Restoration Of Old Pen From The 1930's Or 1920's

[Manuel03]

Hi,

 

My mother passed away recently and, among other things, I inherited a box with some items that belonged to my grandfather. In it, there was his pen. I would like to restore it, if possible. It has significant sentimental value for me because he was killed in WW II and I never met him. He was a writer, like me, and I only have very few items that belonged to him. Because of the sentimental value, I am hesitant to send the pen away for restoration (I do not want to risk something happening to it) but, on the other hand, I would love to be able to write with his pen! Could you please give me an idea of what would be involved in restoring it and whether it's a project that someone who never restored pens can attempt? (I'm considering doing it myself and, if needed, learn how to do it, practicing on another old pen first, etc.). Any input would be greatly appreciated. I have attached two photos of the pen. I apologize they are not very clear...I will try to take better photos if needed.

 

[northlodge]

I would imagine you could do this yourself, using youtube instruction or info already on this site. It looks from the picture that you would need:

 

1 x sac (possibly size 16)

1 x replacement pressure bar (yours looks damaged - the replacement needs to be the exact same length)

1 helping of shellac to secure the ink sac.

[Sasha Royale]

I think that you could do it yourself, as well. You could also break it yourself. This one is irreplaceable. Send it out and have it done correctly. It won't be that expensive. You will have an heirloom, that you can fully enjoy.

[Manuel03]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply! I will review some youtube videos and info on this board before making a final decision but I am leaning towards sending it out because, as Sasha Royale said, I do not want to break it. Part of me wants to attempt it because a couple of years ago I restored another heirloom (an old radio that needed new capacitors) and it was very meaningful because I did it myself. But the pen has a stronger sentimental value and I don't want to risk it. If you do not mind, I have another quick question: Before putting a new sac and bar in it, is there any way to test if there is something else wrong with the pen? It has been in a box for about 70 years and even though it looks clean (as far as I can tell) such a length of time makes me wonder if it will work after putting a sac in it. I was tempted to try putting a drop of ink in it with an eyedropper to see if it works. Does anything like that makes sense? (Forgive me if that is a stupid question!)

[drop_m]

I usually test my pens before putting a new sac dipping them in a bottle on ink.

Your pen is not one with a complex system like a parker 51. Basically the feed takes the ink from the reservoir - the sac - and send it to the nib's tines. if the dip test goes well i think you pen can be restored without problem

[Lazard 20]

A clarification; it will not be easy for a non-expert because section is threaded (it isn´t a slip section) and if you thread section/sac with pressure bar inside the barrel, sac will rub with bar and you will twist the sac and, twisted, it will not be able fulfill its function.

 

In other words, you have to screw the section with sac without pressure bar into barrel and then have to enter the bar through the blind cap hole without damaging the sac. It is not easy if you have not done this repairing before.

 

I have in my archives these images with possible results if you don´t follow my recommendations (look how the sacs were twisted in these paradigmatic cases of this error):

 

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by Lazard 20

[Manuel03]

Thank you all for your suggestions! Lazard 20, you convinced me to avoid attempting the restoration myself! I just need to find a reputable place that can do this kind of work. I will try to find a place in my area because I would prefer to take the pen and talk to them in person. Again, thank you!

[ac12]

And go to the hardware store and get a section of 3/4" PVC pipe an inch or two longer than the pen.

Wrap the pen in tissue paper, or paper towel, put it into the pipe and add more tissue to keep it from sliding, then tape the ends.

The PVC pipe will protect the pen even if the box is crushed by someone stepping on it.

 

Then mail it with tracking and insure it for a decently large amount.

 

I suggest you get recommendations first, and check references. Your local guy may or may not be good.

 

BTW, there should be a button on the end of the pen, and a cap to screw onto the end of the pen. If not, the guy will have to source a replacement button, and/or blind cap. The pen will work without the blind cap, but not without the button.

 

gud luk

[Manuel03]

Thank you AC 12. I will follow your advice if I cannot find a competent local guy and end up mailing it. There is a cap at the end of the pen and underneath it there is a button. Overall, the pen is very clean and when I opened it, the sac was missing. I suspect that the sac got damaged when my grandfather was still alive and he removed it. Then, maybe he cleaned the pen and stored it with the intention to get it fixed some day.

 

BTW, the inscription on the pen's nib says "CURVEX 14 KT Gold Plated USA." Is "curvex" the name of the entire pen's brand or is it the name of a company that made nibs and other companies put them on their pens? I tried to google "curvex fountain pen" and I found all kinds of pens made by several companies.

 

Finally...this discussion has piqued my curiosity and interest in pen restoration. I enjoy learning how to repair things myself and over the years I learned how to restore vintage radios and telephones. I must admit that I also tried to fix an old watch but it never worked. So, I think I would like to learn more about pen restoration. I will not try it with this pen, for the reasons mentioned earlier, but I'm thinking about getting a couple of cheap old pens from ebay and try to learn that way. I'm new on this board and it seems very helpful but is there any other source you can recommend for someone to learn the basics (book, web site, etc.)?

[drop_m]

You can find a lot of useful information on richard binder website.

If you prefer a more "traditional" source, i suggest "Pen Repair Book" by "Jim Marshall & Laurence Oldfield", it has been useful more than once, in my reparations, and shows detailed procedures for specific pens amid generic informations and tips

[Larry Barrieau]

Manuel, Send me your address. When I get home next week, I'll send you a pen, a sac, and enough shellac to fix several pens. As suggested, read Richards instructions or the pin note on the Esterbrook

Forum for sac replacement. If you fail, you will have learned something, if you succeed, you'll be thrilled and have a working pen.

 

Larry

[Manuel03]

Thank you all for taking the tie to answer my questions! Drop_m, I will start with the information from Richard and take it from there. Larry, I sent you a private message with my address. Thank you for your offer to help--that was so generous of you!

[Ghost Plane]

When I found my grandmother's WWII-vintage Waterman in dire straights after over 50 years of neglect in a hot shed, I sent it to Ron Zorn at Main Street Pens. He worked miracles, including taking some of the bend out of a heat-warped body and inventing a missing piece for the cap after the original crumbled to dust in my hands. It's currently inked and functional in my kitchen where I was using it yesterday to make lists and the nib is perfect for annotating margins of books.

 

I can't say enough about Main Street Pens. Ron also salvaged a dead uncle's pen for me and I trust his talent for irreplaceable family pens.