My First Fountain Pen!

[1930artdeco]

Hi All,

 

I just came back from a tour with my car club and bought my first pen. It turns out to be a 'Eversharp' Skyline pen in black plastic. It looked in decent shape other than it is missing a gold strip on the cap. No biggy as I bought it just to be first pen and expect to make mistakes with it pen. So I got home and heard some noise coming from it. I opened it up and out poured some pieces of what I hope is a super hard bladder. Either that or I just bought $35 worth of scrap. Can you tell me what it is and is it repairable? I have just started to look at the pinned threads so sorry if this overlaps them.

 

Mike

 

[dgturner]

That s almost definitely the sac. I would not reccomend attempting a repair on a Skyline without sufficient experience. I have discovered that the claims of brittle plastic are not exagerated.

Otherwise, excellent score!

[1930artdeco]

Thanks dgturner, I was really worried for a minute. I hear about a breather tube, mine does not have one is that replaceable? I may be sending this out to be serviced if I cannot find anyone in the bay area who works on them.

 

Mike

[AZBennett]

Breather tubing can be purchased from most online pen repairs parts dealers, do a search for "fountan pen breather tube for sale" and you should get a decent list of places. Opinions vary in the need of a breather tube, some people say it's completely necessary some say its not. My personal Skylines don't have breather tubes and they don't use the necked tapered sacs. I use a 16S sac instead as it allows for a larger ink draw than a NT sac does. Also sac replacing isn't difficult ESPECIALLY when your section is already free of the barrel. A 5 dollar bottle of shellac, 2 dollar sac, and some talc and you can fix your pen easily enough. But I understand the hesitancy of learning basic pen repair on a Skyline. The choice is yours a reputable pen repairer would likely charge 20-30 dollars for a resac, cleaning and polishing of a basic lever filler. Not a bad investment for a pen that is likely an amazing writer.

 

Paul

[1930artdeco]

Is there a place to buy just the gold clip and is it easy to replace? Or should I just buy a new cap if I want it complete?

 

Mike

[PAKMAN]

Frankly I'd send it off to Danny Fudge, he'll fix you up and make it right and won't charge you a fortune.

[1930artdeco]

Thanks, PAKMAN. But who is Danny Fudge? I am new so I am still learning peoples names, businesses etc.

 

Mike

[balson]

Breather tubing can be purchased from most online pen repairs parts dealers, do a search for "fountan pen breather tube for sale" and you should get a decent list of places. Opinions vary in the need of a breather tube, some people say it's completely necessary some say its not. My personal Skylines don't have breather tubes and they don't use the necked tapered sacs. I use a 16S sac instead as it allows for a larger ink draw than a NT sac does. Also sac replacing isn't difficult ESPECIALLY when your section is already free of the barrel. A 5 dollar bottle of shellac, 2 dollar sac, and some talc and you can fix your pen easily enough. But I understand the hesitancy of learning basic pen repair on a Skyline. The choice is yours a reputable pen repairer would likely charge 20-30 dollars for a resac, cleaning and polishing of a basic lever filler. Not a bad investment for a pen that is likely an amazing writer.

 

Paul

 

+1

 

you already have it open so the most risky part is done. if you want to learn to do repairs you are at a good starting point.

 

you can at some point replace the clip with one in better condition, the derby, the round dome at the top of the cap, unscrews. you can read more about it here. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/repair/skyline.htm

 

skylines for parts are reletively easy to find, but watch out, you may buy a pen for parts only to find that you like it as much as the pen you are trying to repair

[estie1948]

Let me jump in here. Danny Fudge is the owner of The Write Pen ( danny@thewritepen.net [click on the icon for Write Pen under Pakman's post]). There are a great many others you could send the pen to who would do excellent work, but as PakMan is stating, Danny Fudge at The Write Pen will do a great job for you and with a quicker turn around time than most and for less money than many. True, you could do the needed repairs yourself, however, with this particular pen I would advise against it. The reasons: lack of experience - an Esterbrook is a good pen to gain the experience in that they are more forgiving of a beginner's blunders; time - by the time you receive the needed sac and the other supplies, you could just about have your restored pen back from Danny; cost - if you already have on hand the necessary repair supplies, fine, but if you don't, you are going to pay nearly as much for them as for Danny's work; finished product - if you do the repair yourself, you will have a working fountain pen that is not completely restored where as if you send it off, you will have a fully restored, working fountain pen. Just my opinion. Good luck which ever route you choose.

 

-David.

Edited November 4, 2014 by estie1948

[Cryptos]

+10 for Mr Fudge. Just got several pens back from him, and considering I am thousands of kilometres away the turnaround was surprisingly quick. The work was superb too! Definitely my go-to man for repairs and restoration.

[1930artdeco]

If I decide to work on this for the fun of it. How does one get the nib and feed out? I will probably send it out just so that I know it will work when I get it back and it will be all set up.

 

Mike

[Ernst Bitterman]

How does one get the nib and feed out?

 

Mike

 

Carefully, with the right tools, and only if there's a pressing need (like, you have to scrape India ink out of the feed channels). There's a description of the process here, but remember the "pressing need" aspect of the thing before starting.

[AZBennett]

Ernst has far more experience than I do. And having read his linked article and many others, I would agree that removing the nib and feed from the section should only be undertaken in very rare circumstances, I have found that 70% of the vintage pens I have repaired have required extensive cleaning of the nib and feed specifically where the two lie pressed together due to the previous owner not cleaning the pen prior to putting it in a drawer for some 60 odd years. Case in point I recently received a gorgeous Marine Green Skyline with an XF nib. Doing a once over with my loupe I noticed a LOT of ink residue surrounding the feed and nib right at the section collar. As I do with my pens in need of repair, I placed the nib, feed and section in a small beaker of room temperature water to soak overnight. Upon returning in the morning, the water was completely black, and when I pulled the pen section out and began to use a medicine dropper to apply water through the feed, only more black water came out. After a good soak like this, I have found it VERY easy to use my fingers along to pull a nib/feed from a section, and this one came free with just a quick pull. Normally after this long of a soak, the feed and nib once pulled will be freed of one another immediately not so in this case as the ink had "glued" the feed to the nib. After a little more soaking and some minimal pressure from my fingernail the nib came free and the bottom side was positively coated in black ink. I took a soft brush, water and a very mild handsoap to it for quite some time and finally got the ink to come off. I have never been able to get a nib this clean by just soaking especially when it was this coated in ink and unfortunately you will run across quite a few pens with this level of ink left on the nib.

 

I do not own a block, but I am thinking about getting one since I have had several problems removing Sheaffer nib/feeds from their sections. I should just quit with those as I have snapped off three feeds in my striated lever fill Sheaffers and I don't currently have replacements. So do beware if you are considering removing the nib and feed. It's a finicky process and resetting the nib/feed correctly can be just as finicky if not more so. I try not to remove them if I absolutely don't have to, but often find myself pulling them to ensure the pen is thoroughly cleaned prior to repairing it.

 

Again, if you don't plan on getting bit by the repair bug, then send it off to Danny. I waiting for a good three months before I began tinkering with Wearever, Eagle and unbranded pens in order to get a handle on what I could and couldn't do to a pen. And I still broke quite a few feeds, j-bars, levers, barrels and nibs. I have also taken quite a few steel nibs from no name pens to my Arkansas stone and micromesh paper in hopes of learning how to grind a nib. But I always use the "beater" pens and my goal is to increase my skill in all areas of pen repair.

 

I truly wish you the best of luck with your pen, I am sure it will bring you great satisfaction once it's back up and running. My Skylines are a JOY to write with.

 

Paul

[1930artdeco]

I think I am just going to send it out. I have the skills and tools to work on the pen if I so desired. But, I think it would be easier and quicker to have someone else do it and then I get a pen back that is working and tuned up.

Mike

[2GreyCats]

Frankly I'd send it off to Danny Fudge, he'll fix you up and make it right and won't charge you a fortune.

Hear, hear! Danny Fudge is the pen restorer who owns The Write Pen. We (my husband and I) have sent him over a dozen pens to repair/restore in the last year or so. And we've been extremely happy with every one. Also, if one is not restorable, he'll tell you so upfront.

 

We're huge fans of his. Way to go, Danny! And thanks to Pakman for recommending him to me last year when I got my first Estie...

Edited December 3, 2014 by 2GreyCats

[Sasha Royale]

+6 for Danny Fudge.

He has repaired 6 vintage fountain pens for me. Two of them were of great personal value.

When the time comes, I will trust him with #7, without hesitation.

 

Your level of catastrophe compares to buying a '76 Buick Roadmaster, and finding that a

hose is dry-rotted.

 

www.thewritepen.net

 

Check your PM.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Sasha Royale

[1930artdeco]

Well, I got the pen back from Mr. fudge and he did a really good job. It writes well but to me is a bit scratchy or at least what I perceive as scratchy. I am writing on 30+ lb. laser paper and comparing it to a new Lamy safari and a Jin Hao. I believe that all have fine nibs. I am still playing with them so am still forming an opinion about it. I will come up with a review later.

 

Mike

[sidthecat]

If you can get your hands on some Rhodia paper or something else with a smoother surface, a lot of that scratchiness will go away. With this kind of neb, the texture of your writing surface becomes much more important. What does Obi-Wan say? "You've taken your first step into a bigger world."

[1930artdeco]

Yeah, I just have not bought some yet. I am getting more used to it as time goes on. the laser paper is good but I am sure Rhodia will be better.

 

Mike

[welch]

A few possibilities:

 

- A fine will have a smaller sweet-spot than a medium (or broad). I can't write with them. In fact, my first fountain pen was a Sheaffer school pen, a cartridge pen from the late '50s. Fine point. I hated it.

 

- Your Skyline might have lost all (or most of) its tipping. Can't see from the photos, but you can tell quickly just by holding the nib up to a light, side-ways. Then flip it over so you look down. Should see a small lump of "irridium" (general name for the super-hard metal welded onto the nib). For the future, which holds several fountain pens waiting for you -- just for you -- get a "loupe". A strange looking jeweler's magnifying tool, handy for getting grotesquely large views of tiny things, like nibs. Pendemonium sells them, and Richard Binder did. Brian and Lisa Anderson probably sell them.

 

Danny probably smoothed the nib, but even the greatest of nib artists cannot undo 70 years of writing on bricks. If the nib is shot, choice is either to get another Skyline from Ebay (yes!!! of course! another Skyline addict!) or have one of the nib experts re-tip the nib. Re-tipping is not cheap.