Mystery Osmiroid Pen Needs Id & Repair Tips

[SimplifiedMind]

Hello. Hoping someone can help me ID my late Mums' fountain pen. Have googled and searched the posts on here, but can't seem to find one in this colour scheme. Can anyone ID it?

 

It's an Osmiroid (plastic) with a Medium Italic nib. I can remember her using it in the 80's. It had a plaster on the ink converter (hiding a split) and the nib itself looks corroded/mouldy. Guessing it's nothing special, but for sentimental reasons I'd love to get it working again. Haven't attempted any sort of cleaning on it. Is there anything special it should be cleaned with or does it need specialist care?

 

Also, can a replacement/compatible converter be found for it?

 

Thanks for your help. (Sorry if there are too many photos, wasn't sure what people would need).

 

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%201_zpsjavzimjz.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%202_zpspyuuwlbw.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%203_zpskdm9kege.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%204_zps4sjnanbc.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%205_zpswaqyzapq.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%206_zpsudiqfnhd.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%207_zpsawlvlfrp.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%208_zpsfc3gmexd.jpg

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Mystery%20Osmiroid%209_zpszbkhr7d5.jpg

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Hmmm....probably not mold, but ink 'crud.' I would try soaking the nib unit (the entire nib and section unthreads, right?) in a glass of cool water for at least a day. If the water gets dirty, change it. Keep at it.

 

Those nib/section parts belong to the later Osmiroids, and can be found on ebay. But I've never seen an Osmiroid that was multicolored like that.

 

As for the converter, I'm not sure where to look. You may run into someone here who has a spare. My Osmiroids are lever-fillers.

 

Hope this helps some.

[cattar]

This pen often came with a set of the nib units, with the nibs in different widths for calligraphy.
The pen will take a standard international cartridge or converter for ink. Be sure to use fountain pen ink, not drawing, calligraphy, art pen or india ink.
The nib writes well enough, but the caps on these pens don't seal tightly. The ink tends to dry out if the pen isn't used regularly.

To clean the nib unit, put it in cool water with liquid dishsoap. If ink comes out of the unit - let it soak overnight. Then change the soapy water daily for a few days until no more ink. You can speed this up, after the overnight soak, by using a baby ear syringe (or an art syringe) to flush soapy water through the unit. End with a clear cool water soak or flush.

If ink doesn't come out of the nib unit in that first soapy soak, it's probably is clogged with india ink. Get Kohinoor Rapidoeze from amazon or an art supply shop (<10 pounds), and soak until it clears. Could be a couple weeks.

Consider as a first pen buying a pilot metropolitan, lamy safari, platinum plaisir. All pens that are reliable writers and under 18 pounds.

Edited February 25, 2017 by cattar

[SimplifiedMind]

Thanks Sailor Kenshin and cattar for your suggestions. Had it soaking in water since this morning and it's oozing blue-black ink (Probably Quink!). The nib has already cleared of the gack and doesn't look in too bad a shape.

 

Have already got some standard international cartridges, so will give them a go once it's properly cleared but will look at getting the converter, so I can use bottled ink.

[Sailor Kenshin]

If this Osmiroid takes standard international cartridges, then almost any SI converter might do.

[SimplifiedMind]

Woohoo! Thanks to your advice the pen is finally working again. It has taken till today to clean the ink out of it.

 

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Osmiroid%20Cleaned%20Up_zpsigeb7db3.jpg

 

Waterman Standard Ink Cartridges fit it, ink flow started almost straight away and it seems to be writing well. Now will need to work on my Italic hand.

 

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss22/simplifiedmind/Osmiroid%20Cartridge%20Test_zps5em5ragb.jpg

[rwilsonedn]

Congratulations! You have nice, working pen and a link to the past.

ron

[cattar]

It's surprising how long it can take to soak out old ink. Glad you've got the pen writing again.

I use a similar, older nib as one of my daily writers.

[DavidDecorator1]

That's two different pens still if it looks good and writes good no matter. It's a shame Osmiroid aren't made anymore. I've had mine since school.

I've not seen that type of converter though so good find. (wheredya find it)

Edited September 21, 2017 by DavidDecorator1

[CS388]

Great nib!

 

By modern standards, it looks like a broad (or even double broad) rather than a medium. But, I'm not going to argue with what's written on the nib itself!

 

Pleased you got it working. Hope you enjoy using it.

[dms525]

Great nib!

 

By modern standards, it looks like a broad (or even double broad) rather than a medium. But, I'm not going to argue with what's written on the nib itself!

 

Pleased you got it working. Hope you enjoy using it.

 

An Osmiroid medium italic nib is 0.5 mm wide. That's actually about the same as a European Medium nib (JoWo, for example). Some are even wider. Pelikan M nibs are 0.7 mm, for example. However, the Osmiroid italic nibs were never meant to be used like a round nib.

 

The OP's pen is clearly one of the late production Osmiroids with a "rapid change nib." I understand that the very last Osmiroids were made in China. I wonder if this is one of those.

 

David

[PaulS]

thought it might be of interest to show some more nibs - I was always put off by the poor plastics of these things so never used my pens and gave them away.

From the left ............... Broad Straight - Fine Oblique - Broad Oblique .............. and all three carry the word ENGLAND, so does that mean they were all made in the U.K., despite the above comments about a Chinese origin? The Broad Straight has a gilt wash that's so thin that two or three rubs and it's gone, but the others seem to have a thicker gilding.

David's comment about 'rapid change nib' would seem to refer to the left hand unit which simply unscrews from the section to allow replacement of alternative nib, as opposed to the other two units where the entire section is removed to achieve the same purpose - this latter option would mean tinkering with the cartridge, so probably not so quick.

All three of these nib widths are a minimum of 1 mm or slightly thicker.

 

In the intervening decades, f.ps. for purposes of writing with italic nibs have changed for the better, although I understand the sentiment attached to the OPs pen. Both Parker (nibs built around a Vector bodyshell), and rOtring, have made inexpensive kits with contain several italic nibs, and I suspect are more user friendly than the Osmiroid. Not sure if cattar was referring to other italic kits, but am sure other makers have produced similar.

Anyway glad the time spent on this one did achieve a good result.

Edited September 22, 2017 by PaulS

[dms525]

Actually, Osmiroid referred to the nibs on the right as "Rapid Change." I am not endorsing the terminology.

 

It is possible Osmiroids last produced pens had the barrels made in China but the nibs in England. I really don't know.

 

David

[mallymal1]

I have one of these mysterious pens, too...

 

 

I call it the RWB, the Red White Blue. Mine has an Osmiroid "Copperplate" nib, which is one of their 'Easy-change' nib/section units.

 

I've seen black versions, with similar cap bands, as part of italic and Calligraphy writing sets.

 

 

 

 

 

[mallymal1]

Here's one of Osmiroid's Easy-change nib units, in its packaging.

 

 

 

[MercianScribe]

It isn't two separate pens joined together, it was designed like that.

 

Post 1980, when they first made these Easy-Change things, they made three different types of pen, all of which look and function pretty similarly: the Opera, the Oxford, and the Piano. I should have photos somewhere of the differences, that I got from NIB buys on eBay, so I'll see if I can dig them out later.

 

There were also two patterns of Easy-Change nib units. The nib units themselves are still pretty reliable but the pens tend to crack through the barrel threads, so be careful not to over-tighten the units when you screw them back on.

 

If you want to and can find the 65s and 75s with the old style screw in nib units (the left-hand one in PaulS's pic above), they're much better quality pens and the nibs are better too.

 

I think the nibs continued to be made in the UK, while the plastic parts were outsourced to China, but I don't know.

And as for better-writing italics, I think a lot of the ones like PaulS mentioned are more cursive italic, and if you want to write sharp, formal italic, you need sharper nibs! Of course, there's also a huge difference in line quality with different papers and inks, so you can write good formal italic with some stubbier nibs, and good cursive with some formal italic nibs (like the older, softer Osmiroid ones).

Edited November 9, 2017 by MercianScribe

[mallymal1]

Thanks for that extra info, Mat. I'd love to see more detail on these Osmiroid models if you can find it.

 

Oh, and yes...if it wasn't made clear, the "mystery" pen is not a Frankenpen.

[PaulS]

deviating somewhat, and I appreciate this thread concerns Osmiroid - but ........................ just to say quickly that if you wanted something in the way of a calligraphy set, with optional nib widths, then two offerings - more recent that the Osmiroid, and as a consequence probably more appealing and user friendly are ....................

 

rOtring Art Pen - comes with a small Arkansas stone, supply of cartridges and three individual pens with equal number of nib widths ..... and

 

Parker Calligraphy set ......... set is based around a Vector pen and includes several screw in sections each with a different nib width plus some spare carts.

 

No idea as to whether either set is still available new - possibly not - but maybe available in pre-owned form

 

But I do understand nostalgia - and I know there are folk who still wear their heart on their sleeve for Osmiroid.

[MercianScribe]

I looked and couldn't find the photos yet...! I hope I didn't delete them, I was quite excited to get the NOS ones in separate packets. I checked back over my eBay purchase history too, but the original photos there had gone.

 

And did you forget Manuscript, or don't they tickle your fancy? I'm a staunch advocate of Manuscript calligraphy pens, although the gold plated ones don't pass muster in the broader gauges. The steel ones work fine at any size.

[Inkyways]

I have a set of Pens that came with two pens and 7 nib units bought during 1985-1987. I am still having them and I like them. Just now before wiring this post I tried one of the International Schmidt Ink converter No 5. It really fits well without any trouble and can replace that Original plastic Suffle Converter.