Lever bar scratches and gouges

[Linkinyeah]

Recently sent this Wasp Clipper off to be repaired. When I received it back, nothing had been done to the bar. What can I do to try and make it look better? Removing it is not a option. I assume that if I try rubbing it with something abrasive it would change the the color or remove plating. I am not sure what metal it is. Thanks for the help.

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[Sagebrush64]

That's a pretty Screaming Souls of Purgatory WASP...shame about the lever.
Some pen repair folks can replate pen furniture like that....I'm not sure if they would need to remove it first, but I've had several clips replated and they look pretty good. Sherrell and Sam over at Ink-Pen do a nice job although they are pretty busy and turnaround can be kinda long.

[Linkinyeah]

Thanks for the info on ink-pen. I was hoping to try a fix myself.

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[Hawk]

Look on line. I have seen plating kits. It may be cheaper to have someone else doing it.

[Linkinyeah]

So you don't think I can smooth out the scratches without ruining the lever?

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[Deb]

You'll just take it back to the base metal.

[Jon Szanto]

You'll just take it back to the base metal.

That's it right there. These were not high-end pens, and the plating on the underlying metal is very thin. If you think you could polish that lever down until the surface is smooth, you are not understanding that all of the plating would be taken off with the abrasive polishing. You can probably shine it up a little bit, but you can't miraculously get those gouges out. The best you could do would be to find a replacement lever that is in better condition... which probably wouldn't be too easy to do.

It's a vintage pen and has had a colorful life. Let the wrinkles show!

[Linkinyeah]

Okay, these comments confirm my thoughts. I will just try cleaning it up and polishing it and hope it looks better.

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[PaulS]

quote .......................... "It's a vintage pen and has had a colorful life. Let the wrinkles show!" Couldn't agree more, but that's a personal comment from just two people, and there are folk who would die before owning a pen in that condition - you just have to decide which camp you're in. I think it looks o.k. - it's distressing, but in an agreeable manner.

Decent plating machines aren't cheap - you could probably buy a couple of mint condition examples of this pen for what one might cost - however, do believe that items of furniture that are difficult to remove can be plated whilst remaining on the barrel/cap - think I read that in the Marshall & Oldfield 'Repair Manual' - and professional re-plating would also be less expensive.
You can just see the very small retaining pin that hold the lever in place.

[ac12]

The problem with any polishing is that you will wear into the metal. And those are some rather deep scratches. By the time you polish it smooth, you may have removed half the thickness or more of the lever, making the lever weaker.

If you could get the lever out, and burnish the lever, you might get some of the scratches to be less obvious, and NOT remove metal.

There are some things that are better left 'as is,' as the fix could be worse.
Or you replace the lever with a lever in better condition.

[Farmboy]

That's a pretty Screaming Souls of Purgatory WASP...shame about the lever.
Some pen repair folks can replate pen furniture like that....I'm not sure if they would need to remove it first, but I've had several clips replated and they look pretty good. Sherrell and Sam over at Ink-Pen do a nice job although they are pretty busy and turnaround can be kinda long.

Sherrell and Joel. Sam and Frank. Martin and Lewis. Gin and Tonic. Etc

[Linkinyeah]

Just wanted to share some pictures of the finished product. I spent some time on the lever and I have managed to get it to look a lot better, but the scratches are still there. I polished the rest of the pen and I am quite pleased with how the pen looks. I still can't believe I found this pen in a bin full of other pencil and pens at a flea market, and it still had its original nib. With the sac replaced now I am stuck with the dilemma of deciding if I should keep it myself or sell it. Are Wasp clippers with this souls in purgatory pattern valuable?

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[FredRydr]

[QUOTE=Jon Szanto;213749]

It's a vintage pen and has had a colorful life. Let the wrinkles show!

They're not particularly valuable, but with a pen like this, you never know when a collector is seeking a specific pattern and color to complete a collection. In other words, you put a price on it and wait and see. Otherwise, look at past sales (e.g., eBay SOLD listings) and set the price accordingly.

Fred

[PaulS]

all rather academic now, but looking back at the first post, you don't say whether you had asked for the lever to be revitalized, or not. Your comment that "nothing had been done" - implies possibly that you had expected that it would received some attention, perhaps. You might ask the person who did, presumably, some work on your pen if they are able to re-plate, although the answer may well be negative. Removing levers can be time consuming, and always the potential that something will get broken.
Sorry, can't help remotely with a value, and would agree that scanning past sales on the Bay will probably give as good an idea as anything. Regret your most recent pix not sufficiently sharp to see the improvement you speak of, and forgive my complete ignorance, but what is the approximate date of manufacture of this pen - somewhere in the 1940s?

[Linkinyeah]

all rather academic now, but looking back at the first post, you don't say whether you had asked for the lever to be revitalized, or not. Your comment that "nothing had been done" - implies possibly that you had expected that it would received some attention, perhaps. You might ask the person who did, presumably, some work on your pen if they are able to re-plate, although the answer may well be negative. Removing levers can be time consuming, and always the potential that something will get broken.
Sorry, can't help remotely with a value, and would agree that scanning past sales on the Bay will probably give as good an idea as anything. Regret your most recent pix not sufficiently sharp to see the improvement you speak of, and forgive my complete ignorance, but what is the approximate date of manufacture of this pen - somewhere in the 1940s?

Unfortunately when I upload pictures from my phone, the photos get downsized. I did ask the repairman to look at the lever, but he sent it back as it was and made no comments about it. I am not quite sure why, but I don't want to rock the boat because his prices are good. Looks like they were manufactured between 1936 and 40.

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[PaulS]

thanks - would agree this one does look to be c. 1940 ish.

I can well understand the repairer's disinclination to tinker with the lever - it certainly won't detract from the pen's interest and ability to function as intended.

[Jon Szanto]

I did ask the repairman to look at the lever, but he sent it back as it was and made no comments about it. I am not quite sure why, but I don't want to rock the boat because his prices are good.

As you have seen in this thread, you should know by now that there was nothing the repair person could have done. The only reasonable 'fix' (as it isn't broken) would be a leve replacement. Given the age and rarity of the piece, just how likely do you think sourcing a lever bar in better condition would be? And even if they chose to replate it (which would cost more than the pen probably did) you would still have marring on the surface of the lever. Since you mention "his prices are good" you are looking for a bargain, and all of the above tinkering would have cost more money.

It was, and is, unrealistic to make that lever look brand new with the constraints of the project (age, budget, etc). The more you deal with vintage pens, the more you'll know this in advance.

[Sagebrush64]

As we are on the subject of WASP's, I thought I'd share a few of my own. I recently picked up the green "screaming souls of purgatory" at a pen show for $35, turned around and the table behind him was selling the same pen for $300. Sometimes value is in the eyes of the beholder.

[Linkinyeah]

As we are on the subject of WASP's, I thought I'd share a few of my own. I recently picked up the green "screaming souls of purgatory" at a pen show for $35, turned around and the table behind him was selling the same pen for $300. Sometimes value is in the eyes of the beholder.

Interesting collection. I noticed the screaming souls you have in green, like mine, doesn't have the distinct black bands on the top and bottom, as the one I have does. Do you know if this was unusual, or just different variations? I wonder if one designates an earlier model?

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[Jon Szanto]

Do you know if this was unusual, or just different variations? I wonder if one designates an earlier model?

The bold section answers the first question. To the latter, you'll need to do some research into old catalogues and possibly collectors of even more completism. WASP wasn't a huge line, as it was a lower-tier 'sub-brand' for Sheaffer, but they did show variety to make newer pens attractive to customers.