Unknown Hard Rubber Pen - How To Restore Shine?

[Flounder]

I don't disagree that conventional brake fluid is compatible with the rubber used in automotive brake systems. However I keep it away from pens because of its alcohol (glycol) base. Among other things conventional glycol-based brake fluid will lift automotive paints & I'm thus confident that it'll damage those plastic parts in pens which are incompatible with alcohol, in addition to acting as a paint & shellac remover.

 

I've never used Dot 5 brake fluid, but I'd be fairly uneasy handling a pen that's been rubbed with dot 4, even if it restored it to as new condition.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Well, I'd not really noticed how dull my 52 was until I got a one year younger 1906 instead of 1905 clipped 52...

It had been over polished by someone over the time, in the chasing is almost not visible. IMO polished through the chasing more than less. The imprint can almost be read under a 10 X loupe but some is gone.

 

A Frankie 52, the chevrons run 180 out (so what! Both sides are chased and similar) , the body had been 'polished' more than the top....well it was dull, and I did read everything here first, before lightly polishing with semi-chrome and only my fingers and buffing it off with a flannel cloth. Pen shines a bit more, no loss of chasing noticed......but I've used semi-chrome often on old vintage HR and plastic pens before. Being lazy....I was never after 'brand new'; just well maintained.

 

One pen shows it's easy to over polish...even the barrel part of the Frankie....

That Frankie pen cap had been ordered personalized at the factory or by a good professional, in the chasing had been buffed down leaving only a top and bottom row of chasing.

 

My '05 is 5 1/2 capped....cap 2-5/16s

......'06 is 5 & 3 16/s................cap 2-1/8th

Pen bodies seem the same.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson