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G.A. Mercier | Safety | Sterling Silver Bands & Cap Finial | 18ct #4 Artist Nib
G.A. Mercier | Safety | Sterling Silver Bands & Cap Finial | 18ct #4 Artist Nib
G.A. Mercier of Toulon, founded 1915 by Joseph Mercier, built provincial French ebonite pens well south of the Paris houses. The flagship "Grand Aigle" line had its nibs stamped "G.A. Mercier 18 CT 1st Quality." This Safety is the sister to an oversized #6 Mercier I restored previously, in a less common configuration: sterling silver bands and a sterling cap finial, every piece of trim stamped.
The body is mottled French ebonite, the pattern well-defined and the color still bright, with crisp imprints across the barrel and stamps on the sterling silver. Grade is B-, with some dents to the top of the cap.
The 18ct #4 nib is an Artist grind with a cursive italic character: 0.30mm horizontal hairlines and 0.50mm vertical strokes that open to a full 2.10mm on the downstroke, 7.00x line variation at 260g Semi Brush Flex. It is a very soft writer with wide, easy line variation and clean flex snapback. Feels more like a brush when flexing, as I have never tried to write with spaghetti.
The rear-pinned safety mechanism was serviced with modern FKM O-rings and the knob action calibrated. Ebonite rejuvenated and lightly hand-polished, natural softness restored. Nib heat-set and tuned for flex and smoothness.
Tested on Sanzen TR 52gsm cream with Diamine Sherwood Green.
HM1225113
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
Brand: G.A. Mercier
Model: Grand Aigle 4
Production Year: 1920
Material: Red Mottled Ebonite
Trim Color: Silver
Nib Size: 4
Nib Material: 18k
Nib Grind: F
Nib Flexibility: g
Line Variation: - (7.0x)
Pen Length: 124.71
Pen Grip Section:
Restorer: Heron's Mooncake
Restoration Grade: B+
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G.A. Mercier | Safety | Sterling Silver Bands & Cap Finial | 18ct #4 Artist Nib
Get it between - and -.
Appendix for Listing Details
Sweating the details is fundamental to understanding, appreciating, and knowing the peice of history you have in your hands.
All pens are filled and tested, not just dipped in ink, which does not reflect writing characteristics whatsoever.
Line Variation Standard
Different restorers have different standards for line sizing and especially for vintage pens, the printed tipping size will not always be accurate due to repairs/grinds/etc. Please use this as a frame of reference for consistency.
Flexibility Standard
Nib flexibility is such a controversial topic, but there needs to be some level of consistency so please take this table as a frame of reference for my restorations and as someone who is writing in a calligraphic/spencerian style of cursive script. Without objective measurements, flexibility terms such as wet noodle are useless as someone with stronger forearms and grip strength will make even manifold nibs into a wet noodle.
Restoration Ratings
These are guidelines incorporated from various online sources not limited to Reddit, David Nishimura, etc.
