Can You Help A Vintage Cs Noobie?

January 4, 2013

Hi everyone,

I'm usually more into vintage German pens, but I decided to give a vintage CS a try. I bought the following pen from eBay and must admit that I like it - the Duro nib on this pen is S-M-O-O-T-H!

That said, I was wondering if you could help me with the following:

- I couldn't find a model number on the pen and was curious what CS I actually bought. I checked various vintage CS websites and I think I might have a 77 (although the cap stud is wrong) and was wondering if someone could ID it from the pictures below? (I've included a ruler so you can roughly gauge its length)

- this pen is a pretty wet writer and while I'm OK with this, it 'burps' ink sometimes onto the page...is there any way of taming this behaviour?

Let me know if you have any questions/need more info and thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Regards,

Justin

(AKA JLS1)

January 4, 2013

At 5 inches long, or thereabouts it has got to be a 58 C/S.

Either the nib needs re-setting, or maybe the sack needs sealing again, [possible causes of the ink burps!]

Looks like a nice pen, how come no imprint on the barrel!?

Truffle Finder.

January 4, 2013

Hi Justin, whether it's a 58 or 77, it's a fine looking pen!

Try measuring the length of the cap. If it's around 6cms, then it's a 58...if it's between 6.5-7cms then it's more than likely a 77. Both pens used the Duro 58 nib. You say yours is a smooth writer? Excellent!

January 5, 2013

At 5 inches long, or thereabouts it has got to be a 58 C/S.
Either the nib needs re-setting, or maybe the sack needs sealing again, [possible causes of the ink burps!]
Looks like a nice pen, how come no imprint on the barrel!?
Truffle Finder.

Thanks for the reply Henry. As for why there's no imprint, your guess is as good as mine...perhaps it was a 'Monday morning pen'?

In terms of nib resetting/sac resealing, would you consider this a DIY job or one for a professional?

January 5, 2013

Hi Justin, whether it's a 58 or 77, it's a fine looking pen!

Try measuring the length of the cap. If it's around 6cms, then it's a 58...if it's between 6.5-7cms then it's more than likely a 77. Both pens used the Duro 58 nib. You say yours is a smooth writer? Excellent!

Hi Mallymal,

Thanks for the tip - I measured the cap and it was almost exactly 6 cm, so it must be a 58.

January 5, 2013

JLS1. That depends on how competent you are at re-setting nibs! And come to that how well your re-sacking skills are!

What I would be looking for re: the sack, is if it is crumpled up inside the barrel [if it wasn't measured correctly, and trimmed to make it the right length when it was re-sacked]

It does sound as though it's more likely to be the setting of the nib and feed, how are you at doing that?

Truffle Finder. :embarrassed_smile:

PS, Give it a go, and if you end up with 'bits' on the table, send them to me, and I'll see what I can do!

OK? But try not to actually 'break' anything!

January 6, 2013

Hi Justin, whether it's a 58 or 77, it's a fine looking pen!

Try measuring the length of the cap. If it's around 6cms, then it's a 58...if it's between 6.5-7cms then it's more than likely a 77. Both pens used the Duro 58 nib. You say yours is a smooth writer? Excellent!

Hi Mallymal,

Thanks for the tip - I measured the cap and it was almost exactly 6 cm, so it must be a 58.

The 58 is a great pen, and one of the vintage CS classics...particularly in black.

January 6, 2013

Here are the 58 and 77 side by side for comparison.

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv249/mosaic001/DSCF1970_zps1dbf4a5b.jpg

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv249/mosaic001/DSCF1971_zps9e081683.jpg

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv249/mosaic001/DSCF1973_zps79910b4f.jpg

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv249/mosaic001/DSCF1972_zps0705002d.jpg

As far as the cap stud goes, the 77 has a metal stud painted black, or at least mine does. Most of the black paint had flaked off on mine when I found it, revealing the silver coloured metal underneath, so I have a 77 that look remarkably like your pen.

Sorry about the various orientations of those pics. I don't know what Photobucket is playing at but it seems to have randomly rotated various pics, they were all taken the same way up.

January 7, 2013

Nice comparison, Zanshin...and superb looking pens. They both look 'minty'.

January 7, 2013

Thanks Malcolm.

They look better in the pictures than they actually are but they're not too bad. I was particularly pleased with the 77 as it was a £3 car boot sale find a few months ago. It was shame the cap stud had most the black paint missing. I removed the rest just to tidy it up and have been wondering whether it's feasible, or even desirable, to touch it up with a dab of black enamel paint. It might make it look neater but I know there are some that would no doubt consider it a heinous offence.

January 7, 2013

Thanks Malcolm.

They look better in the pictures than they actually are but they're not too bad. I was particularly pleased with the 77 as it was a £3 car boot sale find a few months ago. It was shame the cap stud had most the black paint missing. I removed the rest just to tidy it up and have been wondering whether it's feasible, or even desirable, to touch it up with a dab of black enamel paint. It might make it look neater but I know there are some that would no doubt consider it a heinous offence.

Not too bad, is good enough for me...particularly at £3 for the 77! I've never, ever, found anything even resembling a decent pen at a car boot.

As for the stud, I don't know what the restorers do with the silvered ones, whether they 'touch them up'. If the stud was originally painted with black enamel, then I don't see it as being a heinous offence, particularly if it's for your own personal collection. Maybe someone out there has a spare black one?

Personally though, I'd leave it, and if I wanted one in excellent condition, then I'd look out for another...and maybe sell on the lesser grade pen, or better, keep it either as an example of how the pen wears over the years, or as a daily user.