Eversharp Skyline - "Restore" or Return?

[pianopenpal]

Hello all,

 

I picked up an Eversharp Skyline Demi off the 'Bay because I like the look of the pen and wanted to try my hand at one. The gold-filled parts are in fairly decent shape with no brassing or dents, and minimal wear, but it's clearly not the black pen that was advertised. Better light at home and turns out it's blue with a brown derby! Not sure where I'm at with that, and starting to think I was impatient and paid too much for it...  I have NOT attempted to remove the section in case I decide to return it.

 

I've read about the plastic being notorious for shrinkage and it may have done just that at the point in the barrel where the snap ring for the lever assembly sits. There is an ever so slight bump around the circumference, which isn't noticeable from afar, but can definitely be felt and seen up close; most notably the gap on either side of the lever at the ring. The sac is definitely solidified, as I can't even lift the lever. My question is whether it is a viable candidate for "restoration" even as a semi-daily user, or will this make it difficult to service should I have to remove the lever and pressure bar?

 

Thanks for the help!

[FarmBoy]

There is rarely a reason to remove the lever and most often the pressure bar can stay put as well.

 

No idea what you paid so I can't say it is a good or bad deal.

 

Cap derbies are easy to replace.

 

You would need a #16 Taper sac for a Demi.  The standard takes a 16 EL which can be cut to be short enough or you can use a straight sac.

[pianopenpal]

12 minutes ago, FarmBoy said:

There is rarely a reason to remove the lever and most often the pressure bar can stay put as well.

 

No idea what you paid so I can't say it is a good or bad deal.

 

Cap derbies are easy to replace.

 

You would need a #16 Taper sac for a Demi.  The standard takes a 16 EL which can be cut to be short enough or you can use a straight sac.

Good to know re: the lever/pressure bar. I don't see any rust from the now widened opening around the lever, so my main concern is about the plastic already being slightly deformed in that area and potential future breakage.

 

I was a little over $40 after shipping. Not sure where that stands as a deal or not. 🤷‍♂️

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

That's a pretty normal price for an unrestored Eversharp Skyline. I usually see standard ones go for like $30-$35 plus tax and shipping, so at a little over $40 including shipping you paid a very fair price. Honestly, the nibs should be worth the price of admission for that amount.

 

That's more "belly bulge" than you usually see on these but I've seen pens with way worse and it doesn't really hurt the performance or durability of the pen much, it's just a bit unsightly. Skylines are made of poor quality plastic so I'm not too surprised to see that issue. There's always a non-zero risk of breaking the pen when taking these apart unfortunately.

 

And while the body is a little worse condition than is standard, that cap is in great shape. In my experience it's rare to find one of these gold fill caps that isn't crazy tarnished. And if the overlay isn't loose at all, you've got a rare specimen indeed.

[pianopenpal]

6 minutes ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

That's a pretty normal price for an unrestored Eversharp Skyline. I usually see standard ones go for like $30-$35 plus tax and shipping, so at a little over $40 including shipping you paid a very fair price. Honestly, the nibs should be worth the price of admission for that amount.

 

That's more "belly bulge" than you usually see on these but I've seen pens with way worse and it doesn't really hurt the performance or durability of the pen much, it's just a bit unsightly. Skylines are made of poor quality plastic so I'm not too surprised to see that issue. There's always a non-zero risk of breaking the pen when taking these apart unfortunately.

 

And while the body is a little worse condition than is standard, that cap is in great shape. In my experience it's rare to find one of these gold fill caps that isn't crazy tarnished. And if the overlay isn't loose at all, you've got a rare specimen indeed.

 

Thanks for that feedback. It helps ease my mind a bit there.

 

The nib is a little scuffed up, with very faint scratches like someone used Scotch-Brite to clean dried ink off, but I more or less expected it to not be perfect from the photos. I might try and polish it up, but the important thing was the tipping being intact. It's pleasantly springy! Not what I'd deem a full-on flex nib, but it'll definitely give some line variation with no effort.

 

I was definitely drawn to it because the cap is so clean. The liner is barely loose... But that looks like an easy enough fix.

 

Can anyone speak to whether the standard and demi caps and innards the same size? In the event I end up cracking this one and seek out a donor barrel...

[Ron Z]

15 hours ago, FarmBoy said:

or you can use a straight sac.

 

I find it amusing that in 35 years of repairing pens I have never opened a Skyline and found a tapered sac inside.  Never.

[tmenyc]

haha...too often the sac is too far gone to identify the remains! 

Yes, that one isn't pretty, but I've restored many that were far worse. Warm the section joint up well and be very careful pulling it apart. Then be sure to use heat to reassemble it. The rest is straightforward. As FB says, derbies are relatively easy to find and reassemble. 

Tim