J-Bars: Replace With Modern Or An Older Style

[eharriett]

I've got this old Morrisson BCHR overlayed pen. It is quite thin. When it was opened, the old j-bar basically was partially disintigrated. It was one of those quasi-sheaffer looking ones, where it was a flat piece of metal with a groove in it (see pic). I got one of the newer J-bars that are sold to fit into it, could probably go for a slightly longer one than what I put in, the question I have is, those bars are thicker and stick out more from the inner body of the barrel, causing me to need to use an even smaller sac than I already have to use for this pen. Normally, this pen looks like it would either take a size 14 or possibly even a 12, but with the way the newer J-bar protrudes, it looks like I'll need to go a size shorter: to a 10. It looks like Pentooling, as usual, has one of the appropriate j bars that would fit it. But is this necessary or are the thicker j-bars just part of the modern fountain pen restoration process today, necessary for better longevity? What is the prevailing opinion on this?

 

 

[Bibliophage]

That looks like what has dropped out of many of the pens I have. It _was_ a full J-bar, but the bottom part under tension snapped off because of the corrosion. Usually they fall out with all of the pen sac brittle bits. I'd never have noticed it except I tend to empty the pens over a white tile sink.

 

As for thicker, whatever - I suspect it's just an artifact of what makes them simpler to make, that's all. Maybe find the manufacturer and ask?

[Estycollector]

I've had one split of all the Esterbrooks I've found. Some have been able to be removed and cleaned up well with a copper/.brass tooth brush.

 

Anderson pens sells three J bars of varying length. Just measure yours and order one or three.

[eharriett]

For clarity's sake, here's a comparison of the j-bars. The original is on the top, the new one is on the bottom (have a longer one around here somewhere. The newer one is thicker and thus may force me to use a smaller sac size.

 

[GoldenNibs]

You can use that bar if you wish but like you said you will need to go smaller with the sac. I would recommend buying bar H or bar K from pentooling as those are closer to what was originally in that pen.

[ac12]

IMHO, you use whatever you can get a hold of.

It may not match the original, but we don't have much choice. This is not the 1950s.

If you have to go to a smaller ink sac, so be it.

[FarmBoy]

IMHO, you use whatever you can get a hold of.

It may not match the original, but we don't have much choice. This is not the 1950s.

If you have to go to a smaller ink sac, so be it.

But you have access to the BoG for exact replacement parts...good to see you are back online!

[Greenie]

One advantage of a new bar is that it has two pieces and will probably compress the sac flatter and more evenly. On a new bar, the thin "J" part is a support and spring, and the slightly folded thicker part is the bar. The bar is only mounted to the spring at the far end. So as you move the lever, the sac will compress more uniformly. The old style just sort of bends. In reality both work just fine.

[ac12]

But you have access to the BoG for exact replacement parts...good to see you are back online!

Will send you an email.

[Tweel]

This is what I frequently do with the modern replacement j-bars, primarily to keep the lever from rattling loosely. The high sides of the pressure shoe hold the j-bar out from the barrel's inner wall, creating a space for the rattle, but they also make the bar "thicker".

 

[Greenie]

This is what I frequently do with the modern replacement j-bars, primarily to keep the lever from rattling loosely. The high sides of the pressure shoe hold the j-bar out from the barrel's inner wall, creating a space for the rattle, but they also make the bar "thicker".

 

 

 

EXCELLENT TIP!!!! I will have to store that trick away in my mind for later use.