Renew Point System
From Penpedia
The Re-New-Point System was developed in the mid 1930s by the Esterbrook Pen Company. It is easily one of the most successful and recognizable interchangeable nib systems. Later in its life, the name was changed simply to Renew Point, dropping the hyphens for the sake of simplicity.
Renew point nibs are composed of three parts: the steel nib, the feed, and the collar. The nib and feed are installed into the collar through one of two means. Some older nibs have a steel pin that holds the assembly together, which with heat applied, can be removed and the nib disassembled. The second way uses a crimp in the collar of the nib. This crimp can sometimes be mistaken for something like a vent.
Rigid nibs, which were often used for writing on carbon copies, are often referred to as manifold nibs. This literally means many folds. These nibs are generally much harder and stiffer than traditional nibs for general writing, as you can press on them hard enough to leave the carbon impression without damaging or springing the nib. These terms may be used interchangeably, and might appear both ways below.
Contents |
[edit] Feeds
[edit] Flat Feed
Flat feeds in Renew Point nibs are indicative of earlier era nibs, and will generally be found in collars held in with a metal pin.
[edit] Rounded Feed
Rounded feeds were introduced later in the life cycle, being used with collars along with the newer crimping style of retention.
[edit] Nibs
[edit] 1000 Series
1000 Series Renew Points had no iridium or other hard metal incorporated into the tip. The writing surface was simple rolled steel, making them prone to wearing out over time. This made them a much cheaper, disposable type of nib. These could be found marketed under the "DuraCrome Point" name. 1000 series nibs have a black collar.
- 1314 - Flexible Stub
- 1461 - Rigid Medium (Carbon copies)
- 1550 - Firm EF (Bookkeeping)
- 1551 - Firm Medium (Student)
- 1554 - Firm Fine (Clerical)
- 1555 - Firm Fine (Gregg Shorthand)
- 1556 - Firm Fine (Fine Writing)
[edit] 2000 Series
The 2000 Series nibs are very similar to the 1000 series. These nibs still have no enhanced tip. The feeds varied somewhat through the 2000 line, showing thin flat, medium flat, and rounded feeds. These are also found with the name "DuraCrome Points." Both 1000 and 2000 series nibs sold for 60 cents and are very common today. 2000 series nibs have a black collar, like 1000 series nibs. Some pre-war 2000s can be found with clear, pinned collars.
- 2048 - Flexible Fine (Shaded)
- 2128 - Flexible Extra-Fine (Shaded)
- 2284 - Broad Firm Stub (Signature Stub)
- 2312 - Italic Medium
- 2314B - Broad Stub
- 2314F - Fine Stub
- 2314M - Medium Stub
- 2442 - Falcon Stub (Fine Stub)
- 2450 - Fine Extra-Firm (Bookkeeping)
- 2460 - Firm Medium
- 2461 - Rigid Fine (Manifold)
- 2464 - Rigid Broad
- 2550 - Extra Fine Medium (Bookkeeping)
- 2555 - Firm Fine (Gregg shorthand)
- 2556 - Firm Fine (General Writing)
- 2668 - Firm Medium (General Writing)
- 2788 - Flexible Medium
- 2968 - Firm Broad
[edit] 3000 Series (1938)
3000 Series nibs were produced in 1938. These were the first nibs to be properly tipped with a harder material than the nib itself. For this task, Esterbrook used an alloy called Osmiridium. 3000 series nibs are also referred to as "sunburst" style nibs because of their decorative engraving and the two-tone finish which some were endowed with. Others were a single tone silver color in nature. They feature a red collar and flat bottom feed. Along with the 8000 series, these are among the hardest to find and are some of the most collectible. Some United Kingdom made nibs from this series are single-tone gold plated and have only the later-style vertical number imprint. Identified examples of the UK nibs include the 3312, 3314, and 3556.
- 3312 - Dip-Less Fine Stub (Gold Plated)
- 3314 - Relief Medium Stub
- 3550 - Firm Extra Fine
- 3556 - Fine Writing
- 3668 - Firm Medium
- 3968 - Firm Broad
[edit] 5000 Series
5000 series nibs were designed to work with Esterbrook Dip-Less Pens, and not meant for use with standard lever or twist fillers, nor are they compatible.
- 5284 - Broad (Signature Stub)
- 5442 - Falcon Fine Stub (Backhand Writing)
- 5460 - Firm Medium (General Writing/Record Keeping)
- 5461 - Rigid Medium (Manifold)
- 5550 - Firm Extra Fine (Bookkeeping)
- 5554 - Firm Fine (Penmanship/Secretarial Work)
- 5556 - Firm Fine (Fine Writing)
- 5668 - Firm Medium (General Writing)
- 5788 - Flexible Medium (General Writing)
- 5968 - Firm Broad (General Writing)
[edit] 6000 Series
Only one model is known from the 6000 series, and it was a prototype modeled after the conical Sheaffer Triumph nibs, possibly during the first part of the 1940s or later. Don't expect to ever find one. Possible reasoning behind the lack of a full production run may have to do with Sheaffer's patent number US2303373, which applied to Triumph nibs. Additionally, the nib was made from steel stock, which would become a limited material during World War II. Assuming a production date in the early 40s, this would have limited production capabilities, and taken attention away from the palladium metal 8000 series nibs that were to be produced in place of steel.
- 6668 - Firm Medium Triumph Style (General Writing)
[edit] 7000 Series
7000 series, like 5000 nibs, were designed to work with Dip-Less pens, and not meant for use with standard lever or twist fillers, nor are they compatible.
- 7550 - Firm Extra Fine (Fine Manifold)
- 7556 - Firm Fine (General Writing)
- 7668 - Firm Medium (General Writing)
- 7968 - Firm Broad
[edit] 8000 Series (early 1940s)
The 8000 series Renew Points were U.S. made, Osmiridium tipped nibs like the 3000 series made during WWII when steel was being consumed for the war effort. As an alternative, the 8000 nibs were made from a 12 carat palladium alloy. They are white collared, and originally sold for around $2.50 USD. These are highly sought after, and are arguably the hardest to track down of any Renew points behind the 3000 series.
- 8440 - Extra Fine Firm ("Superfine"/Sunburst)
- 8550 - Firm Extra Fine
- 8556 - Gold Plated Fine Writing
- 8668 - Firm Medium (General Writing)
- 8996 - Firm Medium
[edit] 9000 Series (1940-????)
9000 Series nibs were marketed as the "Master Point" series nibs, and were tipped with Iridium to make them more resilient to wear. These are fairly common, but were considered the "premium" nib line for Renew Point and cost almost twice as much as DuraChrome nibs at $1.15. 9000 series nibs can be found with two different imprints, running horizontally or vertically down the nib. Generally, 9000 series nibs will be found with a green collar, and not black which is common to 1000 and 2000 nibs.
- 9048 - Shaded Writing
- 9128 - Extra Fine Flexible
- 9284 - Stub - (Signature Stub)
- 9312 - Italic Medium
- 9314B - Broad Stub
- 9314F - Fine Stub
- 9314 - Medium Stub
- 9450 - Firm Extra Fine (Posting)
- 9460 - Carbon Copies
- 9461 - Rigid Fine (Carbon Copies)
- 9550 - Extra Fine
- 9555 - Firm Fine (Gregg Shorthand)
- 9556 - Fine Writing
- 9650 - Medium Manifold (Carbon Copies)
- 9668 - Medium (General Writing)
- 9788 - Flexible Medium (Shaded)
- 9968 - Broad Writing
[edit] Un-Numbered
These are probably nibs designed for later cartridge style pens. They are essentially 2556, 2668, and 2968 nibs. They have been seen with black, pinned collars.
- FINE - Firm Fine
- MEDIUM - Firm Medium
- BROAD - Firm Broad
