2021/22 Rocnel Sailor Adjustable

The downside of 22k gold (85-90 HV) is wear - likely to scratch/dent/wear fairly easily compared to (likely) 10k (145 HV) or 14k (140 HV) plate, although it can be age-hardened with something like Titanium to improve qualities....

What about 24k? Isn't this the type that is used for the MC?

Edit: I should mention the standard gold plated MC, not the custom one.

The downside of 22k gold (85-90 HV) is wear - likely to scratch/dent/wear fairly easily compared to (likely) 10k (145 HV) or 14k (140 HV) plate, although it can be age-hardened with something like Titanium to improve qualities....

What about 24k?  Isn't this the type that is used for the MC?

Edit:  I should mention the standard gold plated MC, not the custom one.

24k gold plating is pretty soft (30 HV), but is somewhat protected by the substrate (in this case stainless steel I assume) from bending or warping substantially, although still subject to wear and scratches.  To be designated "plate," the material thickness must be at least 0.5 microns (thinner is considered a "wash," "heavily plated" 2.5 microns and up), and greater provides more protection.  The use of 24k gold in jewelry is rare because of its softness, and I'm not sure about the final product in the MC.  I know the 2020 was advertised as "24k gold" plated, but I'm not sure in the translation if that meant "24k gold" was used in the plate and the actual mixture was something else, or if was really "24k gold plating."  24k plating is not substantially more valuable than 10, 14 or 18k plating, and is substantially less durable.  Any plating will wear, and potentially need replacing eventually, but the adjustment ring itself I'm assuming is a low wear part if not subject to frequent use of abrasive cleaning materials (BKF is right out).  24k gold is also not chemically pure (99.9-ish percent gold), and those impurities can allow it to tarnish over time (much less than other metals though), depending on exposure to anything other than neutral pH materials.  So bottom line, whatever the actual composition, the gold ring is not nearly as durable as stainless steel or titanium, and will require a bit more care to maximize longevity of the finish - simply cleaning with warm soapy water, rinsing and drying with a soft cloth should be sufficient, and certainly no scrubbing with anything.

The downside of 22k gold (85-90 HV) is wear - likely to scratch/dent/wear fairly easily compared to (likely) 10k (145 HV) or 14k (140 HV) plate, although it can be age-hardened with something like Titanium to improve qualities....

What about 24k?  Isn't this the type that is used for the MC?

Edit:  I should mention the standard gold plated MC, not the custom one.

24k gold plating is pretty soft (30 HV), but is somewhat protected by the substrate (in this case stainless steel I assume) from bending or warping substantially, although still subject to wear and scratches.  To be designated "plate," the material thickness must be at least 0.5 microns (thinner is considered a "wash," "heavily plated" 2.5 microns and up), and greater provides more protection.  The use of 24k gold in jewelry is rare because of its softness, and I'm not sure about the final product in the MC.  I know the 2020 was advertised as "24k gold" plated, but I'm not sure in the translation if that meant "24k gold" was used in the plate and the actual mixture was something else, or if was really "24k gold plating."  24k plating is not substantially more valuable than 10, 14 or 18k plating, and is substantially less durable.  Any plating will wear, and potentially need replacing eventually, but the adjustment ring itself I'm assuming is a low wear part if not subject to frequent use of abrasive cleaning materials (BKF is right out).  24k gold is also not chemically pure (99.9-ish percent gold), and those impurities can allow it to tarnish over time (much less than other metals though), depending on exposure to anything other than neutral pH materials.  So bottom line, whatever the actual composition, the gold ring is not nearly as durable as stainless steel or titanium, and will require a bit more care to maximize longevity of the finish - simply cleaning with warm soapy water, rinsing and drying with a soft cloth should be sufficient, and certainly no scrubbing with anything.

Excellent write up. Thank you.

I remember someone telling me that the purer the gold, the softer and less durable it is.
So 24K being purest, I assume 22K could get damaged fairy easily.

I have seen/heard at least 2-3 examples of people dropping their Sailors and getting these
dents etc....not something to look forward to.

Anyway, at US$1550, count me out. The regular MC with "intense" gold plating (as Murat
puts it) will shave just fine, I imagine.

$1550? I'd hate myself every time I looked in the shaving mirror.

Yeah, for me personally I feel a solid gold band on a razor is unnecessary - if I were to buy something with precious metal adornments it probably wouldn’t be a razor. But this will be crafted with commensurate skill and care, and it seems very fairly priced considering the weight of gold and the process involved. It is either something you really want to have or gift to someone, or it isn’t. I am simply not the intended market for this razor, but I see no problem with such things existing and being available to those who do want them.

I actually think this is a really good item for Murat to offer. I have no doubt there will be buyers for whom the additional cost is not the primary consideration, and they will own what is unquestionably a special version of a special razor. Aside from Rocnel, which other razors could it make sense to offer as a super-prestige item? If Murat doesn’t offer this then who else could? There is surely a market seeking such items and I think it is better that the razor is also one that will perform exceptionally.

No doubt somebody is asking Murat for a diamond encrusted Sailor as we speak. And why not?

Although I'm not into fountain pens I understand that they use 14K gold mostly.
Maybe that's because it's not as soft.

Although I'm not into fountain pens I understand that they use 14K gold mostly.
Maybe that's because it's not as soft.

For fountain pen nibs, yes, 14k is the most common. It generally gives the nib more springiness, so it is less likely to get bent out of shape. Although there are very good 21k gold nibs that also have similar characteristics. It all depends on what other metals are used in the alloy and how the metal is manufactured. Simply comparing karats won’t necessarily tell you much about how the alloy will behave, how hard or soft it is, etc. I have some rather hard and stiff 18k and 21k nibs, and some quite soft, flexible 14k nibs.

For fountain pen nibs, yes, 14k is the most common. It generally gives the nib more springiness, so it is less likely to get bent out of shape. Although there are very good 21k gold nibs that also have similar characteristics. It all depends on what other metals are used in the alloy and how the metal is manufactured. Simply comparing karats won’t necessarily tell you much about how the alloy will behave, how hard or soft it is, etc.

Plus...on nibs, the entire nib is not gold it's usually the midsection, supported on either side by some, as you say, alloy.

The entire nib is made from a sheet of metal, so it is all the same. Only the tipping material that touches the paper is different - usually a heavy metal like iridium which will not wear. The properties of the sheet metal alloy that the nib is stamped from will be unique to each manufacturer and the sheet metal is made using whatever alloys and manufacturing process give the metal the desired characteristics.

22k gold is 92% gold and 8% alloy. 14k is 58% gold and 42% alloy. The important things that determine the properties of the metal are what other metals are added to the gold to make the alloy, and what process is used in manufacturing (rolling, drawing, casting, heat treatments, etc.). I am no expert, I only know that not all 22k gold is the same, and in fact the properties of the resulting metal can be very different.