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Jonathan
July 29th, 2013, 09:27 PM
Folks --

The "Majestic" flat-top you see in the photo is a third-tier pen and quite inexpensive, but its color has stayed perfect since ~1920, and I'd like to treat it properly. (I think of it as a "poor man's Duofold Mandarin: :-)

The original sac is the rather grotesquely biological-looking object at the bottom of the photo. As you can see, it's mummified itself in an odd cigar-wrapper-like membrane -- the ink inside is still glossy black -- and has stayed somewhat flexible. Do you think the pen owes its perfect color to the way the sac happened to deteriorate? Would I be pushing my luck if I were to install a standard sac? If I did so, how long could I leave it in the pen before I'd have to initiate an obsessive schedule of checks for discoloration? Or should I order one of the silicone ones to be on the safe side?

Thanks,

Jonathan

4251

earthdawn
July 29th, 2013, 09:55 PM
I have no help to offer... sorry..

BUT thats a really nice pen!

What nib is on it ?

gweddig
July 29th, 2013, 10:39 PM
Well I don't think it would hurt to put a silicone sac in it, you can get them here (http://www.vintagepens.com/catill_nibs_parts.shtml#sacs). Read what David has to say about the silicone sacs (http://vintagepensblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/silicone-ink-sacs-additional-notes.html) and some cautions about them.

--greg

Annie
July 29th, 2013, 11:42 PM
Pretty pen. I have a few silicone sacs knocking about. If you let me know what size you need, I'll see if I have one.

Jonathan
July 30th, 2013, 08:35 AM
Thanks all. I'll hit the links, and make sure I get the right thing. BTW I misspoke the brand name -- it's a "Jefferson." I had been working with a "Majestic" earlier -- looks nearly identical identical, but it's BHR :-)

@Earthdawn -- it's got a warranted 14k nib, stamped #8 but doesn't really look that big. Tip is medium, full flex..

4257

jjdeal
July 30th, 2013, 08:44 AM
Hmmm, that nib looks LOTS wider than a medium!! Italic 1.5+ mm???

Jonathan
July 30th, 2013, 01:46 PM
@jjdeal...it's a quirky photo. The shadow of the nib against the table makes it look lots wider than it is.

AltecGreen
July 31st, 2013, 08:42 AM
Pretty pen. I have a few silicone sacs knocking about. If you let me know what size you need, I'll see if I have one.

If your silicone sacs were not made by David Nishimura, then there is a good chance the sac is not actually silicone. See gweddig's links above for the story.

David is making real silicone sacs. The only size available earlier in the year was a #18. I think David just got in four other sizes.