The cap initials of H.F.F. refer to Helen Frances Frisz, shown above in the uniform of the U.S. Coast Guard's SPARs women's unit.
Before World War 11, the existing metallurgical technology could not support the economical manufacture of high-quality alloys suitable for tipping fountain pen nibs. Tipping material was culled from high-grade ores of platinum-group metals, principally osmiridium, a naturally occurring alloy of osmium and iridium. Ore was crushed, fragments were selected based on their metal content and welded to nibs, after which the tips were ground and polished. This technology worked reasonably well, but the quality of finished nib tips could vary greatly: one might have a crystalline cleavage line that would cause a fracture of the tip, the next might have a spongy texture that made polishing it into a smooth tip impossible, and a third might be perfect in all respects.
1944 Parker 51 had a nib tip of Plathenium rather than osmiridium due to advancements in metallurgical technology.
The U.S. military's need for highly refined alloys that were very hard led to the development of technology to meet that requirement. When the United States went to war in December 1941, Parker had just introduced the revolutionary “51”. Early in the war, Parker advertised that the nib of the “51” was tipped with osmiridium. During 1943, on the back of new technology, the nib tipping material changed to a refined ruthenium-based alloy called Plathenium. The “51” shown with this article was made in 1944 and has a Plathenium nib.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2022 من PEN WORLD.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2022 من PEN WORLD.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
25 Years of the Levenger True Writer
The new Anniversary Origins collection celebrates the True Writer's silver anniversary, but its origins are over a century old.
LAMY and uni Unite
The Japanese company behind the Uniball brand and Germany's LAMY are now partners.
Wajima Earthquake: Lest We Forget
The New Year's Day earthquake took lives and livelihoods. The future of Wajima lacquerware is at stake.
Fontoplumo: Filling a Need
Frank van Krieken turned a hobby into a pen store, and he is spreading the gospel across the globe.
Styling and Substance: Sheaffer and Sengbusch, and One or Two Others: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part IV
In the second installment of this series, we saw the R. Esterbrook Steel Pen Company get its start in the dip-less business.
The Power of the Pen
A Veterans Administration program in Arkansas turns former warriors into pen makers.
The White Dot Marks the Spot
Production by William Penn, distribution by Kenro: Sheaffer is back to basics.
Manu's Pen Nebula
The Pen Family represents Emmanuel Caltagirone's personal journey. Let's take a short trip through time and space.
Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part III
Once dip-less desk sets became entrenched in the business world, they naturally proliferated as more companies got into the game.
The Inkwell and the Imagination
A history of the inkwell as a source of inspiration.