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snedwos
October 6th, 2012, 07:40 AM
I have seen repairers offer a service whereby they re-blacken faded and oxidised ebonite on vintage pens. Is this purely a cosmetic repair, or does it confer any actual benefits to the condition of the pen? I have just bid on (and am unlikely to win) a 20's Waterman 52 which is quite brown, and I quite like the effect. Is the restoring of the colour something I should do, or only an aesthetic consideration?

jar
October 6th, 2012, 08:01 AM
To blacken or not to blacken, that is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler ...

There are two main ways to reblacken hard rubber, buff the oxidized layer off or use chemicals to dye the layer. And, as with silver, brass and copper patina there are two camps, the leave it alone camp and the make it purty camp.

It's totally up to you which way you go.

snedwos
October 6th, 2012, 08:12 AM
In that case I'd leave it: the oxidation seems to have acted more on some parts of the chased pattern than others, giving a stripy effect that is purty. I jst wanted to know if reducing the oxide back to black would make the pen stronger.

fountainpenkid
October 14th, 2012, 11:39 AM
this is the topic to see: http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3514-re-blacken-vintage-pens/page__st__100