Letting Go - Vintage Pens, Catharsis And An Fp Free Future...

[Cryptos]

The hours of folly are measured by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure.

 

William Blake

 

 

Oh, Vintage pens, did it have to be this way?

 

At the last count I have:

 

• An Esterbrook J (my only one) that has suddenly decided to leave the lever hanging out in the breeze. Just been resacked too. Has an oblique medium nib (9314-M).
• An Eversharp Symphony (2^nd Gen) with a poor section repair. Otherwise restored.
• An Esterbrook LJ which is a bit of Frankenpen (and restorer has never returned my original nib, so it is stuck with a 2464).
• 3 Eversharp Skylines, various colours and various flexibility, nobody wants them. All fully restored.
• A Parker 51 Vac (fully and recently restored) with the feed protruding way too far for my liking. Writes really nice though. Gutted about this one.
• A Parker Vacumatic Golden Pearl that I cannot cure of nib/feed leakage.

 

This last one is particularly crushing as it is my favourite writing instrument that I have ever used by a really long chalk.

 

Overall my foray into the world of vintage pens has been one largely of disappointment and discouragement. I feel as though I have had enough.

 

Bruce in Ocala, if you want the Estie (it’s a bluey) you can have it. PM your address. Better than me chucking it the bin at least.

 

(Paul) Kidde, if you want a Skyline, just say. Likewise, PM your address (it seems to have gotten lost in my records).

 

If anyone wants the Symphony or the LJ out of curiosity, just let me know. Same goes for my beloved Golden Pearl (really, amazingly cut up about this one for some reason).

 

A little help with shipping would be appreciated but I suspect closure is more important right now than recouping costs.

[greensparcs]

um I would love a flexy skyline pay the full shipping in an instant

[Riayain]

I'd love to try a Skyline too. And I'd be willing to pay shipping... if you're willing to ship to Australia, haha.

 

It sucks that your foray into the world of vintage pens turned out to be discouraging. I'm just beginning to step in and I hope for plenty of success with them.

[greensparcs]

I just restored a mabie todd and I am horribly horribly in love

[Cryptos]

Just to be clear. The Skylines are not giveaways (apart from possibly one to Kidde) - they are fully restored (by actual restorers no less), fully functioning vintage pens with no real issues. Same goes for the 51 Vac.

 

I am looking to re-home everything eventually, just not exactly sure how I am going to do it at the moment.

[Icywolfe]

Wait a FP free future? No more FPs for you? ='[ Why?

 

Or just vintage? If so still why?

[Riayain]

Just to be clear. The Skylines are not giveaways (apart from possibly one to Kidde) - they are fully restored (by actual restorers no less), fully functioning vintage pens with no real issues. Same goes for the 51 Vac.

 

I am looking to re-home everything eventually, just not exactly sure how I am going to do it at the moment.

 

Ah, alright. Sorry, it was a little unclear. Hope you'll keep us updated.

 

And as Icywolfe pointed out, I hope you meant a vintage-free future and not a FP-free future! Though if you did mean that, then it's your decision and I respect that.

[The Blue Knight]

edit

Edited November 7, 2014 by The Blue Knight

[Cryptos]

Interesting suggestion. If I could have sold the pens I would done so by now.

[Icywolfe]

May I make a suggestion perhaps it may make more sense to sell the pens and give the money you receive to a charity you feel strongly about? That would be extremely virtues thing to do and it will ensure the right people benefit.

That is a better idea.

 

It can help the person who you gave the pen to. (I'm there are others like me) If I ever get something free I'll try to deny it and give it back or force them to take my money. Or I feel guilty.

 

Interesting suggestion. If I could have sold the pens I would done so by now.

 

Cheap prices or put them up on ebay?

Edited November 7, 2014 by Icywolfe

[Cryptos]

 

Wait a FP free future? No more FPs for you? ='[ Why?

 

There's always dip pens. They don't need restoring.

 

For those interested, my decision is heavily influenced by sellers who claim a pen is restored when it is not - and some of them clearly know this. And restorers who do not seem to grasp that a round trip from New Zealand to just about anywhere costs me $30, so saying "just send it back, I'll adjust it for free" is just so insensitive. The 51 Vac is a case in point - $30 to send and return, $25 for new diaphragm, $30 to re-send and return after 'free' adjustments. That makes $85 right there. Do you see my point?

[Icywolfe]

 

There's always dip pens. They don't need restoring.

 

For those interested, my decision is heavily influenced by sellers who claim a pen is restored when it is not - and some of them clearly know this. And restorers who do not seem to grasp that a round trip from New Zealand to just about anywhere costs me $30, so saying "just send it back, I'll adjust it for free" is just so insensitive. The 51 Vac is a case in point - $30 to send and return, $25 for new diaphragm, $30 to re-send and return after 'free' adjustments. That makes $85 right there. Do you see my point?

There is modern pens that don't need restoring either.

 

This is why I like modern pens, none of that asking the people what did you exactly restore. And the one seller I buy from has this weird thing, he seems to restore the sacs and test the pen and empties the pen before selling. But he doesn't clean it nor clean the outside body.... Always a fun thing to clean a lever filler when you have no finger nails. I only brought from Peyton Street Pens once but they seem to have sold a pen that was used but looks like brand new.

[Chrissy]

In what way is your Esterbrook LJ a bit of a Frankenpen? Different cap and barrel? Different colours?

[Cryptos]

This thread probably explains it better:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/268739-drive-by-auction/

 

Personally I think it has the wrong section put in by the restorer, as it bulges a bit. As you can see from the thread it seems to be made of mismatched parts. And of course it has the nasty old 2464 nib instead of the 9556 that I sent it out with (despite asking repeatedly for its return, it has never been returned).

 

Now that I think about it I have not inked this since it came back. Just couldn't bring myself to touch it really.

[Consulting_Detective]

Wait so all of the vintage pens are now taken or.. are there anymore remaining? I would love to have a vintage pen.. hmm..

[Chrissy]

This thread probably explains it better:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/268739-drive-by-auction/

 

Personally I think it has the wrong section put in by the restorer, as it bulges a bit. As you can see from the thread it seems to be made of mismatched parts. And of course it has the nasty old 2464 nib instead of the 9556 that I sent it out with (despite asking repeatedly for its return, it has never been returned).

 

Now that I think about it I have not inked this since it came back. Just couldn't bring myself to touch it really.

Hmmm, I would be really unhappy with any restorer who shoved the wrong section in and swapped out a nib on any of my pens.

 

Have you told him if he doesn't return your nib you will name and shame him on here?

 

I feel your pain and can understand why you can't bring yourself to use that pen

[gweimer1]

I'd love to tackle the Parker Vacumatic leakage problem. I find myself wrestling with stingy pens on some that I've been trying to fix. A little flood might be a welcome relief.

 

I understand your frustration. It's that same thing that led me to learning to do my own work. I also have a Parker 51, and paid good money to have it "fixed" only to find that a month later, it still wouldn't take ink. I braved the new world and finally got it apart, only to find a gooey coupler. So now...I'm on the path to just learning to do it myself. I can invest frustration better than I can money.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I told David backchannel how to fix the Blue Estie he offered me. The section just needs to come off and the J of the J-bar opened up

some for some more holding oomph. The bar has rotated off alignment with the lever tip inside the a barrel. A really easy fix.

 

But I also gave him my address.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Cryptos]

Update: The Golden Pearl, Symphony, Frankenpen LJ and Esterbrook J have been claimed.

 

Bruce, I shone a flashlight through the lever hole and the j bar seems to be flat not rotated (yeah, like I'd really know what I'm looking at but anyway). And detente is effected at 90 degrees of lift. The pen sucks ink no problem. If I try to fix this there is a high likelihood of the pen getting trashed in the process. It is perhaps better that it goes to someone who knows much better how to do this and who may appreciate this fine little pen for what it is. Of course I am annoyed to let my only Esterbrook go, but such is life I suppose. More fool me for getting caught up in old pens.

 

 

@Chrissy, I have repeatedly asked the restorer to return the nib, and they have said they would but it has never happened. Now it's bordering on theft. As for naming and shaming. I'm not the kind of guy to do that, especially if there may be still room for negotiating. Although in this case it is academic as I am divesting myself of this pen via donation.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Cryptos

[estie1948]

I am very sorry it has come to this for you. I was hoping for a much better experience with the vintage pens, especially the Esterbrooks. I think you are correct in stating that there are some sellers who have no real idea of what "fully restored" means or are just crooks to start with. I am very sorry you have been so badly treated. While I hate this, given your experiences, I completely understand your decision.

 

-David.

Edited November 8, 2014 by estie1948