# Iridium Tips



## Seer (Dec 14, 2011)

Is there really any Iridium in the nibs that say it? I am just gettting into learning about fountain pens and was doing a little research and found this article: http://www.nibs.com/article5.html and found it interesting. So if there is no iridium in the tip how do they get away with saying that on the nib?
Borrowed from a post on The Fountain Pen Network on this subject:
Beware that most any contemporary pen with a German Iridium nib is, in fact, not German, nor does it use iridium. Chinese suppliers bought out the tooling for German iridium nibs when a ""number of major German players went out of business, the most notable of which was Reform. Rather than spend money to alter the nib stamp, they just kept going with the German Iridium markings. The steel is of a much lower quality, they use poor tipping material (if anything at all), and the workmanship is generally poor.""
Just curious


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## monophoto (Dec 14, 2011)

How do you know when the salesperson is lying?


His lips are moving.


The point is that the consumer always has to interpret sales claims with a critical eye.


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## SDB777 (Dec 14, 2011)

The answer lies within your post....the Chinese care not what they say about the product they make.  Just want your dollars.




Scott (get the Bock nibs) B


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## Seer (Dec 14, 2011)

Like I said just learning about them and yes I will get the bock nibs just thought others would like this info.
I got a FP in a pith on another site and it is a psi kit and stamped iridium Point Germany and the tip is crap imho because I can feel scrathiness when writing and looking at the tip through a lense shows one tine to be a little larger than the other.  I am not going to put any money into this one as I am making my own and using a Bock tip.


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## BlackPearl (Dec 14, 2011)

monophoto said:


> How do you know when the salesperson is lying?
> 
> 
> His lips are moving.
> ...



As a salesman with 45 years in my field, not pens, I take exception to that. There are some professionals out here. 

I am very proud that I have some customers for 15 years and those that I have lost in the last year were all because of either the Manufacture or the company I work for putting Profit over what is right.


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## Texatdurango (Dec 14, 2011)

Jerry, This is probably the most volotile subject amongst fountain pen users that I have found in the few years I have been making and using fountain pens.

Some would go so far to say that iridium itself is no longer used in nibs and hasen't been for years due to cost but that's a whole different story.

I've about given up worrying about what nibs say anymore since they can be made anywhere but one thing is for sure.......... BOCK nibs are still made in Germany and are known for their quality so that's what goes on my pens!


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## Seer (Dec 14, 2011)

George I agree, with what I have heard Bock is the way to go for me.


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## IPD_Mr (Dec 14, 2011)

The tips have been an issue for more than just a few years.  They go back to the days of the early Esterbrooks.  Heck even todays Pelikans there are issues with the tips being too big and have not been slab sided.  You can pretty much get any nib to be smooth when writing.  Much of it is in perceived value.  I can't get a real FP person to look my pens with a stock nib no matter how smooth it writes.


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## Rchan63 (Dec 14, 2011)

SDB777 said:


> The answer lies within your post....the Chinese care not what they say about the product they make. Just want your dollars.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Just like us Americans we don't sell anything unless it it 100% true and we don't care about the mighty green back.

Richard Chan


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