Pen Repair By Marshall & Oldfield

[londonbooks]

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of "Pen Repair 3rd edition at a reasonable price?

[LamyOne]

Hello Londonbooks,

 

These books are printed in fairly limited runs I would think; there is only a very small demand for fountain pens in the world today and the demand for fountain pen repair literature must be microscopic. It is so small that Amazon doesn't even carry this book, (even by special order - which they do with other lesser in demand items); although you can get used copies of the Second Edition from Amazon's second and third-tier sellers, (but if memory serves, the prices are even more ridiculous).

 

The book isn't easy to find for the most part and I fear $58-60 is the going rate wherever you can track one down. I too am trying to decide whether or not I want to take the plunge. I hate to admit that I used to own the 2nd. Edition years ago and sold it because I thought it catered too much to the British brands - pens I had little interest in.

 

I wish you well in your decision; I'm still trying to make mine.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

Edited October 29, 2014 by LamyOne

[PDW]

An invaluable resource, and worth every penny/cent in money you'll save by not making mistakes. A mix of how-to-do help and reminders of why you don't want to do the most complicated stuff (Onoto, anyone? )

[adyf]

I'm not sure what you would call reasonable but there is the below:

 

http://www.nibs.com/fountain-pen-repair-book.htm

[Ron Z]

FWIW, I have a whole shelf of reference material that I refer to on a regular basis. It includes many manufacturers repair manuals, repair information published by the Pen Fanciers Club over 25 years ago, Da Book, and the Marshall and Oldfield book. I consider their books to be quite valuable as a source of information in my own repair business. They've expanded and updated with each edition, which is why I buy each new one. Use it on one or two pens and you've paid for the book. It's interesting reading too... but then again I'm a guy who buys the manufacturers car repair manuals and then spends a happy afternoon reading through stuff just to see how the car is put together and how it works.

[Hooker56]

Londonbooks,

 

You could go right to the source (scroll down the page):

 

http://www.penpractice.com/

 

Laurence (lcoldfield on FPN) but you'd have to pay shipping from UK.

 

Clayton

 

P.S.- His price is about 1/2 what I paid for it here in the states.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Hooker56

[Doug1426]

well, if you don't mind giving your business to the evil bay as opposed to a reputable one of our own, you can try a best offer here:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/978-0-9562711-9-8-PEN-REPAIR-BY-DR-JIM-MARSHALL-AND-LAURENCE-OLDFIELD-3rd-EDITN-/231360329533?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35de26773d

[OcalaFlGuy]

Londonbooks,

 

You could go right to the source (scroll down the page):

 

http://www.penpractice.com/

 

Laurence (lcoldfield on FPN) but you'd have to pay shipping from UK.

 

Clayton

 

P.S.- His price is about 1/2 what I paid for it here in the states.

 

I'm not one usually all into signed books.

 

That One, I'd like signed.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Ron Z]

BTW, for the record - I paid for the ad that I put in the last two editions, and I paid for my copies. I endorse it because I think it's a good book.

[Glenn Atkins]

 

I'm not one usually all into signed books.

 

That One, I'd like signed.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

Mine's signed! ))))

 

Glenn

[PDW]

 

Mine's signed! ))))

 

Glenn

 

So's mine - but in ballpen

Edited October 29, 2014 by PDW

[LamyOne]

Hello Ron and Everyone Else,

 

I pulled the trigger at Nibs.com and bought BOTH books - the Third Edition of Marshall & Oldfield & Da Book by Frank Dubeil.

 

I am not crazy about the total price, but if you own fountain pens, (new or old), you should probably have these books on hand, so you'll be able to understand how to service your pens if need be. Like Ron said, one repair, done yourself, would probably pay for the books; and if you have any thoughts about getting into vintage pens - they will be indispensible.

 

I'm telling myself all this in the hopes of convincing myself it was a smart move to drop $73.95 for two books. (I got free media rate shipping).

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

Edited October 29, 2014 by LamyOne

[Ron Z]

Wise choice to buy, if I may so opine. Knowledge and understanding not only how to do the repair, but how the pen is put together and how it words BEFORE you start the repair will save you an immense amount of time, money and frustration. There's little that's more sickening than hearing a crack, snap, or knowing that you broke a pen in hour haste to get a pen restored and working. I'm most likely to get into trouble when I rush headlong into something.... a lesson that I learned first in radio engineering and again when I started out doing my own repairs, and yet again when I started on the professional track. It gets really expensive when you break other peoples pens and have to make good on the damage. But breaking your own is bad enough.

 

One of the things that Frank Dubiel said that I do agree with is that if you are going to work on pens, you are going to break pens. The idea though is to get the success to kill ratio firmly in the success side of the ledger, and knowledge and paying attention to what you are doing will get you there.

[PDW]

And besides. Marshal and Oldfield makes great bedtime reading. For me, at least ...

[lcoldfield]

Great to have positive feedback about the book - it was a labour of love. I am surprised that anyone thought it biased towards British pens. Sure it covers most of the British contribution to fountain pen history, but US pens surely dominate? Admittedly, the book is short on European and Japanese pens, but apart from German pens we rarely see much from outside the UK and US, so it is hard to be knowledgable enough to include them.

Sorry about the ballpen autographs, but fountain pens do not write well on shiny paper. By the way, ballpens and pencils are included in the book.

Laurence

[lcoldfield]

The book is available from www.penptactice.com for £28 plus postage (£13 to countries outside Europe).

Laurence

[lcoldfield]

Typo in my previous post - it should be www.penpractice.com

Laurence

[Hooker56]

BTW, for the record - I paid for the ad that I put in the last two editions, and I paid for my copies. I endorse it because I think it's a good book.

 

Never doubted you! (If I read right...there may be one or two references to Mr. Zorn's expertise in the third edition.

[Ron Z]

 

Never doubted you! (If I read right...there may be one or two references to Mr. Zorn's expertise in the third edition.

 

It was a surprise to me too!

[LamyOne]

Hello Everyone,

 

I received both books today - very nice & real quick shipping from California - my hats off to Classic Fountain Books! I haven't had a chance to look through them in any depth, but just glancing them over was intriguing.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris