The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi,

I'm in need of a sapphire stylus to play Pathé records. The following stylus is being offered in France at 28 Euros, which seems very reasonable, to play Pathé vertical cut records. But does it look right? It looks pointed rather than ball-shaped. Any comments much appreciated.

Jamie

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pathé-Sapphi ... SweB1eYqBU

Hi Jamie,

It's difficult to be sure without a scale in the image but the two I inherited do look hemispherical on the tip. Looking at images of others on the web, they all seem to be rounder than the one on offer.
Unfortunately, I don't have a suitable lens to get a good image of mine...


PS - on further web browsing (and after measuring mine) the tip diameter should be
1/32 inch ( ~ 0.8 mm). This is correctly reported here:-

http://radio-antiks.com/IndexRadio-Anti ... ffusor.htm

but completely wrong on this wikipedia page:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathé_Records


hope this helps
Robin

The diamond disc styli have sharply pointed tips...

Thanks for the replies. All I have to go on is the pictures on the web but using the brass post as a point of scale it looks like the stylus being offered isn't wide or hemispherical enough. Basically too pointed. Perhaps the maker was thinking of Edison diamond discs.

I could write to the seller and ask why the point of his stylus doesn't look like this:

jamiegramo wrote:Thanks for the replies. All I have to go on is the pictures on the web but using the brass post as a point of scale it looks like the stylus being offered isn't wide or hemispherical enough. Basically too pointed. Perhaps the maker was thinking of Edison diamond discs.

I could write to the seller and ask why the point of his stylus doesn't look like this:

The point does look rather strange but he seems knowledgeable no ? Although the contact with the Pathé groove might be a bit odd as it looks pointy

I have one left of the ones I had made if you want to offer £30 which was what they cost you can have it can't get any more made they were always well liked !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254389665538

Point picture here a ball

Curt A wrote:The diamond disc styli have sharply pointed tips...

The diamond disc styli are diamonds

soundgen wrote:

jamiegramo wrote:Thanks for the replies. All I have to go on is the pictures on the web but using the brass post as a point of scale it looks like the stylus being offered isn't wide or hemispherical enough. Basically too pointed. Perhaps the maker was thinking of Edison diamond discs.

I could write to the seller and ask why the point of his stylus doesn't look like this:

The point does look rather strange but he seems knowledgeable no ? Although the contact with the Pathé groove might be a bit odd as it looks pointy

I have one left of the ones I had made if you want to offer £30 which was what they cost you can have it can't get any more made they were always well liked !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254389665538

Point picture here a ball

Mike,

Does it have a sapphire or glass point? If sapphire I'll definitely take it.

Thanks, Jamie

jamiegramo wrote:

soundgen wrote:

jamiegramo wrote:Thanks for the replies. All I have to go on is the pictures on the web but using the brass post as a point of scale it looks like the stylus being offered isn't wide or hemispherical enough. Basically too pointed. Perhaps the maker was thinking of Edison diamond discs.

I could write to the seller and ask why the point of his stylus doesn't look like this:

The point does look rather strange but he seems knowledgeable no ? Although the contact with the Pathé groove might be a bit odd as it looks pointy

I have one left of the ones I had made if you want to offer £30 which was what they cost you can have it can't get any more made they were always well liked !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254389665538

Point picture here a ball

Mike,

Does it have a sapphire or glass point? If sapphire I'll definitely take it.

Thanks, Jamie

Sapphire of course machined by expert stylus !

On the left, a shank-mounted conical diamond stylus for Edison Diamond Discs; on the right, a shank-mounted ball-sapphire for Pathé and other ‘hill-and-dale’ recordings.