What is your latest pen acquisition?

[calamus]

Thank you. I'd heard of heating ebonite, but didn't know that was the treatment of choice for celluloid as well. (The things I don't know about pens would fill a multi-storied library.)

Well, bear in mind that while it is important to warm the barrel, the main point of the heat is to loosen any shellac holding the section in place. If you've got a section that is shellac'd in place and don't heat it, you probably are never going to get it out.

How did you know or come to suspect that shellac was the culprit?

[Jon Szanto]

Thank you. I'd heard of heating ebonite, but didn't know that was the treatment of choice for celluloid as well. (The things I don't know about pens would fill a multi-storied library.)

Well, bear in mind that while it is important to warm the barrel, the main point of the heat is to loosen any shellac holding the section in place. If you've got a section that is shellac'd in place and don't heat it, you probably are never going to get it out.

How did you know or come to suspect that shellac was the culprit?

It is the most common way for makers of that era to hold sections in place, as well as to affix the sac. Threaded sections often also have shellac, though there are some other compounds. For instance, Sheaffer used a compound that included rosin to seal the threads and hold in place the threaded sections on their Vac-fill pens.

The short answer is that you read repair manuals and ask questions of repair people before you hose the pen too badly!

[Deb]

Thank you. I'd heard of heating ebonite, but didn't know that was the treatment of choice for celluloid as well. (The things I don't know about pens would fill a multi-storied library.)

Well, bear in mind that while it is important to warm the barrel, the main point of the heat is to loosen any shellac holding the section in place. If you've got a section that is shellac'd in place and don't heat it, you probably are never going to get it out.

The additional benefits of heating are that it makes the material less brittle and therefore less likely to crack. In addition, you get differential expansion between materials which makes taking them apart easier.

[calamus]

Thank you for the explanation. If you'll allow me ti pick your brains further, I'd like to ask if most repair manuals are available online. I'd imagine some, such as many pre-WWI manuals, can be next to impossible to come by.

[Jon Szanto]

Thank you for the explanation. If you'll allow me ti pick your brains further, I'd like to ask if most repair manuals are available online. I'd imagine some, such as many pre-WWI manuals, can be next to impossible to come by.

There may be a few. I think I've seen Sheaffer and Parker scans at times. I'll speak only for myself: when I refer to "manuals" I am really refering to 3rd party repair books. The two most used by me are the very early "Da Book" (as it is usually referred to) by Frank DuBiel, and the more recent and much more expansive "Pen Repair" by Marshall and Oldfield.

If you have not spent hours, maybe days, looking through all the repair and restoration articles and materials at Richard Binder's site, that is the very best place to start. You could end up repairing a lot of pens just from the knowledge gleaned there. He has collated much, if not all, of that info in a ebooks; I've purchased the first two, the "Glossopedia" and the repair/restoration just to have sitting on my iPad to have handy.

[calamus]

Thank you for the explanation. If you'll allow me ti pick your brains further, I'd like to ask if most repair manuals are available online. I'd imagine some, such as many pre-WWI manuals, can be next to impossible to come by.

There may be a few. I think I've seen Sheaffer and Parker scans at times. I'll speak only for myself: when I refer to "manuals" I am really refering to 3rd party repair books. The two most used by me are the very early "Da Book" (as it is usually referred to) by Frank DuBiel, and the more recent and much more expansive "Pen Repair" by Marshall and Oldfield.

If you have not spent hours, maybe days, looking through all the repair and restoration articles and materials at Richard Binder's site, that is the very best place to start. You could end up repairing a lot of pens just from the knowledge gleaned there. He has collated much, if not all, of that info in a ebooks; I've purchased the first two, the "Glossopedia" and the repair/restoration just to have sitting on my iPad to have handy.

Again, thank you for your information. I have spent a fair bit of time on Richard Binder's website. I wasn't aware of DuBiel or Marshall and Oldfield.
I imagine there are also some good tutorials on Youtube to be found for basic repairs like sac replacement and nib smoothing, as well as the usual misinformed misinformation.
The fantasy is to find a valuable pen in need of repair for very little, and then repair it and end up with screaming good deal, but I'd bet that by the time you factor in the necessary tools and equipment, reference manuals, and your time, it becomes more a matter of doing it for the fun of the challenge than of saving money, unless maybe you make a business of it.

[Jon Szanto]

Again, thank you for your information. I have spent a fair bit of time on Richard Binder's website. I wasn't aware of DuBiel or Marshall and Oldfield. I imagine there are also some good tutorials on Youtube to be found for basic repairs like sac replacement and nib smoothing, as well as the usual misinformed misinformation.

Yes, but... please be very careful and if there is a particular type of repair, find as many vids as you can to make certain you didn't happen to pull up the one that is totally bogus. Always ask if you are unsure. I realize we are in the era of YT for info, but the fact of the matter is that very few pros have vids up, they are mostly amateur repair people and don't have years of knowledge of the many pens out there. I am insterested mostly in vintage, and the devil is in the details.

The fantasy is to find a valuable pen in need of repair for very little, and then repair it and end up with screaming good deal, but I'd bet that by the time you factor in the necessary tools and equipment, reference manuals, and your time, it becomes more a matter of doing it for the fun of the challenge than of saving money, unless maybe you make a business of it.

Yeah, pretty much all of that. The investment in tools on my part is really not all that great, because I haven't set up a shop to do hundreds of pens of all varieties, but mostly just work on my own. Indeed, it is the quiet time, the focus on something small in your hands, the minor triumphs of making something whole and good again... these are things that bring some balance to my life. Frankly, these days it seems more important than ever. I turn off all the distractions for a bit and go back in time. It also reminds me of my late father, who worked on other kinds of little projects.

And, sure, if you keep at it you get some nice return. I spent $56.00 on that Duofold. I would have had to pay quite a bit more from a retailer to get a pen that nice.

[calamus]

Yes, but... please be very careful and if there is a particular type of repair, find as many vids as you can to make certain you didn't happen to pull up the one that is totally bogus. Always ask if you are unsure. I realize we are in the era of YT for info, but the fact of the matter is that very few pros have vids up, they are mostly amateur repair people and don't have years of knowledge of the many pens out there. I am insterested mostly in vintage, and the devil is in the details.

The fantasy is to find a valuable pen in need of repair for very little, and then repair it and end up with screaming good deal, but I'd bet that by the time you factor in the necessary tools and equipment, reference manuals, and your time, it becomes more a matter of doing it for the fun of the challenge than of saving money, unless maybe you make a business of it.

Yeah, pretty much all of that. The investment in tools on my part is really not all that great, because I haven't set up a shop to do hundreds of pens of all varieties, but mostly just work on my own. Indeed, it is the quiet time, the focus on something small in your hands, the minor triumphs of making something whole and good again... these are things that bring some balance to my life. Frankly, these days it seems more important than ever. I turn off all the distractions for a bit and go back in time. It also reminds me of my late father, who worked on other kinds of little projects.

And, sure, if you keep at it you get some nice return. I spent $56.00 on that Duofold. I would have had to pay quite a bit more from a retailer to get a pen that nice.

It sounds like a good way to keep chaos at bay!

[Deb]

Indeed, it is the quiet time, the focus on something small in your hands, the minor triumphs of making something whole and good again... these are things that bring some balance to my life. Frankly, these days it seems more important than ever. I turn off all the distractions for a bit and go back in time. .

That's my experience too.

[EricTheRed]

I purchased a red Platinum President with a fine duo tone 18K nib and it arrived this week. Extremely smooth nib right out of the box. I love this pen...

[azkid]

Treated myself to a Lamy Vista on a trip to Barnes and Noble and am trying out my new Turquoise cartridges.

[ms8109]

IMG_3831.JPGIMG_3833.JPGIMG_3838.JPG

i recently bought this PenBBS Fountain Pen set that includes a Rollerball set-up. The FP, I believe is a Fine and writes like a dream! it comes in a nice plastic box.


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[chalkdust]

I have my first "really nice" pen. After receiving a bonus at work and while visiting my brother in Houston, I purchased a Pineider Great Beauty at Dromgooles. I know the general name for this pen is in Italian, but this is one of a limited edition that I think is exclusive at Dromgooles. So the name on the paperwork with the pen is "Great Beauty." It has features kind of between the current La Grande Bellezza and the previous, original limited edition. The section is entirely smooth like the original. The cap band has the "quick brown fox" sentence, but just barely visible. The finials and clip and cap band are all gold-toned, not silver-toned. The color is called Pacific Blue instead of Lapis Blue, which looks different to me in photos. To go with my new exclusive to Dromgooles pen, I decided o get some exclusive to Dromgooles ink, Noodler's Texas Blue Bonnet. The pen came with a gold broad nib, the older non-quill kind. I asked them to to replace that with a Pineider Fine Quill nib which Mr. Dromgoole did with kindness and grace. The paper work stating that the pen is mine and is #19 of 37 is signed by Dante Delvecchio.

I do not think I could be much happier with a new pen!

[jmccarty3]

A near-mint Pelikan 500NN FP & pencil set arrived this morning.

[Jon Szanto]

From the recent 2018 San Francisco Pen Show (which completely rocked), a Pelikan Souverän M815 Metal Striped. That tag line isn't just marketing: the stripes on the barrel are inlaid pieces of paladium-plated brass, which not only make it a bear to photograph but add a nice heft to the pen, and sparkle like the dickens. This was purchased from Dan Smith, who installed a two-tone nib and then ground a great cursive italic. Very happy with this one!

[amk]

Just found a Waterman Expert in yellow, a pen I've been looking for since forever. I paid a bit more than my usual handful of euros for it ...

[Cob]

Another Mabie Todd, a rare bird this time:
Sample.jpgSF5 Nib.jpg

I understand that Swan 5s are slightly more common in the USA. Thiis is the first one that has passed through my hands.

Rgds

Cob

[jmccarty3]

Just got a NOS yellow Pelikan 910 Toledo for a very good price. It came with a fine nib.

[azkid]

Osmia Supra 72 with oblique nib

[Empty_of_Clouds]

This is my latest pen. Hard to get pictures with a camera phone and desk lamp, so please excuse this failing.





The front part Black Cherry Burl fused with a lavender/blue-ish color shifting holographic resin, and the last part of the handle is turned from Camatillo Rosewood. This is a UniqueOblique (Brian Smith) pen. I haven't had the courage to take it for a test drive, so it is unused.


I don't have any vintage fountain pens to show, because unless someone from outside this country is willing to help I lack confidence to buy anything that is not new from the factory.