tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post1108389866474281937..comments2024-03-04T04:00:56.272+13:00Comments on DMP - Dave's Mechanical Pencils: Yard-O-Led Diplomat Mechanical Pencil ReviewKiwi-dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-82674798742032825412018-07-21T00:15:21.704+12:002018-07-21T00:15:21.704+12:00Dear Dave,
Until today I never knew how much inte...Dear Dave,<br /><br />Until today I never knew how much interest there is in mechanical pencils! I've been a long-time user of cheap throw-away ones (there's always one in my pocket, and one clipped to my French horn for rehearsals—I'm an amateur musician).<br /><br />I was looking online today as I've inherited a pen closely resembling your "JM & Co" (Which, a quickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-82870403010584438012010-06-19T12:18:28.505+12:002010-06-19T12:18:28.505+12:00WRT YOL on ebay
I've picked up three good wor...WRT YOL on ebay<br /><br />I've picked up three good working ones for less than £50 a piece and one "bad" one for £15 including shipping.<br /><br />Caveat emptor does apply but it's worth a punt. <br /><br />The "bad" one was a result of the previous owner forcing the feeder onto a broken lead but managed to get it working again with a little care.Grindernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-13456133971936250532010-06-18T19:23:44.674+12:002010-06-18T19:23:44.674+12:00Hi Anonymous. I haven't checked but as I recal...Hi Anonymous. I haven't checked but as I recall my 75 is inscribed as you suggest. I'm not sure where we are going with this discussion..? <br /><br />Caveat emptor applies to all eBay transactions :-)Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-49089105073477872202010-06-18T19:02:30.730+12:002010-06-18T19:02:30.730+12:00Sanford/Parker are a large corporation and getting...Sanford/Parker are a large corporation and getting anything out of them as a consumer is nigh on impossible. Usually with Parker if it is Solid sterling silver it is usually marked(inscribed) as such. Silver plating has no such inscriptions. Likewise Parker always inscribe their gold filled/rolled gold pens as such, eg - "1/10kt G.F."(US terminology) or Rolled Gold (English terminology)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-63330331180078855972010-06-18T18:27:25.610+12:002010-06-18T18:27:25.610+12:00Oh, you mean they don't even have any marking ...Oh, you mean they don't even have any marking or anything even asserting their own manufacturers non-indepenantly assesed claim of sterling silver? Well in that case you just have to trust Parker. Do Parker clarify that its solid sterling silver as opposed to sterling silver plated? I guess hallmarking is one benefit of dealing with YOL.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-89062942578965611862010-06-18T18:01:54.795+12:002010-06-18T18:01:54.795+12:00But then what about lettering at least - "ste...But then what about lettering at least - "sterling silver cap and barrel" etc. I have a feeling these French made Insignias are less than 95% pure (which I believe is the French Standard). It doesn't help when you try to sell at a later date and you can't prove it is Sterling Silver because of the absence of any lettering.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-68834561717099645822010-06-18T17:45:32.001+12:002010-06-18T17:45:32.001+12:00I'm sure they are 92.5% pure, but if they weig...I'm sure they are 92.5% pure, but if they weigh under a certain amount they won't require hallmarking. Thats why sterling silver ear-rings etc don't require hallmarking. They don't have enough total mass of silver in them. It's not a matter of silver purity, it's a matter of silver weight.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-48629935644685847592010-06-18T17:41:16.764+12:002010-06-18T17:41:16.764+12:00Well they are sold as Sterling Silver which to my ...Well they are sold as Sterling Silver which to my mind makes them at least 92.5 per cent pure. They are actually made in France.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-3306364601636464732010-06-18T17:27:42.534+12:002010-06-18T17:27:42.534+12:00Several possible reasons. The UK tends to have qui...Several possible reasons. The UK tends to have quite strict requirements compared to many other countries. Maybe the country the Parkers in question were made in and/or sold in did not require hallmarking. There is also generally a weight limit on hallmarking as well so perhaps the Parkers do not have enough silver in them to require hallmarking.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-79252004662062288832010-06-18T17:17:32.142+12:002010-06-18T17:17:32.142+12:00I wonder why the Parker Insignia sterling silver p...I wonder why the Parker Insignia sterling silver pencils being sold on ebay are not hallmarked - neither lettering or icons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-38274328720405443122010-06-18T10:17:32.531+12:002010-06-18T10:17:32.531+12:00I can't advise you re the decision to sell or ...I can't advise you re the decision to sell or not as that's your choice. The stamping of all separate parts with the Lion for sterling silver is a legal requirement so all sterling pencils are stamped that way. Leopard = London assay office, M = 1947, JM&Co is the maker Johnson Matthey the large "metals company" who were the maker for Yard-O-Led.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-85516703197180312272010-06-18T03:17:08.161+12:002010-06-18T03:17:08.161+12:00Hi Dave.Your views on the desirability of the
use...Hi Dave.Your views on the desirability of the<br /> useful pencils,vintage caran d'ache and the Y.O.L.s especially the stratophered ones of hexagonal design,has made me think twice of selling two pencils which were left to me.<br />each one is solid silver/hallmarked.they are unusual as they are lion impressed on clip,clip<br />top. and feed end.they are marked J.M.& Co.<br />lion,M for dennisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-88399281167470107622010-06-01T07:59:44.160+12:002010-06-01T07:59:44.160+12:00Where would you suggest shopping for mechanical pe...Where would you suggest shopping for mechanical pencils while in London?<br /><br />Michael Desmond <br />mdesmon@lsu.eduMichael Desmondnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-3747224881865468952008-11-17T18:28:00.000+13:002008-11-17T18:28:00.000+13:00Hi Grinder. Thanks for the update and the complime...Hi Grinder. Thanks for the update and the compliment.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-72377058636272160772008-11-17T17:39:00.000+13:002008-11-17T17:39:00.000+13:00Hi Dave, fair play to Filo-fax. Following an email...Hi Dave, fair play to Filo-fax. Following an email exchange they found some old stock and shipped a couple of tubes to me. My pencil is now a full yard, less whatever I've been using on paper.<BR/>Unfortunately, unless there is a supplier change, this is the last of the original B so I might have to get used to HB.<BR/><BR/>Great blog mate - chasing some more YOLs and possible a Caran d'Ache in Grinderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03865116511680726417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-37112688836949340102008-11-04T16:54:00.001+13:002008-11-04T16:54:00.001+13:00Yurrr?!!*&?Crazy.The "Two-Foot-Six-O-Led&...Yurrr?!!*&?<BR/>Crazy.<BR/>The "Two-Foot-Six-O-Led"? That just doesn't cut it. Shocking news.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-23082472991748749172008-11-04T16:54:00.000+13:002008-11-04T16:54:00.000+13:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-62519835517571525652008-11-04T06:56:00.000+13:002008-11-04T06:56:00.000+13:00Hi Dave,Great review and have acquired one. It mig...Hi Dave,<BR/><BR/>Great review and have acquired one. It might be worth noting that Filofax have changed their lead supplier and B is no longer available in 3 inch. Instead you get 15 2.75 inch pieces so now your pencil rattles and it no longer can hold a yard. Unless you keep the storage spaces filled with HB and have only one short B lead loaded.<BR/><BR/>Very disappointing that my YOL is now aGrinderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03865116511680726417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-77041266858695193822008-07-04T06:15:00.000+12:002008-07-04T06:15:00.000+12:00Hi Dave, Re your Yard o Led leads. In 1948 the ra...Hi Dave, Re your Yard o Led leads. In 1948 the range of leads were HH (2H); H, HB, B & BB (2B). They were also made in indelible, red, green, blue & yellow. So you no doubt have an HH lead in your Diplomat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-9497923239674076062008-04-15T21:47:00.000+12:002008-04-15T21:47:00.000+12:00Hi Anonymous, thanks for you comment. To answer yo...Hi Anonymous, thanks for you comment. To answer your final queation, I haven't really thought about it before, but maybe quite a few pencils could actually carry one yard of lead. For example Staedtler push the concept of refilling many of their pencils with a whole tube of 12 refill leads. Now the leads are 60mm but you can buy 75mm long leads and they should fit, so that would be 12 x 75mm (3 Kiwi-dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04092604091185842213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21675608.post-8289838896042828562008-04-15T07:44:00.000+12:002008-04-15T07:44:00.000+12:00Dear Dave, Have read your comments re the Y-O-Led ...Dear Dave, Have read your comments re the Y-O-Led Diplomat silver pencil. I do not agree with ALL your comments but since opinions are not open to discussion or arguement I therefore state my findings. First; the new price is frightening and the cost of repair (should any be required)is even more so, eg.a replacement rivetted clip is in the order of £40 ! Set against that there is a lifetime Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com