Would You Make A Frankenpen?

[praxim]

I found I have lying around the following few items: A Waterman 52 barrel with properly functioning lever box; a "Warranted 14c 1st class" gold nib, fitted to a Waterman 52 section; a slip cap rather like that I have seen on Onoto and which happens to fit neatly over the 52 barrel over the threads.

 

By adding a sac, I can make what I expect would be a sound, writing pen. Would you?

 

I don't need the pen. For that matter, I do not need the parts. Such a pen would not excite me but PIF has two problems, one being that I am in Oz (postage) and the other being that the parts may be worth more alone. However, selling involves time and effort for relatively low value items. Maybe I should make it rather than leaving the parts lying about uselessly.

 

I am interested in your views, or what you have done.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Praxim,

 

Why not? Go for it.

 

After all, how much joy and satisfaction do you get looking at a bunch of separate parts that are accomplishing nothing? Mind you, I could enjoy that for several hours, but after that, I'd want more.

 

 

- Anthony

[SoulSamurai]

I don't think you'll be making irreversable changes to any of the components? If not I don't see a reason not to do it.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Where I can have a complete, functioning pen, I would always prefer it to having some parts lying around, unless I anticipated a better use for those parts. The fact that the pen may be written with once, then cleaned out and put away unused indefinitely doesn't change that. The possibility of selling or giving away either pens or parts is not a factor. For me.

 

I have a two or three functioning frankenpens, none of which are among my favorites, and I have some parts which don't add up to a full pen but may come in handy some day. I like making something that works out of something that doesn't whether I need it or not. I can see that someone else might not think it worth the effort.

[woleizihan]

If the colors of the cap and barrel match, I will.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Stress ... the nib and go for it.....a fine nib on a known Frankie, is 1000% better than a nib doing nothing.

If one puts a different companies nib on any pen, it's a Frankie.

 

If the clip looks good do it. I have a couple of old good looking clips that are hanging around......I might not have a pen for them.... or might....not the ones I'm going to show you, but good enough for a 'better' replacement perhaps of a cheaper pen.

 

I'd have to look in my 'cobweb' corner pen to be repaired, and parts boxes.

If a fine clip spices up the Frankie why not.

 

Either of these clips would work on other pens just fine....luckily they have a permanent home.

No one with any eye for beauty could complain, if by catastrophic circumstances they became free to use, and were used.

[sidthecat]

Today I'm wearing a pen I call "The Chimera". It's made from a Moore barrel, an unidentified ringtop cap with a "pat. pending" mark and a different pattern and a Leroy Fairchild Star nib. It's a brilliant writer, and any assemblage of good parts should make a good pen, assuming they fit together well.

 

I'd give it a try...you can always take it apart again.

[Pentode]

Those parts could come in handy some day if and when you need to complete some other pen.

 

In the meantime, why not write with them? I say do it!

[fullfederhalter]

I would certainly do it if the parts were mine. I have found that many of the warranted "no-name" gold nibs are excellent writers. So, why not put everything together and give it a try? If you don't like it, you can always put it back in the parts drawer.

[Runnin_Ute]

  On 1/26/2018 at 7:56 PM, fullfederhalter said:

I would certainly do it if the parts were mine. I have found that many of the warranted "no-name" gold nibs are excellent writers. So, why not put everything together and give it a try? If you don't like it, you can always put it back in the parts drawer.

Exactly. Perfectly said. IF you don't like it for some reason, what's the harm?

[AL01]

As long as you don't put a KAWECO nib in a PELIKAN....

 

It's A okay!

[praxim]

Well, that seems unanimous.

 

I agree with the comment that one can always take it apart again, if a particular part is needed more importantly.

 

If I do it today then 24 hours for shellac to dry, I will put up here a photograph and writing sample, however it turns out.

[Russ]

I saved a Townsend nib from the parts box by using it in a third-tier lever-filler body from the 30's. It's a superb pen for IG inks.

[praxim]

Uh-oh, not going as planned.

 

I had decided this would be my workshop pen, thus fully justifying its assembly while saving my better pens from the sorts of damage apt to happen in a place full of metal tools, concrete floor and things that forcefully go bump.

 

The nib and feed were so clogged they took multiple cycles of USC and bulb flushing to clear. Then I noticed a bit of fluff trapped in the feed below the breather hole, so I knocked out the nib and feed to finish the job properly (could have saved some time there).

 

While at it, I examined the nib more closely to ensure the alignment and gap were as good as they could be. They were, except for one little problem.

 

No tipping.

 

One piece of tipping had come off cleanly (I am presuming it existed), the other tine had a tiny chip in the end. In circumstances like this, what is a man to do? You are right. Think of duct tape.

 

Before touching that, I put away the Waterman barrel with good lever box and took out the one with terminally broken lever box. The latex sac also went back into a drawer for more fruitful use. Next, I polished the bare golden nib briefly on some 1200 grit to remove the fracture then on mesh, until the ends looked decently smooth. Holding only the nib I dipped it in ink to find I could lay down a line.

 

Sensitive pen-lovers should look away now.

 

I ripped out the lever box bits from the old barrel and applied duct tape over the rectangular hole. A dash of ink into the barrel, some silicone grease and press in the reassembled section, et voilà, a working ED tipless Duct Pen.

 

 

It's a bit scratchy. I think a bit of polishing around the sides of the nib may improve it.

Still I can safely say that I have a pen that writes, made from almost entirely useless parts. And spent an entertaining hour or two.

[pajaro]

Looks nice. I find it attractive.

 

I regularly use Parker 51 caps that are dented or missing cap jewels on good Sheaffer Imperial pens. They work quite well.

 

I have a Montblanc 144 bordeaux barrel with a green section from another 144 and a Parker 45 cap. It all fits together and works.

 

You might as well use what you have.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Praxim, et al,

 

Well, it may not be too pretty... and it may not be too smooth... but you slapped something together that WORKS... and that's all that counts.

 

 

- Anthony

[praxim]

  On 1/27/2018 at 6:29 AM, ParkerDuofold said:

Well, it may not be too pretty... and it may not be too smooth... but you slapped something together that WORKS... and that's all that counts.

Wot? You mean this is not my entry card to the Guild of Elite Repairers???

 

@pajaro (and others in the same vein), thanks, you are right.

 

When we get to style, how more suitable for a workshop could a pen be? I rest my case.

[mitto]

I have a few. A Canada made Waterman Junior with a Pelikan 140 flexy EF nib. Some vintage piston filled Pakistan made pens (Eagle and Everyday) with German degusa nibs.

And finally Spainish vintage (Inoxcrome) nibs with some German student pen bodies. They all write well.

Edited January 27, 2018 by mitto

[Inksomnia]

I had one. I have Montblanc 146 vintage, that is so bad shape, that only nib is usable (the nib has crack at back). TWSBI Vac 700R had roughly same sized nib, so I put Montblanc nib there. It worked really well. But skipping problem that I think was because Montblanc damaged feed still happened. Nibs writes beutifully when it writes, but my TWSBI original nib was more consistent.

 

I have also used Pelikan nib unit at Solid 220 pen. So I have no problem with franken pens, better to have nib that writes in "wrong" pen that nib that sits in drawer unused.

[ParkerDuofold]

  On 1/27/2018 at 6:46 AM, praxim said:

Wot? You mean this is not my entry card to the Guild of Elite Repairers???

 

@pajaro (and others in the same vein), thanks, you are right.

 

When we get to style, how more suitable for a workshop could a pen be? I rest my case.

Hi Praxim,

 

You're quite right... how could I have been so stupid?!

 

Now, if you'll please excuse me, I must get back to studying... I'm preparing a little snack...

 

http://youtu.be/digfny3OOGE

 

 

- Anthony