Balance barrel transparency
Just got a new (to me) Balance in ebonized pearl with well-preserved serpentine barrel transparency. I know that plenty of these have lost their transparency over the years. Maybe this is a silly question, but do I run the risk of ambering/weakening the barrel transparency by inking the pen? Are there certain inks I should use to preserve the transparency? Thanks.
Re: Balance barrel transparency
You don't mention the filling system but I'm going to assume that it is a plunger-filler that is causing your concern. From what I know, the ambering of the transparent parts of the celluloid have more to do with light exposure and other elemental interactions, not interior staining from inks. That said, there doesn't seem to be any pressing need to have an excessively stain-oriented ink in there. I'd save vibrant and exotic inks for other pens, maybe even cheap Chinese pens. For this, I'd stay safe with Waterman or Sheaffer inks, blues or blacks will probably be the least problematic.Originally Posted by Dinkhart
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Re: Balance barrel transparency
[/QUOTE]You don't mention the filling system but I'm going to assume that it is a plunger-filler that is causing your concern. From what I know, the ambering of the transparent parts of the celluloid have more to do with light exposure and other elemental interactions, not interior staining from inks. That said, there doesn't seem to be any pressing need to have an excessively stain-oriented ink in there. I'd save vibrant and exotic inks for other pens, maybe even cheap Chinese pens. For this, I'd stay safe with Waterman or Sheaffer inks, blues or blacks will probably be the least problematic.[/QUOTE]
Yes, it's a plunger-filler, forgot to mention that. Thanks for your advice. Now I can rest easy giving this one a test write.
Re: Balance barrel transparency
It's not completely known how ink factors into celluloid ambering, so I too would stick with safe inks made by pen companies.
--Daniel
P.S. With Sheaffer, only the plunger fillers have the helical barrel transparency.
“Every discussion which is made from an egoistic standpoint is corrupted from the start and cannot yield an absolutely sure conclusion. The ego puts its own interest first and twists every argument, word, even fact to suit that interest.”
― Paul Brunton, The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Thanks, Daniel, I will always bow to your knowledge. I certainly had been given the impression, if nothing else, that the common wisdom was that the ink was not a major factor. That said, always easier to play it safe. Good to know about the helical stuff, too!
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Remember the lever fillers have a big ink sac and press bar inside that would make transparency pointless anyway. They do have an ink-view window though.
Jon Szanto (May 24th, 2018)
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Well, some do. Mine doesn't. When did it change, or were only certain sizes eligible for the window?
Last edited by FredRydr; May 24th, 2018 at 04:03 PM.
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Don't know the answer to that. Is yours a White Dot (of course caps are about the easiest thing to change)? What is your price code?Well, some do. Mine doesn't. When did it change, or were only certain sizes eligible for the window?
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Mine is a white dot oversize with no code. It bears a slightly humped clip and flat ball making it ca. 1935. Oh, and no ink window.
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Interesting. Somewhat limited sample size but so far every OS Balance I've seen or owned had an ink window. So yet another wonderful mystery.
You do know that there was an office on the third floor near the tracks whose sole purpose was thinking up things that would leave us scratching our heads today. Sheaffer called it "Fun & Giggles".
Re: Balance barrel transparency
I just checked. Out of 3 OS/WD Balances I own, precisely zero of them has an ink window.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Re: Balance barrel transparency
One of my OS Balances:
Re: Balance barrel transparency
Ink window, one half of the "Visulated" feature set, starts in 1936.
--Daniel
“Every discussion which is made from an egoistic standpoint is corrupted from the start and cannot yield an absolutely sure conclusion. The ego puts its own interest first and twists every argument, word, even fact to suit that interest.”
― Paul Brunton, The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
Re: Balance barrel transparency
What's the other half?
Re: Balance barrel transparency
The insulated nature of the reservoir--in other words, the fact that there's a sac within the barrel providing some insulation from exterior temperature changes (I know, don't all pens with a sac have that? Yes.).What's the other half?
Visible ink supply + insulated reservoir = Visulated. Note that this means it's not strictly correct to refer to these pens having Visulated sections. The pen as a whole is Visulated; the section is just transparent.
--Daniel
“Every discussion which is made from an egoistic standpoint is corrupted from the start and cannot yield an absolutely sure conclusion. The ego puts its own interest first and twists every argument, word, even fact to suit that interest.”
― Paul Brunton, The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
Ahriman4891 (June 7th, 2018), FredRydr (May 31st, 2018), popcod (June 6th, 2018)
Re: Balance barrel transparency
I learn something new, every day. Thanks, Daniel.
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