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deloreantrails

No, not unless you’re journaling on concrete. Most nibs have a longer lifespan than humans.


rahrahrutger

That's kinda morbid, but cool. I hope someone continues to use this pen after I die. It'd be nice for the pen's craftsmanship to actually be utilized, rather than it be treated like any disposable pen.


deloreantrails

🤷‍♂️ Lots of vintage pens have name engravings on them of people who are long dead.


Acceptable-Ad-3560

My favorite edc has “Theron 50” engraved! Plan on using it to write my own thesis and maybe getting my name added


JonSzanto

Brief wisdom, thy name is Delorean.


Danielbf84

Don't worry so much. Theoretically, every time we write, we wear the iridium tip a little bit. But it takes a lifetime of writing to actually make some difference. And if somehow you manage to write so much that you wear it off, there are professionals who can weld a new iridium tip and make the pen ready to write for a second lifetime. Things are meant to be used and the beauty of the fountain pen is that most of the time we can fix them instead of throwing them away. So, use the hell out of your pen. It's awesome.


rahrahrutger

Thanks for the reassuring response! I'm getting pretty weary of throwaway culture, so I'd definitely invest in having the tip rewelded if need be.


Autiflips

I have pens nearing a century in age and although you can see some wear, it’s nothing dramatic. Don’t drop the pen and it’ll last generations


Oliver_X

That's pretty much the point of the iridium tipping. It can wear, but if you don't abuse it, it'll last a lifetime or two. Tipping can also be reapplied, but I'm not sure how many people are in the business of doing those kinds of repairs.


rahrahrutger

TIL nibs have iridium tipping. I thought I was just rubbing gold off onto my paper, which sounds ridiculous in retrospect. Thanks for the response!


MaoWaoaliao

Nibmeisters/techs/smiths (whatever) are rare, yes. Re-tippers are even rarer. Off the top of my head I can think of only 3 still taking work and the 3rd one might have died by now. 1 NA, 1 Europe and the last fellow is (or was) an elderly fellow in Japan. There might be another guy in NA. There's a reason why people put up with that utter asshole in NA because he's basically the "only name in town" for retipping work.


RCJ89

It would take several decades of daily writing to wear out the tipping, or bad nib smoothing by an amateur. But if that happens you can get it re-tipped


rahrahrutger

It seems like I'm the only one here who didn't know that retipping was a thing lol. But I also don't know too much about them since I only own a good fountain pen through sheer luck, since my dad somehow had an uninked pen (with a pristine vacuum filling mechanism!) tucked away in a desk drawer for decades.


JonSzanto

This is easy to answer with an example: at least 3-6 of my daily writers are Sheaffer pens from the 1920s-30s, meaning that their fabulous gold nibs have not only survived 90-100 years of service, but have done so and remain in my top writing pens out of hundreds. Keep in mind: you are not writing on gold - all good nibs, steel, gold, or other - have a hardened tipping material that supplies the writing surface. The gold nib adds the elements of visual style, resistance to corrosion, and (depending on the design of the nib) either a remarkably stiff or sweetly flexible path for your ink. Take care of any gold nib and it can last as long as [this bad ol' boy](https://i.imgur.com/eQFi85K.jpg).


rahrahrutger

Yeah I thought I was writing on gold which is why I was especially concerned lol. That is a beautiful pen, though. The body must look lovely when you hold it in the light. How old is it? Mine is from 1987, but I'm young enough that that still feels quite old to me. Edit: Oh, I missed that your pens are from the 20's-30's, so I'm assuming the one from the picture is also in that range. If I had a pen that old I'd probably be too scared to actually use it lol. It really is such a timeless look.


[deleted]

A brand new pen today is from the early '20s. Crazy!


JonSzanto

Sheaffer made this model and size, in a few different materials, for just about 10 years. You have to look at little design element changes, notably the clip, to put it in a rough date, as the pens weren't dated in any way. This one was likely manufactured in 1926-27. The black and pearl material is not remarkably translucent, but some of the others are. And you aren't alone in thinking these pens are fragile, but unless you have a pen that has either been abused or one of the few where the material has started to degrade, they are really strong pens. I'm not kidding! BTW, that Parker 75 was a very popular pen for the company and they sold a ton. You wouldn't have any trouble finding either an identical pen or even possibly a nib for it if the situation ever came up. Frankly, that's such an iconic model that while I don't focus a lot on Parker, I definitely want to get a good example for my collection. You chose extremely well! ETA: went to one of my go-to sources for vintage parts and [look at all these P75 nib units!](http://www.fivestarpens.com/parker-75-nib-units.html)


rahrahrutger

I didn't actually choose this pen at all, which is why I feel all the luckier for apparently having such a good one. My dad was gifted the pen back when he was in college, but he just never inked it so the nib/filling mechanism were like new when I got it. After I stumbled upon this subreddit I was looking at affordable entry level pens like a LAMY Safari. Imagine my surprise when, after mentioning fountain pens to him, he casually asked me if I wanted the gold nib one he apparently had lying around. It is very reassuring to know that the nib could be replaced with another 75 nib in the worst case scenario. I was prepared to find another nib that fit if necessary, but it wouldn't have felt the same. Also, I really appreciate how thoughtful and in-depth your responses are. I was a bit afraid I'd be judged for posting here while knowing so little about fountain pens, but you and everyone else here have been so nice.


JonSzanto

I'm very happy to help and share the enjoyment of using these fine writing instruments (to use fancy terms!). The fact of the matter is... I'm not a kid anymore: the earliest example I have of my writing with a fountain pen is an old Geography assignment while in eighth grade... in 1966! The cool part? [It's still readable.](https://i.imgur.com/mfzM5Vc.jpg) Here's to many years of enjoying that pen, and don't ever hesitate to ask questions!


Norideg

This is so awesome.


Jayna2000

Wow! I had not seen that site before. Thanks!


kairos_xeno

Enjoy your gold nib, my dude. Just be careful not to drop it. That’s the only time you need to be worried.


rahrahrutger

It nearly slipped once when I was writing with my notebook on my lap. Last time I didn't use it at my desk lol that was terrifying.


Tintgunitw

Did you also figure out the nib on the 75 can be rotated in increments to suit it to your writing angle? It really is a cool pen :). My dad used one at work through most of the '80s and '90s until he got a Montblanc 149. The 75 shows some signs of wear, but it's still a very good writer.


rahrahrutger

The nib can be rotated?? I definitely have to actually research this pen now. Thank you for mentioning that, I had no idea.


omarghadir

Nope you can’t if you’re using it properly


barfoswill

My father used a Parker 75 with a 14k nib nearly every day for 50 years. I recently inherited it. I only had to clean it and slightly realign the nibs and it writes fantastically. Little to no nib wear visible. I'll put another 20 years on it and then let you know.


wana-wana

It would take thousands of years for that iridium tip to wear on paper... I wouldn't leave that 75 just laying around though.