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View Full Version : What percentage of pens in you Collection work?



fountainpenkid
June 19th, 2012, 08:48 PM
I've been having bad luck recently. One by one, probelms have arisen with my pens.Now only 1 of my 5 pens works :( (I should say that all of them are made before 1950.) What percentage of your collection is in working order?


Will

FP_GaF
June 19th, 2012, 11:34 PM
That is really bad luck! An 80% break-down, my word.

Fortunately, the pens in my collection have been more kind to me. Now, half of my pens are contemporary so I don't expect them to cause much trouble (but you never know).

The other half is of varying age but at least some three or four decades old. They are mostly in good shape. I have spent quite some time over the last few months, though, working on each one of them, cleaning the feed and nib, tuning the nib, polishing the barrel etc.

I guess it's like collecting old cars or clocks, they need constant attention. But it is a very enjoyable occupation. Well, for me at least.

Having said that, all efforts in the world cannot prevent a series of unfortunate events. I hope your strain of bad luck is over now.

lovemy51
June 20th, 2012, 12:15 AM
between 90 and 95%. the ones that don't work i have for parts (nibs, feeds, converters, etc), and those are all chinese and vintage third tier.

etoyoc
June 20th, 2012, 06:42 AM
I have some part pens as well... but other than that they all work. They may not work well mind you, but they work.

goldiesdad
June 20th, 2012, 07:18 AM
All mine work or I get them rehab .... I have two getting rehabed right now ...

mhguda
June 20th, 2012, 09:38 AM
I think I have one (a cheap MB lookalike) where the feed actually broke in two and I haven't thrown it out yet. And two Sheaffer school pens without section and nib - just the barrel and cap. Kept for just in case. All the rest (and I've lost count, it must be close to a hundred) work. That's what I want them for.

jfsisler
June 20th, 2012, 10:00 AM
6 of 8 of mine work. I have to get a crack repaired in one and figure out a leak issue in the other and then I'll be at 100% capacity.

KrazyIvan
June 20th, 2012, 10:05 AM
100% of my pens work.

ianmedium
June 20th, 2012, 09:54 PM
Like Ivan 100% of mine work.

Bogon07
June 20th, 2012, 10:15 PM
all mine work too. Fingers crossed.

snedwos
June 20th, 2012, 11:48 PM
I have one pen I haven-t thrown out yet that is useless, since the threads on the section have worn through and won't screw into the barrel. The nib is weird shaped, so no reusing it somewhere else. I also have an Inoxcrom something-or-other with a perfectly functional nib (have used it as a dip pen) which just won't write when I put it in the pen. There must be something terribly wrong with the feed. And my Baoer is volatile. It is beautiful when it decides to work, but sometimes there is no starting it. At all. Ther rest of my pens are AOK

melissa59
June 21st, 2012, 12:55 AM
I voted but my vote shouldn't count since most of my pens are less than two months old and the pen(s) I spent the most money on were my two Lamy Safaris.

I'm curious, FPK, do you know what is wrong with each pen and have you checked into what it would cost to have them repaired?
If you get an allowance, maybe you could save up to get one repaired. Or maybe just tuck them away for a bit and buy a Lamy Safari ($28 plus postage, including a free converter at isellpens.com) until you can afford the repairs. The Safaris aren't classy vintage, but both of mine write nicely.

manoeuver
June 21st, 2012, 02:24 PM
I got five broken pens in the mail yesterday. My ratio just got skewed. Only one of them seems irreparable. Two of them are very attractive, hopefully new sacs will have them writing like pens.

14K nibs on maybe 4 of them. these represent the entirety of my retirement savings.

KrazyIvan
June 21st, 2012, 02:37 PM
D'0h!

manoeuver
June 21st, 2012, 04:54 PM
D'0h!I didn't expect them to work. One of the lot is a sheaffer cartridge pen that I flushed and inked but haven't tried yet.

fountainpenkid
June 21st, 2012, 08:45 PM
I voted but my vote shouldn't count since most of my pens are less than two months old and the pen(s) I spent the most money on were my two Lamy Safaris.

I'm curious, FPK, do you know what is wrong with each pen and have you checked into what it would cost to have them repaired?
If you get an allowance, maybe you could save up to get one repaired. Or maybe just tuck them away for a bit and buy a Lamy Safari ($28 plus postage, including a free converter at isellpens.com) until you can afford the repairs. The Safaris aren't classy vintage, but both of mine write nicely.

I know exactly what is wrong with them. The DJ Silver vac has a broken tip, the other Vacumatic has a broken diaphram (after a mere 4 months of use--professionally restored, too), the Aurora 88 needs a clutch ring (It is on the way!), and the Duofold needs a new sac. I will get them fixed, but right now I want my m400 torty ;)