This Sheaffer is worth restoring "by the book"

[penwash]

I've been looking for the Sheaffer with the abalone / pearl material. When a vac-filler version is offered as unrestored, I snagged it.

I can't believe how beautiful this material is until I have it in my hands. How can a material with embedded abalone / pearl pieces can be simultaneously be clear enough to see through? Amazing.

(To Jon, if you're reading this, this is the pen that I think is worthy to be restored "by the book" :) )

Eagerly disassembling the pen, I found out that the metal rod plunger is ... I don't know how to describe it, it looks as if it has been super heated until the metal is peeling in places and there is this swollen bump in the middle of the length. What on earth has been done to this rod? Yet the barrel is crystal clear and the rest of the pen looks so clean. Can ink possibly done something like this chemically?

So I had to rummage in my parts bin looking for a donor pen that has the same rod length. A Tucky's rod is too short, the other balances I have are too long, until I get to the last Sheaffer, a larger barrel vac-filler whose nib removal had gone wrong. The length of the rod is perfect.

I installed the rubber ring "vacuum builder" at the end of the rod (TIP: Get these in an assorted sizes pack from David Nishimura).

Then I found the cork packing material I bought from Victor Chen long time ago to replace the one inside the barrel... which unfortunately is too big for this pen's barrel. Okay, so I pull out my sheet of 200 grit sanding paper and start to work to whittle down the diameter of the already tiny round cork packing.

After many tries, the cork is now snug enough to fit in the barrel, so in it went after I dealt with the old one.

Putting some silicon grease on the metal rod (thanks for the tip, Stefan of Grandmia Pens), I managed to get the rod through the new packing assembly and the rubber ring glides effortlessly up and down the barrel with that satisfying "flub" when it reached the bottom part.

Now moment of truth, water test. To see the vac-filler at work, I shine a strong light behind the pen and the water container. Through the clear barrel I can see the plunger going down, I heard air bubbles, then the rubber ring flipped, and I saw water rushing in so quickly and fill the barrel. Success!

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5491/30129578833_1d3b3a7034_c.jpg

NOTE: Now, it's not like this is the first time I've restored a vac-filler, but still, this is what makes vintage pens so satisfying to work on, there is never a guarantee that one restoration would go as well as the previous ones.

Hopefully this is useful for future reference.

[Jon Szanto]

The term you are looking for, and what Sheaffer called this material, is "Ebonized Pearl".

As to the rod, one possibility is referenced in the following. I had an unusual one of these that turned up, with the barrel especially transparent (I'm assuming this is similar/identical to yours). An interesting feature is a spiral pattern in the middle/transparent portion of the barrel. Anyway, the filler rod was mostly seized up, and seemed... coated. I contacted Gerry Berg, who will do the restoration on this pen, and he had the following to say:

"You have an early version of the ebonized pearl Balance. Gaskets and packing unit aren't a problem; they are standard. What is more problematic is the plastic covered iron rod which tends to rust and leave a mucky mess in the barrel and feed."

So, yeah. Maybe that was your situation, as well.

And I do love this material. My OS set in EP may be my prized possession.

[amk]

Plastic covered iron? That explains it! I have a Sheaffer with exactly the same problem.

Lovely restoration work. Lovely pen, too.

[jar]

I call it Splendor in the Grass.

http://www.fototime.com/C0F3328C3304E0C/medium800.jpg

[penwash]

The term you are looking for, and what Sheaffer called this material, is "Ebonized Pearl".

As to the rod, one possibility is referenced in the following. I had an unusual one of these that turned up, with the barrel especially transparent (I'm assuming this is similar/identical to yours). An interesting feature is a spiral pattern in the middle/transparent portion of the barrel. Anyway, the filler rod was mostly seized up, and seemed... coated. I contacted Gerry Berg, who will do the restoration on this pen, and he had the following to say:

"You have an early version of the ebonized pearl Balance. Gaskets and packing unit aren't a problem; they are standard. What is more problematic is the plastic covered iron rod which tends to rust and leave a mucky mess in the barrel and feed."

So, yeah. Maybe that was your situation, as well.

And I do love this material. My OS set in EP may be my prized possession.

Thank you, thank you!
That perfectly explain that rod. For completeness sake, here's a picture of the messed up rod. This picture should help others that are as baffled as I did when they discover a hideously-mangled rod inside a perfectly good pen.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5346/30140783174_9bc7a2f8ea_c.jpg

[Jon Szanto]

Here's a fun photo for reference of one of mine:

http://i.imgur.com/9bkn5VO.jpg

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Interesting material. Not my kind of thing but lovely nonetheless.

I am looking - though quickly losing the will to do so - for a specific Sheaffer model. I don't collect pens, in fact I have very few pens at all, but this model is one that I would like to have.

Unfortunately, despite attempting to curry favour in various quarters, up to and including putting myself at a financial disadvantage by giving away perfectly decent pens, I have been without any kind of success in even securing a solid contact.


Any suggestions before I close the book on this?

[kirchh]

Knowing which model would probably help.

--Daniel

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I'm reluctant to say which model on an open channel. I was hoping - against all expectations and in light of previous experience - that there may be someone who has the requisite contacts whereby I could begin a private conversation. The pen I am looking for is not very rare, just not coming up on eBay (my only resource) very often.

Edit to add: eBay is problematic because a lot of sellers have no idea what model they are selling, meaning I have to trawl through many hundreds of listings. On top of this, most of the time I would be dealing with people of questionable pedigree (pen-wise) and I would prefer to pay extra and deal with someone of known standing.

[kirchh]

I might have -- or be -- the requisite contact. Feel free to PM.

--Daniel