Yard O Led hallmarks

[james3paris]

I bought a "new" Yard O Led.  I got the pen from a reputable dealer.  I looked at the silver hallmarks and I found the pen was produced in 1997.  See attached...  Does anyone have any thoughts on this or knowledge?  I am confused.   Is this common or just old new stock?  

 

 

 

 

 

[Format]

I am not an expert at hallmarks but I read your markings as Birmingham 2022

 

https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham.html

[james3paris]

4 hours ago, Format said:

I am not an expert at hallmarks but I read your markings as Birmingham 2022

 

https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham.html

Thank you.  However, the anchor is going in the wrong direction and the X is missing a cross through the middle.  

[Claes]

I would say 1997.

Ref: https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham/Cycle 1975-1999.html

 

Have fun!

Claes in Lund, Sweden

[Format]

I will phone YOL and see what they have to say

[Mercian]

2 hours ago, james3paris said:

Thank you.  However, the anchor is going in the wrong direction and the X is missing a cross through the middle.  

I agree with you - the hallmark on your pen is Birmingham 1997.
 

Does your pen have a nib that is yellow gold?

If your pen’s nib is yellow gold, that may suggest that it is ‘NOS’.

The 2020s pens have 18k gold nibs that have been plated with nickel, so that they are ‘silver’-coloured, to match the body & cap of the pen.

 

That said, I don’t know when Y-o-L started the practice of nickel-plating their nibs; for all I know they might have been doing it in 1997 🤷‍♂️

[james3paris]

30 minutes ago, Mercian said:

I agree with you - the hallmark on your pen is Birmingham 1997.
 

Does your pen have a nib that is yellow gold?

If your pen’s nib is yellow gold, that may suggest that it is ‘NOS’.

The 2020s pens have 18k gold nibs that have been plated with nickel, so that they are ‘silver’-coloured, to match the body & cap of the pen.

 

That said, I don’t know when Y-o-L started the practice of nickel-plating their nibs; for all I know they might have been doing it in 1997 🤷‍♂️

The nib is nickel.  Right now, I am assuming that  it is "NOS."  I am just curious. 

[Format]

I have spoken to Yard O Led, I thought that there was a remote possibility that they buy in and restore old pens but they do not refurbish old models and sell as new,   they agree the 1997 hallmarks.

 

They thought that it was highly unlikely, the word they used was unknown, for a bona fide retailer to hold a pen as NOS and to sell it as new, 25+ years later,  although it may be a possible explanation that someone has bought the pen in 1997, never used it, sold it to the retailer before selling it on to you.

 

This should mean full disclosure to you, as Mercian pointed out, there have been a number of changes to the specifications over the years. Hence my question on how the pen was described to you, were you given the impression that the pen was a 2024 model.

 

 

[james3paris]

21 hours ago, Format said:

I have spoken to Yard O Led, I thought that there was a remote possibility that they buy in and restore old pens but they do not refurbish old models and sell as new,   they agree the 1997 hallmarks.

 

They thought that it was highly unlikely, the word they used was unknown, for a bona fide retailer to hold a pen as NOS and to sell it as new, 25+ years later,  although it may be a possible explanation that someone has bought the pen in 1997, never used it, sold it to the retailer before selling it on to you.

 

This should mean full disclosure to you, as Mercian pointed out, there have been a number of changes to the specifications over the years. Hence my question on how the pen was described to you, were you given the impression that the pen was a 2024 model.

 

 

Thank you for making the call.  

[Format]

From the style of the conversation I would have believed that I was buying a brand new pen also especially  'They told me that it was on order from the UK '

 

 

[Format]

Developments

 

YOL have sent an email which should put your mind at ease. They have had problems with one of their machines and during the downtime they used new and unused stock to complete the orders, an extract from their email as below

 

 if the Hallmarks are YOL then it is a genuine Yard O Led handmade product. The date of the HM was applied on that date and sometimes we have parts which are old new stock which we use from time to time dependant on model. Which model has he purchased?

 

We had an issue with one of machines so during that down time we used older stock to complete certain models, the Sterling silver is still that and these parts were set aside for emergencies when those arose.

 

Your pen was finished using parts from Master Craftsman John Freeman who retired from Yard of Lead some years ago, John developed the Victorian design on the Viceroy and his work is so highly regarded that some of it was kept back by YOL.  I would say therefore that your pen is a new YOL pen but they used  old stock hallmarked part to complete the order. 

 

 

 

[james3paris]

6 hours ago, Format said:

Developments

 

YOL have sent an email which should put your mind at ease. They have had problems with one of their machines and during the downtime they used new and unused stock to complete the orders, an extract from their email as below

 

 if the Hallmarks are YOL then it is a genuine Yard O Led handmade product. The date of the HM was applied on that date and sometimes we have parts which are old new stock which we use from time to time dependant on model. Which model has he purchased?

 

We had an issue with one of machines so during that down time we used older stock to complete certain models, the Sterling silver is still that and these parts were set aside for emergencies when those arose.

 

Your pen was finished using parts from Master Craftsman John Freeman who retired from Yard of Lead some years ago, John developed the Victorian design on the Viceroy and his work is so highly regarded that some of it was kept back by YOL.  I would say therefore that your pen is a new YOL pen but they used  old stock hallmarked part to complete the order. 

 

 

 

Wow, thank you!  I am going to print this.  I will add it to the YOL box with the pen information.  I got the

Yard-O-Led Victorian Grand.

[Mercian]

6 hours ago, james3paris said:

Wow, thank you!  I am going to print this.  I will add it to the YOL box with the pen information.  I got the

Yard-O-Led Victorian Grand.

That is - very clearly - an ‘ugly’ and ‘old-fashioned’ pen!

 

As a ‘personal favour’ to you, I would be willing to ‘take it off your hands’ - and thereby remove from you the ‘burden’ of owning it - for One Hundred English Pounds 😉

 

Srsly tho, 

[Zdenek]

On 8/15/2024 at 10:05 AM, Format said:

 

Your pen was finished using parts from Master Craftsman John Freeman who retired from Yard of Lead some years ago, John developed the Victorian design on the Viceroy and his work is so highly regarded that some of it was kept back by YOL.  I would say therefore that your pen is a new YOL pen but they used  old stock hallmarked part to complete the order. 

https://thehockleyflyer.info/retirements-at-imperial-yard-ltd-yard-o-led

 

[Format]

3 hours ago, Zdenek said:

https://thehockleyflyer.info/retirements-at-imperial-yard-ltd-yard-o-led

 

 

 

Interesting article, thanks for posting. 

 

One of those people that you would like to join for a good long chat over a cup of coffee.

 

We are all used to buying pens and products from the largest of companies, might be worth remembering that YOL is a very small company putting skills and expertise at the top of their priorities.

 

Makes their pens all the more desirable in my humble opinion

 

https://quillandpad.com/2017/02/16/yard-o-led-traditional-writing-instruments-youve-never-heard/

 

[inkstainedruth]

19 hours ago, Mercian said:

That is - very clearly - an ‘ugly’ and ‘old-fashioned’ pen!

 

As a ‘personal favour’ to you, I would be willing to ‘take it off your hands’ - and thereby remove from you the ‘burden’ of owning it - for One Hundred English Pounds 😉

 

Srsly tho, 

Nice try.  Don't think the OP is falling for it though.

When I first joined FPN, there was a thread called "Show Us Your Silver Pens" and IIRC Pakman posted photos of his Viceroy Victorian Grande that was his retirement present from the company he worked for.  And while that would be too large and heavy a pen for me, I've lusted after a Viceroy Victorian Standard ever since.  Sadly, that would be the "when I win the lottery" pen because that would be the only way I could afford one.  And worry that even a Standard might be too heavy a pen.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth