Elite Brand Pen, Going To Need Some Fixing.

[mivox]

Just picked this little guy up on eBay... Hasn't arrived yet, but I'm wondering what I need to have on hand to clean it when it gets here? The auction description gave zero info on what materials it's made from (except the nib), so I'm not sure what solutions I ought to use to soak what looks like old gunked up ink out of the feed, etc. It appears I may need to de-gunk it before I can even get the nib & feed off to straighten it out.

Thanks in advance for any tips! I'll post more photos (if needed) as soon as it arrives!

 

(edit: Just realized how huge the original images were. Uploaded smaller versions.)

Edited September 27, 2016 by mivox

[SpecTP]

Is that a Visconti?

[mivox]

It's literally an Elite. "Elite Brand" in the title wasn't meant to mean "super-fancy brand"...

 

I am wondering what material the feed/section is most likely made of? If anyone is familiar with the brand?

 

 

Edited September 27, 2016 by mivox

[Inky.Fingers]

Whatever it is, looks like ebonite feed, soak in cold water, then soak some more, a few days should be enough. Never be in a hurry. Use the piston to push and pull the water to remove the dried up oink.

 

Have fun, I am sure you will get better advice.

[mivox]

Cold water? OK... I was thinking warm. But if cold is safest, I'm in no hurry. Thanks! :-)

[mivox]

Well, the mystery pen arrived. As per recommendations, after I spun the back end to see if the piston worked (it does), I set it in some cold water. Periodically, I've been working the piston in and out. The first time it sucked no water in, and I nearly panicked because as far as I can see, there is no way to open the body of the pen.

 

However, as you can see from these pics, the cork (from the looks of it) rehydrated, it sucked in water, and after a few cycles of water flushing, the nib suddenly got loose. So I took it out, and it's all sitting in the glass of water.

 

I notice there are some chunks of I don't know what (ink? cork fragments?) in the ink chamber. Since the body of the pen doesn't seem to open, I'm wondering how to get the feed out? How do.you tell what a feed is made out of?

 

I can post specific photos of any part of the pen... Just let me know what!

 

Thanks in advance, for any tips!

[PAKMAN]

Nice looking pen, hope you get it up and writing!

[mivox]

Well, R.I.P. little mystery pen.

 

I got the feed out, I got the cap off the back end, but trying to get the piston mechanism unscrewed from the back end of the barrel proved to be the little pen's demise. Days upon days of soaking in room temp water had done nothing, so I decided to try warm water.

 

Whatever the little pen was made of, it shrank. So, unless anyone has a clever idea for how to stretch it back out? I'm afraid my first foray into buying a "for repair or parts" pen on ebay has left me with nothing but a nib.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Never hurry with a fountain pen.....never.

It's a lesson all of us learn.....some get lucky and learn from our mistakes....others of us learn the hard way.

Never hurry with a fountain pen.

 

Does the nib have a tad of flex....semi-flex? or is it 'true' regular flex....? If so all is not lost.

 

That is one odd looking feed.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson