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Hello all. I just had the pleasure of visiting for the first time my local Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia, CA, the only brick and mortar fountain pen shop in all of Los Angeles from what I can tell. It was a wonderful experience. I picked up a Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler--Demonstrator model. Really happy with my purchase however after getting home, I noticed a potential issue. Since it's the weekend, can't reach the shop owner. The instruction insert states after filling the pen, return the locking ring to closed position by turning 180 degrees so that the locking ring opening is on the opposite side of the crescent. However, I am unable to turn it fully to 180 degrees. It gets stuck at maybe 120 degrees as the the ring thickness is non uniform and runs into the crescent beyond 120 degree turn preventing further turn. The problem is the ring is a bit loose and can't reliably lock into place, so my concern is the potential for leaking should i accidentally depress the crescent button. This is my first crescent filler, so I have no prior experience.

Hello everyone at the fountain pen network. Today as always I come to ask your advice and share your wisdom and opinions to be able to solve several doubts that I have in my head. I love both modern and vintage fountain pens from the bottom of my soul, most of my feathers are modern and I only have one vintage that is my prized "51" parker. And I've decided that it's time to get another vintage pen but an older one and I've always had the desire to get a vintage fountain pen of ebonite with flexible nib is a great historical piece that I wish to own in my little collection. Now I have the money available to buy one but I have a lot of doubts about which one I should get. I have three ebonite in my sights that I want to obtain but at the moment I can only get one. hese are the fountain pens that I want to get: Parker Jack Knife Safety Fountain Pen - BCHR, Ring Top, Fine Full Flex Lucky Curve # 2 Nib (Excellent, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/parker/duofold-lucky-curve/parker-jack-knife-safety-fountain-pen-bchr-ring-top-fine-flexible-lucky-curve-2-nib-excellent-restored.html------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conklin Crescent 2P Fountain Pen - BCHR, Fully Flexible Fine # 2 14k Nib (Superior, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/other-u-s-pen-makers/conklin-pen-co/conklin-crescent-2p-fountain-pen-bchr-fully-flexible-fine-2-14k-nib-superior-restored.html-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conklin Crescent 40 Fountain Pen - Large BCHR, Wide Cap Band, Flexible Medium 14k Nib (Excellent +, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/other-u-s-pen-makers/conklin-pen-co/conklin-crescent-40-fountain-pen-large-bchr-wide-cap-band-flexible-medium-14k-nib-excellent-restored.html---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I like aesthetically more conklin but my biggest doubt to decide to choose one of these is about filling system of these fountain pens which is better? button filler or crescent filler system or level filler? I understand that both have to change the rubber bag every so often, but I ask about their internal mechanisms which is better, more reliable and robust and which pen is easier to maintain and change the bag.I have already attached the links so that they can see them and help me to take my decision and that they can tell me the pros and cons of these mechanisms

I am the proud new owner of a Conklin Mark Twain crescent filler fountain pen. On my second fillup the crescent, that one depresses to either empty or fill the sac, got stuck in the sac. Luckily the seller is very honorable and offered me a choice of a refund or another Mark Twain. I have a Conklin that has always given me great pleasure, so I am going for another Mark Twain. But i am understandably nervous. Will this happen again on the new Mark Twain? Are there any Conkin Mark Twain owners out there who know how to fix that problem if it happens again?

Here is my review [plus video] of the Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler Fountain Pen with a factory stub nib. I'd love to read feedback on the review. If you own one of these pens, let me know how you like the crescent filler and if you have any insight as to how it wears over time. Any folks out there need to get it serviced? I'm also up for constructive criticism about the review (& video) as well.

When helping my grandmother move some things we stumbled on 2 old fountain pens that belonged to my late grandfather. A Conklin Crescent Filler Trademark 40 and a Wahl Eversharp 14k Gold Seal. Neither is in working order but they may be easily repairable. I was hoping for some info on the two and maybe some advice on what to do with them. I they can be repaired we may keep them or sell 1 or both depending on how valuable they would be. The Conklin feels like it's made of black plastic (Bakelite?) with a zig-zag textured pattern on the pen and cap. The body of the pen has "CONKLIN CRESCENT FILLER, TOLEDO OHIO USA, PAT MCH 17/91 - OCT 29/01 - DEC 1/03". Not sure what to make of all the dates. After the ring lock thing it had "TRADE MARK 40" stamped with a design of a hand with a pen between "trade" and "mark". Ring lock is in good shape. It has a gold ring around the base of the twist on cap and a gold clip with "CONKLIN PAT. MAY 28, 1918" stamped on it. The nib looks to be in good condition, no bends, maybe some very minor tarnishing, it has "CONKLIN 4 TOLEDO" stamped on it. The problem is the crescent has fallen into the pen and is sorta sliding up and down. I cant even pull the crescent out with tweezers, thought I didn't really try to force it too hard. When I shake it, it sounds like one 1 thing is shifting around inside, whatever contraption the crescent is attached to I think. Is something like this repairable? Is it worth repairing? The Wahl Eversharp Gold Seal is also black plastic/bakelite with a cool gold pocket clip with a little gold swivel ball at the end of it. It has "Wahl EVERSHARP" stamped on. It also has a fairly ornate gold triple ring pattern at the base of the cap and a small gold emblem with what looks like 2 check marks or a "W". All of the gold bits seem to be gold-plated because the gold is worn off on some places. The nib looks like its in good shape with minor tarnishing like the other. It has "WAHL EVERSHARP 14K GOLD SEAL MANIFOLD" written on it. The gold lever on the pen does not want to swing out more than 3-4 millimeters so im guessing the pen has been left with ink in it to dry or something. Can this be fixed? I can't find any dates on this pen anywhere so does anyone have a good guess of the age? Neither me nor my grandmother write much so we are probably looking to sell them if it is worth the trouble. If it's a simple repair I could take a swing at it myself but I doubt we will be looking to spend any money getting them fixed up unless they are some seriously rare pens. I can upload some pics later if you want them. Thanks in advance for any help!

Is there a USA HQ for Visconti, where I might send a vintage Millennium Arc III to have the crescent filler sac replaced? It is a beautiful LTD Ed, but years of being packed away have dried out the plastic (??) sac so that filling it now leaks into the barrel chamber. Any suggestions? Thanks. In the attached picture, it is the top blue ice pen that needs the new sac. Mary