Periodic Table of WIS

Osmium Os

 

Where is osmium used--or where does it impact your everyday life?

 

Fountain pen nibs were made of osmium and iridium at one time.  Iridium is a particularly hard metal but expensive.  The Nibster notes that the last pen to have iridium in the nib (2.5 %) was the Parker 51 in 1952.

 

Photographed is an Osmiroid 75 fountain pen with an italic nib.  Osmiroid pens were named after the elements osmium and iridium although no nibs have iridium now and the Osmiroid 75 is predominantly ruthenium.

WIS Photographer