What Exactly Is A Warranted Nib?

[jbb]

What exactly is a "Warranted" nib? I always thought it meant real gold but recently I got a nib marked warranted that I'm pretty sure isn't gold SO what is/was meant by the term?

[marigolds]

Apparently it means that it's warranted to be 14k gold, but some have the word "plated" really teeny, shoved into the collar so you can't see it.

 

Here is a link: http://kamakurapens.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1395

 

Maybe that's what yours is--a plated one.

Edited January 28, 2013 by marigolds

[watch_art]

warranted just means guaranteed to have the gold content it states.

[jar]

Warranted simply meant that it was a 14K nib. Many companies that made nibs often found they had excess capacity and so would make nibs that could be sold to other fountain pen makers but without putting the makers name on them. This let nib makers keep their workers employed.

[jbb]

I have a silver colored nib marked Warranted 8 -- Durium Tipped -- Made in USA. Is that 14K gold?

[raigne]

It could be a gold nib plated with another material for aesthetic reasons.

[Florida Blue]

Many of the older gold nibs were not marked with their karat purity like you see on most or all modern gold nibs (e.g. 14kt .585).

 

I've seen a few gold nibs on no-name or 2nd/3rd tier makers that were only stamped "warranted" and then a size number like 3 or 5. Also most of the early gold nibs from the big makers like Waterman and Parker were not stamped 14kt.

 

However, "warranted" has no legal meaning and many pen makers stamped "warranted" on steel nibs that were just gold plated or even gold washed (very thin plating that easily wore off from harsh inks and general use).

 

Like Marigold already pointed out, many unscrupulous pen companies put "warranted" or "warranted 14kt" with the word "plate" or "plated" in really tiny letters at the bottom of the nib under the collar or even underneath the section to trick buyers into thinking they were getting a solid gold nib.

[jar]

  On 1/28/2013 at 6:59 PM, jbb said:

I have a silver colored nib marked Warranted 8 -- Durium Tipped -- Made in USA. Is that 14K gold?

 

Possibly.

 

BUT...since "Durium" was a creation of John Campbell and described as a sapphire blue alloy of resistium and other elements with no electrons at all, just negatrons you have to wonder about the honesty of that producer.

[jbb]

  On 1/28/2013 at 8:43 PM, jar said:

  On 1/28/2013 at 6:59 PM, jbb said:

I have a silver colored nib marked Warranted 8 -- Durium Tipped -- Made in USA. Is that 14K gold?

 

Possibly.

 

BUT...since "Durium" was a creation of John Campbell and described as a sapphire blue alloy of resistium and other elements with no electrons at all, just negatrons you have to wonder about the honesty of that producer.

:hmm1: Well, put that in your flux capacitor and smoke it.

[rwilsonedn]

The key point here is that the word didn't have a legal meaning at the time. So "Warranted 14K" could mean:

"the alloy in this nib is approximately 14K gold, and if you find one that isn't, I'll replace it."

"I'd like you to think this is a 14K gold nib, but it's not, and if you insist I'll give you your $2 back."

"Gold? I didn't say gold anywhere. This nib is 14K iron."

I would assume that if the nib isn't stamped at least " Warranted 14K" then it has little or no gold content, even if it says "Warranted."

ron

[Strang]

Then you have to watch out for the vintage nibs marked "Warranteed"! I found one.

[Bglevano]

  On 1/28/2013 at 9:08 PM, jbb said:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/hmm1.gif Well, put that in your flux capacitor and smoke it. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/doh.gif

[Bglevano]

  On 1/28/2013 at 9:08 PM, jbb said:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/hmm1.gif Well, put that in your flux capacitor and smoke it. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/doh.gif

[Bglevano]

I believe john Campbell was working for stark industries during their brief stint into fountain pens just before ww2