13 replies to this topic

[david i]

I've touched on some oddities in another thread regarding some vintage Parker pens found in a Janesville, WI  pen hoard that came  my way last month.

This though is something.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

regards

 

david

 

[parkercollector.com]

The day the drill broke?

[John Danza]

The hole in the nib has long been known to be more of a feature to prevent nib cracking than anything else. The only parker nibs I've seen without the hole have been the very early ones that were used in the overfeed pens. In this nib, it appears that there is a hole but that it's very tiny. Is that a photo anomaly David or am I seeing that right?

[david i]

Hi John,

 

The photo is accurate. There is at best a micro vent hole.   I've never seent hat before on  DF nib.

 

regards

 

david

[soot]

Could that be a pilot hole and not the normal size hole it was intended, somewhat overlooked during the drilling process?

[matt]

And it appears to have the requisite crack.

[John Danza]

Hi John,

 

The photo is accurate. There is at best a micro vent hole.   I've never seent hat before on  DF nib.

 

regards

 

david

 

Agreed David. I've never seen that either. It's interesting that someone cut a small hole, but wanted to keep it somewhat unseen.

 

And it appears to have the requisite crack.

 

I can't tell if that's a crack, a scratch, or a hair on the nib. It doesn't look like a flexible enough nib to have caused a crack.

[George]

 

Hi John,

 

The photo is accurate. There is at best a micro vent hole.   I've never seent hat before on  DF nib.

 

regards

 

david

 

Agreed David. I've never seen that either. It's interesting that someone cut a small hole, but wanted to keep it somewhat unseen.

 

And it appears to have the requisite crack.

 

I can't tell if that's a crack, a scratch, or a hair on the nib. It doesn't look like a flexible enough nib to have caused a crack.

 

 

 

Why would one assume that someone made a micro breather hole, and why would that person have wanted to 'somewhat' hide it from view? 

 

Can anyone say unfinished nib? 

 

Regards,

George

[david i]

Hi George,

 

"micro vent hole" is an observation. There does appear to be a bit of roundness present, not just a tine-slit.  I offer no assertion regarding original intent behind it.

 

I will offer a closer view at latest Monday, so we can explore.

 

regards

 

david

s

[david i]

OK. Here's a fresh shot. Indeed, there is a bit of a stress crack from the vent hole. Further up the tine slit is just a bit of debris.

 

Definitely a round shaped vent hole of sorts.

Too, lets give kudos to Sony camera. A handheld credit-card size,  5 year old+, 7 MP gadget with incredible close-in lens. This is a cropped but unenlarged shot.

 

 

 

regards

David

[John Danza]

George, it can't be an "unfinished nibs" as that's not how nibs are made. The breather hole is cut before the nib is slit.

[George]

Regardless of how the DF nibs were made (I don't have any concrete knowledge about Parker's nib production steps in the 1920's- anyone have anything?), I think it is more reasonable to believe that the nib was unfinished (had no breather hole punched), than to say that the nib was specially created with the intention of hiding a micro vent hole.

 

Regards,

George

[John Danza]

I have something laying around that shows the steps of Parker creating nibs back in the 1920s or 1930s, starting from flat stock. The hole is definitely cut before the slit is made. Beyond that, it's clear from David's photo that there's a tiny hole at the end of the slit that isn't just the end of the slit but is actually there on purpose. I don't know that they were hiding something, but it would make sense that they wanted a hole there to try to prevent cracking as the big holes do, but not actually have a big hole in the nib. Why else drill one at all?

[david i]

Regardless of how the DF nibs were made (I don't have any concrete knowledge about Parker's nib production steps in the 1920's- anyone have anything?), I think it is more reasonable to believe that the nib was unfinished (had no breather hole punched), than to say that the nib was specially created with the intention of hiding a micro vent hole.

 

Regards,

George

 

Hi George,

 

Again, the pen does have a hole punched. Just a small one...

 

regards

 

d