parker victory af Dissecting a Parker Victory AF

October 9, 2022

Parker Victory AF Restoration

This Parker Victory AF is one among the cherished pens in my vintage collection. I recently noticed the delayed pop on pressing the aluminium filler and that was the indication to replace the old latex sac. Time to get my hands dirty.

The process started with removal of the AF filler button on the barrel, a gentle tug and it was out with minimal resistance. The pressure bar was the adamant one and took a while to pull it out with the help of a Victorinox army knife tweezers. After soaking the pen for 45 minutes in lukewarm water the nib section was separated from the barrel. A tap in the knockout block separated the nib and the feeder from the section.

With absolutely no clue as to when this pen had a through overhaul in the past, it was time for the long overdue cleaning. A rub a dap of Colgate tooth paste and a gentle run over with my loyal electric tooth brush cleared most of the gunk and dried up ink on the pressure bar, the AF button, the threads and the nib. A gentle wash with running water and further soaking in lukewarm water along with dish-wash soap for an hour cleared the gunk from the rest of the pen. After drying up with some paper towel it was time for reassembly. Owing to the short life span of latex sac, I opted for the silicon sac and the size 15 silicon sacs were a perfect match. After applying shellac and french talc to the sac and letting the shellac cure for a couple of hours. a dab of silicon grease was applies to the threads of the nib section and screwed back into the barrel. Then with due caution the pressure bar was introduced at a 45 degree angle with the flat end of the pressure bar towards the nib section and the narrow end towards the button filler via the rear end of the barrel. A long crochet needle was inserted through the nib section to ensure that the sac is not twisted or squeezed by the pressure bar. The AF button was placed in the AF ring and a gentle push secured it in place. The final step, align the nib with the feed and push it back into the section.

After testing the pen for any leaks by immersing it in water and checking for bubbles , A gentle polish with turtle wax and chrome polish for the clip was applied.