RCA Victor Long Life needle

[eighteenbelow]

I'm always on the lookout for so-called "long life" needles, as I have several late 1920s/early 1930s changers. I prefer not to use tungsten-tip needles for various reasons, but I do have a couple that were rated by their manufacturers for 1,000 or more plays. I have never used any for nearly that many plays, but I have used some -- NOS bought from the late, lamented Ed Crockett -- and have been pleased with their quality.

I recently came across this in a box of old needle packs (including a lot of Recoton chromium, which I have never tried for fear of damaging discs), and am considering using it on a changer. Does anyone have any experience with this particular needle? Any opinions? And does anyone know what the "precious metal" on the point is?

[OrthoFan]

Based on what I've been able to spot, the RCA Victor "Long Life Needle" dates from about 1938.

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... 94&dpr=1.4

I'm thinking that the horseshoe magnet pickups used in the late 1920s/early 1930s may be too heavy.

OrthoFan