic brush I've
yet
seen on a gold nib. The pure ruthenium tips are 1.2mm deep for a very long
nib
life. As the gold is so durable in this alloy, the flex can be quite
dramatic
without risking a splay or hairline.....although every flex alloy 51 music
and
brush nib needs a backing between itself and the cone wall deeper within the
pen or the flex will not function.

A rigid sheaffer lifetime nib had the tines reformed with the same alloy and
it
now can be pushed to the limits of a 90 degree bend WITHOUT a splay or
hairline...and with complete recovery to the original tine partition. It's
good stuff...perhaps not identical to the 1890s masters long since dead..but
who knows? We have more alloys today...perhaps it is better?

I'll post images next week of a few of these in operation.

That the properties of gold can be tailored drastically depending on with what
metals it's alloyed is nothing new, in fact it was a constant bone of
contention between Frank D. and myself... he just couldn't seem to grasp the
concept of gold alloying past that of Karats (percentage of gold).


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Is this something that will become available? I would love to be able
to buy a modern pen, a Pelikan or Bexley perhaps, with a true
built-to-flex flex nib. I would be very interested in something like
that.

All right!....
Let see this baby :-)

Antonios Z.

"Scaupaug1" wrote in message
...
Ok, I perhaps got a little carried away...

A custom gold alloy was made that flexes akin to the classic 1890s style -
yet
better still it is EXTREMELY hard stuff at 14K, even harder at 12K. As an
experiment a 51 nib was cut as a series of extra needle fines - 16 in all,
approximately 2mm wide total. This is the closest to a metallic brush
I've yet
seen on a gold nib. The pure ruthenium tips are 1.2mm deep for a very
long nib
life. As the gold is so durable in this alloy, the flex can be quite
dramatic
without risking a splay or hairline.....although every flex alloy 51 music
and
brush nib needs a backing between itself and the cone wall deeper within
the
pen or the flex will not function.

A rigid sheaffer lifetime nib had the tines reformed with the same alloy
and it
now can be pushed to the limits of a 90 degree bend WITHOUT a splay or
hairline...and with complete recovery to the original tine partition.
It's
good stuff...perhaps not identical to the 1890s masters long since
dead..but
who knows? We have more alloys today...perhaps it is better?

I'll post images next week of a few of these in operation.

Custom gold alloy? Wow, did you write the specification for this alloy? And
you say it is extremely hard. That must mean you have "spring gold" as
opposed to "spring steel". Very interesting. I look forward your images

--
Best regards,
T-H Lim
(aka Free Citizen)

"Nick Name" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is this something that will become available? I would love to be able
to buy a modern pen, a Pelikan or Bexley perhaps, with a true
built-to-flex flex nib. I would be very interested in something like
that.


Yes, indeed. Does this mean we will have fountain pens that are suitable for
Ornamental Writing? Wow!

--
Best regards,
T-H Lim
(aka Free Citizen)

Sheldon wrote:
"That the properties of gold can be tailored drastically depending on with what
metals it's alloyed is nothing new, in fact it was a constant bone of
contention between Frank D. and myself..."

I know...! It's a VERY old artform. It is also, however - hard to reverse
engineer some of the originals (some modern alloys can be better too!). It is
also tricky to change an alloy on an existing nib WITHOUT touching the original
imprints at the base of the nib.

Is this something that will become available?

Now and then, on a vintage pen nib - but I doubt the major manufacturers would
care about it in the slightest.

Here is the site...I hope the "format" is OK, text follows photos:

http://members.aol.com/scaupaug1/51nibs/index.html

Custom gold alloy? Wow, did you write the specification for this alloy? And
you say it is extremely hard. That must mean you have "spring gold" as
opposed to "spring steel". Very interesting. I look forward your images


Varies between nibs. There is one alloy that works well flexing Sheaffer 14K
triumph nibs...but does not work well with Parker 51/61 nibs (which require
another alloy) or Parker vac nibs...yet a third alloy for the soft gold of
modern pelikan nibs (which have the lowest melting point of all the alloys!).
Formulas? Written in chalk on a slate...don't want any paper around due to
safety. It is always a work in progress with vintage nibs - take a handful of
vintage nibs from anyone's parts drawer and you'll have a couple hundred
divergent alloys! Manufacturers changed their alloy from time to time -
especially those in Europe (due to war, inflation, economic or company
problems) whereas Parker and Sheaffer are remarkably consistent over the
decades (excluding Parker UK). Large Swan nibs tend to be consistent overseas
though. The numerous formulas are needed IF one is to change a nib to a flex
nib WITHOUT causing any change in the original nib imprint. Certain key
elements recently enabled sufficient hardness to the flex gold so that
incredibly fine tines could be made that could endure the force of writing and
flexing without any splay. Frank himself counted more than a thousand
different makes of broken nibs in a single small plastic bag a few years ago -
although "14K was 14K" to him at times. 14K to me can be rainbow, red, green,
blue, pink, yellow, flex, rigid, you name it...and all still be "14K". Frank
sometimes cursed my eyes if I spotted a crack that he had not seen before - if
he were still with us I believe he would mumble something about my eyes again
(every one of these nibs is hand slit by sight, no machine guidance and I don't
need a loupe as it only gets in the way).

http://members.aol.com/scaupaug1/51nibs/index.html

"Scaupaug1" wrote in message
...

Custom gold alloy? Wow, did you write the specification for this alloy?
And
you say it is extremely hard. That must mean you have "spring gold" as
opposed to "spring steel". Very interesting. I look forward to your images



Varies between nibs. There is one alloy that works well flexing Sheaffer
14K
triumph nibs...but does not work well with Parker 51/61 nibs (which
require
another alloy) or Parker vac nibs...yet a third alloy for the soft gold of
modern pelikan nibs (which have the lowest melting point of all the
alloys!).
Formulas? Written in chalk on a slate...don't want any paper around due
to
safety. It is always a work in progress with vintage nibs - take a
handful of
vintage nibs from anyone's parts drawer and you'll have a couple hundred
divergent alloys! Manufacturers changed their alloy from time to time -
especially those in Europe (due to war, inflation, economic or company
problems) whereas Parker and Sheaffer are remarkably consistent over the
decades (excluding Parker UK). Large Swan nibs tend to be consistent
overseas
though. The numerous formulas are needed IF one is to change a nib to a
flex
nib WITHOUT causing any change in the original nib imprint. Certain key
elements recently enabled sufficient hardness to the flex gold so that
incredibly fine tines could be made that could endure the force of writing
and
flexing without any splay. Frank himself counted more than a thousand
different makes of broken nibs in a single small plastic bag a few years
ago -
although "14K was 14K" to him at times. 14K to me can be rainbow, red,
green,
blue, pink, yellow, flex, rigid, you name it...and all still be "14K".
Frank
sometimes cursed my eyes if I spotted a crack that he had not seen
before - if
he were still with us I believe he would mumble something about my eyes
again
(every one of these nibs is hand slit by sight, no machine guidance and I
don't
need a loupe as it only gets in the way).

http://members.aol.com/scaupaug1/51nibs/index.html



Thank you Nathan,

For that illuminating discourse on precious metallurgy. You are right that
there can be many variations in 14K gold. Pure gold is too soft to be of
much use. So is pure iron. My understanding of steel is that a minuscule
content of 0.25% carbon in iron makes all the difference that will render it
strong enough for building a skyscraper. I have seen your pics. Are those
stamped out from gold sheets or strips? Some indication of cost would be
nice.

--
Best regards,
T-H Lim
(aka Free Citizen)
Practical Italic Handwriting
http://members.boardhost.com/jp29/