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Thread: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

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    Default Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    I just got a Pilot Custom that is from 1977. The nib looks clean on the outside, but it won't draw ink continuously. It's been submerged for the past 3 evenings, but it won't write from a cartridge or a Con-20 for more than a few strokes. I'm not a repair person and have seen scant information about how to disassemble and troubleshoot.

    Does any know of a reputable repairperson that could take a look, and hopefully fix this? I'm in NYC. I don't mind shipping it.

    Thanks in advance.

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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    There may be a couple of other things you could try. Maybe an ear bulb flushing with warm water and a drop of "dish soap."

    Or a soak in a proprietary Pen Flush. Pilot do their own pen flush that comes in sachets that you mix with water, but there are plenty of other brands available.

    Hopefully someone will come along who can repair Pilot Custom pens from this era. I don't know how that nib unit disassembles or even if it does.
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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    Thanks for your suggestions Chrissy. I didn't try the dish soap, as I have heard to "only use Dawn" of a specific type, which we don't have in the house. We're an Ajax family! I've done repeated flushes with a bulb syringe, and nothing has changed.


    Amazingly enough, when the section has water in it, the water drains immediately through the nib! In seconds! I'm not sure what to make of that. At the moment it's been sitting in an inch of water. This is the 3rd evening that I have let it sit in that manner, but it's still not drawing ink from a cartridge or converter.

    I'll look into a pen flush on Amazon as the local stores are shut. Thanks for the suggestions!

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    Senior Member Wile E Coyote's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    You can try Koh-I-Noor Rapido-Eze. I've been using it in technical pens that were clogged with dried india ink and in past experience has proven safe and effective for fountain pens. You also can try Rapido-Eze in an ultrasonic cleaner. A word of caution though, if this is the model I'm thinking it is, you will not want the highest power U/S cleaner nor extended time in any U/S cleaner, as the nib has glue/sealant that may loosen under intense U/S cleaning.

    If that doesn't work, it's time to seek professional help.

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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    {{ Edited out part a out detergent. See Ron Z comment below }}

    At this stage I also would use a pen flush/cleaning fluid on the pen as suggested above.

    It could be clogged with India ink which won't dissolve in water and which could cause all sorts of issues with ink and air flow.

    Pen cleaning fluid like Rapido-eze or others will dissolve India ink, however.

    And an ultrasonic cleaner, if you have one, will make sure to clean out all the ink channels and nooks and crannies.
    Last edited by azkid; June 3rd, 2020 at 05:24 PM.

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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    Thank you for your suggestions. The Rapido-eze will arrive on Monday.

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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    SendaiNY,

    - Rapido-eze is great, but more expensive to use for more han a coule pens. Certainly not for routine flushing. That's judging from my shaky memory of having used it about ten years ago)

    - Rather than buying a $10 or $15 bottle of someone's brand of Pen Flush, get a bottle of Ammonia. It is easy to find in NYC in huge and inexpensive bottles. Pen flush is about a 1:10 mix of ammonia and water, so you can make hundreds of bottles of your own pen flush. The branded flushes usually have added small amount of "surfectants". They make ink wetter, but for cleaning out a pen -- feed and nib -- you won't need them.

    - Original Blue Dawn is available in grocery stores in NYC. I avoid any variety of Dawn that has added bits of something to make Dawn smell sweeter. Dawn is good for a first crack at cleaning out ink.

    - Josh Lax is President of Big Apple Pen Club (BAPC), a lawyer, and a master nib-smith. His website is: https://www.jjlaxpenco.com/ Josh has tuned several of my pens, and revived a pen that fell nib-down onto the floor, leaving the nib splayed out like a ballerina doing a split. It now writes better than ever.

    - Join BAPC for the next level of advice about everything related to fountain pens. We also enable each other, and several people restore and sell pens. The May meeting was held over Zoom, and so will the June meeting, most likely. Meetings gather at Bard Hall, a residence hall for people in NYC connected to Bard College, on the second Thursday of each month. Bard Hall is just west of Columbus Circle. (Zoom meetings likely until Bard says it is ready top have people meet in its residence hall.

    - There are many pen repair people in the US. Ron Zorn, who often posts here, is the master, but there are so many that I can't name them for fear of neglecting someone really good. If the various cleaning suggestions don't work, maybe have someone like Josh check the nib. If it's not a nib issue, then...

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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    Thanks Welch for the great resources.

    I've gotten the pen writing, but I feel it could probably use a thorough cleansing. A couple of nights in the Rapido-eze must have done something correctly. I might spring for a $30 ultrasonic on Amazon, as the original seller ended up refunding my money. So this is turning out to be win-win.

    I believe I met Josh @ the last Philly Pen show, which was my first in attendance. I also met someone at the show who chatted me up about the BAPC, but their online presence is scant. I know about the Bard Hall meetings, and hopefully will be able to join the next one on Zoom. Is it possible to get on their mailing list? I unfortunately find out about the meetings after the fact.

    Getting back to Josh, we had been in contact early this year, after meeting @ the Philly show. He adjusted the nib on a Parker 51 while at the show and I was excited to have him look @ a couple of other pens. We emailed a few times back and forth, and then the COVID19 shutdown hit. I'll look into getting back in contact with him and see if he can full clean this pen, in addition to a couple of other writers.

    Again, I appreciate you taking the time to share resources with me. I look forward to meeting you @ the next BAPG meeting.

    If you're in the city at this writing, stay safe. NYC has been a bit challenging over the past few days, in addition to the craziness over the past few months.

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    Senior Member Wile E Coyote's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    Quote Originally Posted by SendaiNY View Post
    Thanks Welch for the great resources.

    I've gotten the pen writing, but I feel it could probably use a thorough cleansing. A couple of nights in the Rapido-eze must have done something correctly. I might spring for a $30 ultrasonic on Amazon, as the original seller ended up refunding my money. So this is turning out to be win-win.

    I believe I met Josh @ the last Philly Pen show, which was my first in attendance. I also met someone at the show who chatted me up about the BAPC, but their online presence is scant. I know about the Bard Hall meetings, and hopefully will be able to join the next one on Zoom. Is it possible to get on their mailing list? I unfortunately find out about the meetings after the fact.

    Getting back to Josh, we had been in contact early this year, after meeting @ the Philly show. He adjusted the nib on a Parker 51 while at the show and I was excited to have him look @ a couple of other pens. We emailed a few times back and forth, and then the COVID19 shutdown hit. I'll look into getting back in contact with him and see if he can full clean this pen, in addition to a couple of other writers.

    Again, I appreciate you taking the time to share resources with me. I look forward to meeting you @ the next BAPG meeting.

    If you're in the city at this writing, stay safe. NYC has been a bit challenging over the past few days, in addition to the craziness over the past few months.
    What day were at the show? I vaguely remember chatting to someone re: the BAPC. I was there Saturday at the Philly club table all morning and wandering around the afternoon.

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    Senior Member Ron Z's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    I would think any dishwashing liquid or hand soap would be fine if you're adding one drop as a surfactant.
    Actually, no. The wrong detergent can permanently damage a feed. Dawn has been proven to be safe for use with pens. Most pen flushes sold are ammonia diluted in water, and a few drops of Dawn. I would avoid Dawn Platinum because it contains denatured alcohol. They don't say how much, but it is in the ingredient list.

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    Default Re: Pilot Custom Sterling Silver repair

    It was Sunday. It was actually at Josh’s table as I was getting a nib repaired. Then I chatted with the same person switching trains at Trenton en route to NYC. I remember that very well.

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