What Happened To This Section?

[MyriamV]

After purchasing some pens, as well as being gifted some, all in the spirit of learning fountain pen repairs, here's my first big question mark!

 

I opened this pen without any trouble and then set out to soak it in water to clean out any ink residue. My first surprise was how the nipple looks eaten up. It's hard to the touch on the outside and the black stuff you see on the paper towel comes from inside. I took that crumbly stuff out of there after approx. 30 minutes of soaking. At first I thought the sac had been glued inside the nipple instead of over, but that black stuff doesn't feel like an ossified sac to me. Lightly brushing my fingers over it on the paper towel is enough to make it crumble further. I left some of the black stuff soak in water overnight and it was still there this morning, so I don't think it's ink either. What could it be then?

 

If I rub my finger hard on the section, it gives off a rubber smell, so my guess is the section is made of hard rubber. What would do this to hard rubber? I tried taking a picture inside the section but I can't make it work. It looks like there's solidified black stuff in there that was gooey at one point in time.

 

Bonus points if you can tell me what pen it is because I have no idea! The only writing I can see is on the lever and it says "MADE IN U.S.A."

 

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a522/TigerLady143/FPN%20Photos/2ef7c2331e61aec49bd79780e5c40478_zps1975df16.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a522/TigerLady143/FPN%20Photos/51be3ce50770280bc1d017ab32714179_zps922361ba.jpg

Here I inserted a paper towel to make the irregular edge more visible.

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a522/TigerLady143/FPN%20Photos/63200f6d1dc95f024ddf26a0eb7bbb3e_zps386e6956.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a522/TigerLady143/FPN%20Photos/49053f4b34c5edadfbd0d85063a3888d_zps57095f11.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a522/TigerLady143/FPN%20Photos/8957f300141e760d05b3ac3d571a34e6_zps207ca5bf.jpg

[MyriamV]

Anyone? Any ideas?

[Ron Z]

The sac nipple is broken. How or why? Who knows!. No way to know what it's encountered since it was made. Can it be repaired? Perhaps. Is it worth it? Looking at the pen and guessing about the quality, based on experience I would say that it's doubtful.

[MyriamV]

Thank you, Ron. I had a hunch it wouldn't be worth saving. It does make for a nice pratice piece though. Can't really hurt it much further! I'll set it aside for practice knocking out nibs and feeds.

 

Generally speaking, what would make hard rubber crumble like that? Age? Chemical of some sort? Something else?

[Paul80]

Hi

 

It could have the result of the use of an inappropriate ink, or cleaning agent or even glue if the sac has been changed in the past.

 

As for a repair, you might get away with inserting a smaller diameter tube inside the damaged nipple and then use a smaller sized sac fixed to the new tube. Have a look in a local model or Model Railway/Rail-road shop, they often sell plastic tubing of all different sizes that might help salvage this pen for you.

 

Paul

[MyriamV]

Thanks Paul. I hadn't thought about glues. Some are capable indeed of melting stuff.

 

I don't think I'll try to make this pen work again, but I like your idea of using a smaller tube inside the section to make a new nipple. I probably wouldn't have thought of it.