Search the Community

As I never seem to have much luck on the repair board, hopefully I can find an Onoto-experienced eye here. Snagged a small group of pens from a "If it's in a Parker box it's a Parker" seller, but instead of a Platignum or whathaveyou in the box, somewhat to my trepidation find myself the owner of a De La Rue "Onoto the Pen" with the model number 3050 imprinted on the blind cap. Well I never expected one of these to swim into my ken, so I've perforce been taking a crash course in these pens and established what I need to do to, hopefully, get it working. Despite a copy of Pen Repair, various threads and articles, I have a couple of queries I hope someone could help me with. Viz: a. The plunger rod is not entirely straight; it's not wildly bent, but it is slightly off. Is this going to be a problem? b. Despite Custom Pen Parts efforts, I'm not absolutely sure what this pen counts as in their identification table. Tend to assume "Standard", but the barrel length is a bit off, however I don't know how variable those can be. I've tried to find information on understanding Onoto model numbers and approach it from that angle, but no dice. Which size washer does this 3050 need? Any other tips, pointers, information on this pen, all very gratefully received. Thank you muchly. I wouldn't say I'm out of my depth here, but I'm having to paddle pretty vigorously! Cheers, Al

Hi I have 3 old English fountain pens that were given to me a while back. They've sat in my desk drawer for a few years. I've attached a photo with some call-outs and close ups. As you will see, there are 2 "Wyvern Princess" fountain pens and 1 "Onoto The Pen" I have done a few searches here and I've learned a bit about these brands, but I'm wondering if anyone has any comment on these specific models. I'm most intrigued by the Onoto, as it has a good feel and weight to it. I'd like to clean it out and see how it performs, but I'm out of my depth with an old pen like these. Any suggestions on how to clean? I don't know how the ink system works or if there is any special way to clean the pen. Is there anything I should do given the pens' age? Again, the Onoto is the main interest. What about values? Is there a way to determine what these pens are worth? Thank very much in advance.