Kaweco Dia Vintage Piston Filler with a Cork Seal?

[reason]

I've never seen this before, but I guess it makes sense that cork seals were used at some point with piston fillers.

I don't know what type of grease was used but it has an unbelievable chemical smell.

Any ideas of what I might replace the cork seal with?




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[KrazyIvan]

Yup, cork was used before rubber piston seals. You use replacement cork in them. Correction after watching the video, silicone grease is needed, but you soak the cork in it. I have a couple of pens with cork piston seals. Here is a video of one being replaced at a pen show. Skip to 5:30 for the cork replacement.: https://youtu.be/6bp8xCm3w8I

[reason]

Thanks for the video! I guess no one has found a good rubber replacement, so a new cork seal it is.


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[Chrissy]

You might also find some Pelikan pens that still have cork seals.

[grainweevil]

fwiw, when I replaced the cork in my Dia, after much research I decided it was worth the effort to soak the completed cork seal in gently heated paraffin wax (bain-marie style - don't heat it directly or you'll be sorry!) Let it dry, and then silicone grease as well.

[reason]

I'll try the wax bath and silicone.

Anyone else run into a strong chemical smell? I'm curious what that's from.

Also, is there a place to buy new cork seals or do you just buy regular cork and cut it to size?


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[dneal]

I'll try the wax bath and silicone.

Anyone else run into a strong chemical smell? I'm curious what that's from.

Also, is there a place to buy new cork seals or do you just buy regular cork and cut it to size?

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I use cork stoppers from the hobby store as source material.

[KrazyIvan]

Thanks for the video! I guess no one has found a good rubber replacement, so a new cork seal it is.


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It's probably not cost effective to make the seals for pens no longer produced and in relatively limited supply. I suppose someone could make one out of an eraser or rubber test tube stopper. Who knows how the vintage barrel would react to the rubber though.

[reason]

Thanks for the video! I guess no one has found a good rubber replacement, so a new cork seal it is.


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It's probably not cost effective to make the seals for pens no longer produced and in relatively limited supply. I suppose someone could make one out of an eraser or rubber test tube stopper. Who knows how the vintage barrel would react to the rubber though.

I wonder how the right size rubber o-ring would do? Although it might just allow for leaks even if you stacked them


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[penwash]

I wonder how the right size rubber o-ring would do? Although it might just allow for leaks even if you stacked them

David Nishimura sells 4 sizes of O-ring that is designed to replace cork.
I restored the IBIS piston filler below using two of these O-rings stacked then apply silicon grease, so far it works great.



I don't know about Kaweco, but Pelikan stopped using cork and started using rubber anyway not long after the production of Pelikan 100 of which the IBIS pen above is an entry level version.

[KKay]

That sure is a beautiful pen. Tell us how it works out for you, and what method you decided on.