Maintaining Silver Pens

[sjssf]

I am deep in a romance with my 2 Yard-o-Leds. DEEP!
I've been polishing them with a blue cloth for silver tarnish removing. One I cleaned with Wright's Silver Cream, which is very gentle and I use it for a lot of the silver I have. It seems in reading the pen forums that the cloth and cream are discouraged.
Is there a reason?
The cloth rubbing is very gentle and actually relaxing while I'm driving, although I may look like a perv to passing cars.
The cream is more of a pain but I do make sure it all stays on the outside.
Is there any problem with these? I like a slight tarnished patina, especially with the Victorian pattern, but it and the barleycorn look almost liquid when they're completely tarnish free.
Any advice is appeciated.

[Robert]

I found this on the Yard-o-Led website:

"Our writing instruments are not treated with finishing lacquers but left in a natural state which gives them their unique lustre
After a time, or if your pen is not in regular use, it can tarnish or lose its original shine. A polish with a soft jeweller’s cloth or a general silver polish will regain it sparkle."

[Jon Szanto]

I tend to not use any polish, *especially* in the case where there is any chasing/pattern, as there is no amount of care that can prevent the material from getting in the grooves and then you really can't get it out very well. I simply use a soft cloth - I have a whole bunch of the clothes that come with new eyeglasses - and I do it every so often to restore any shine on those pens that I want to shine.

The only time I have used polish on silver/gold pens is when I have gotten a very old vintage and it has too much surface dirt/patina to come clean with a cloth only. And I also am not counting pens that I consider the patina a part of the actual look, such as intricate overlay pens.

[Farmboy]

Where might you reside in Northern California? We could demonstrate the appeal of Vintage pens of the brands you identify as well as US manufacturers. We could connect you with the freaks in the SF Bay area that meet almost every weekend and sometimes meet multiple times in a week--to discuss pens.

As to the polish compound--it tends to find a way to get into place you can't remove it. It will hide under clips, in the grooves between parts any recesses in the engraving and it will find its way into the mechanism. I've removed compound from some rather strange places leaving wondering what was this pen used for...

[Fermata]

Perhaps its just me but there is often a confusion between polish and wax, especially how the words are used and that each can be a verb or a noun.

To Polish is to abrade the surface, to make the surface reflect light to a greater extent. Think of the polished aluminum on a motorcycle engine for example.

To Wax is to apply a coating over paint, plastic or metal for protection or to produce a shine.



Silver and gold plating on pens is very thin, I have worn through the plate on pens in the paste due to polishing with some form of compound, it ruined the pen.

A very soft cloth such as used for eyeglasses or jewelry, even the Sunshine Polish Cloths, is all that is needed as a rule, if the pen is dirty or has finger prints a light spray of a high wax spray furniture polish, Pledge or Beewswax, should be all that is needed. These wax sprays work very well on polished granite kitchen work tops also.

[Chrissy]

I only ever use silver cloths on my silver pens and even then I ensure the cloth never goes anywhere near the silver hallmarks that can easily disappear with over polishing.

[FredRydr]

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/stuff/sunshine.jpg

[sjssf]

I used Wright's (https://www.amazon.com/Wrights-Silver-Cleaner-Polish-Cream/dp/B00UXJY95U/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2ITuBRDkARIsAMK9Q7Mj RU1ywdc7ypcdv1r_V1LsFEJzG1qjXecThRV8T6j87EHDLAzaKU waAqsiEALw_wcB&hvadid=153737545672&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9032022&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4315501511334483137&hvtargid=kwd-3151490490&hydadcr=1638_9515723&keywords=wright%27s+silver+cream&qid=1572990715&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzR0ZFT0RNWjhONEJSJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDU2Mzc0UzhDTTdIOU1FNk9aJmVuY3J 5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MTg2NjFGNEVaSEFQV1E5VFEmd2lkZ2V0T mFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3R Mb2dDbGljaz10cnVl)which removes the tarnish and polishes. It's not a wax in any sense.

There's also Tarn-x, which is handy for very badly tarnished silveware but it seems to strip the metal in too aggresive a manner. I don't like it.

But i will now just use my silver cloth occasionally and avoid the hallmarks, based on this thread. Thank you!

50512

50513

[sjssf]

Where might you reside in Northern California? We could demonstrate the appeal of Vintage pens of the brands you identify as well as US manufacturers. We could connect you with the freaks in the SF Bay area that meet almost every weekend and sometimes meet multiple times in a week--to discuss pens.

I'm in Napa, north bay.

[Jon Szanto]

I'm figuring a carpool with JP at this point...

[AzJon]

This is from the vintage jewelry world I'm around: polish, but only high points. That is to say, get a Sunshine Cloth or a Klean Karats polishing cloth. All you want to do is buff over the pen to preserve the patina, but bring out the high points. Often, those high points are considered by the maker and the natural place where rubbing will occur and provide contrast. I'll try to take a picture of what I'm talking about.

A lot of the old Natives I know just use a toothbrush and some toothpaste to clean things up.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Toothpaste is still an abrasive though, so care should be taken in delicate areas.

[AzJon]

Here we go:

https://i.imgur.com/nI1KVjD.jpg

You can see the natural high points that are meant to end up pretty shiny in contrast to the dark bits.

https://i.imgur.com/pizAWWu.jpg

You can see a very similar motif here where there are a few accents that assumed to have rub and wear that maintain the patina, but allow shiny high points.

@EoC: Indeed it is, but like I said, there are a lot of folks in my part of the world that use it to clean their jewelry. Usually its reserved to remove severe tarnish vs a little oxidation.

[Chrissy]

On several antiques TV shows that I've watched, high points on silver items have had holes worn right through them from over or aggressive polishing. It depends on the thickness of the silver to start with.

[Mark Dillon]

Based on feedback I’ve been given on cleaning of pens I believe collectors prefer to buy pens that are original and allowed to tarnish.

As a collector of other things I understand the preference to get items as close to original as possible.

But if I don’t plan on selling the item I want to do what I feel is best to fully enjoy the item. I don’t want to be worried about what a future person may or may not want done.

[AzJon]

I would add the caveat that this is to be done on solid silver only. Pen bodies are generally thick enough to not be of concern for wear through. Again, use a Klean Karats cloth at most and you’ll be fine.

Of course, frequency is an issue as well. You really don’t need to polish more than a few times a year, if that. I give all of my jewelry (silver, gold, or otherwise) a light buffing about once a year if it’s looking dull. Otherwise it’s left alone.

[sjssf]

As to the polish compound--it tends to find a way to get into place you can't remove it. It will hide under clips, in the grooves between parts any recesses in the engraving and it will find its way into the mechanism. I've removed compound from some rather strange places leaving wondering what was this pen used for...

This is what makes me stop in my tracks. Even though I've been careful, this makes too much sense.
So no more Wrights Cream.
This is the cloth I've been using. As I said, even a clean looking pen will leave lots of tarnish. Much more than with the other silver I have. I can live with it and I'll be careful.
Thanks for all of this.

50517

[Chrissy]

That's the one my friend who is a jeweller uses and she's an expert. :thumb:

[Bob]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191111/7064342747a342fa81a276c23c15815c.jpg
I have some silver polishing cloths that I get from a local jeweler. They have an oily feel. The only pen I have with silver is the Visconti blue Divina. These cloths are great on cleaning up tarnished steal, as well.

[Jon Szanto]

These cloths are great on cleaning up tarnished steal, as well.

Is that, uh, like a robbery that didn't go so well?

:D

[Blue Note]

:)
I am deep in a romance with my 2 Yard-o-Leds. DEEP!
I've been polishing them with a blue cloth for silver tarnish removing. One I cleaned with Wright's Silver Cream, which is very gentle and I use it for a lot of the silver I have. It seems in reading the pen forums that the cloth and cream are discouraged.
Is there a reason?
The cloth rubbing is very gentle and actually relaxing while I'm driving, although I may look like a perv to passing cars.
The cream is more of a pain but I do make sure it all stays on the outside.
Is there any problem with these? I like a slight tarnished patina, especially with the Victorian pattern, but it and the barleycorn look almost liquid when they're completely tarnish free.
Any advice is appeciated.
That's a whole new type of distracted driving, sjssf.:nono::)