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Loving My Symphony!


cherylmarie

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Hello all, I am new here, and new to fountain pens.

Recently, I decided to take a look at an old fountain pen which had been in a desk in our house for years. Doing a little research, I learned that it is an Eversharp Symphony of the first generation.

Well, I quickly found a youtube video which taught me how to use the lever to fill it. I rinsed it with water and filled it with some fountain pen ink I happened to find a nearby craft store- Manuscript is the brand.

I absolutely love it! It makes a beautiful fine line flawlessly.

Now I'm a little worried that I rushed in without more knowledge. Should I just assume that the sac is okay because it's working well? Should I have the sac replaced simply because of its age? Anything else I should be aware of?

 

I feel I'm becoming a little obsessed with reading about beautiful vintage pens!

 

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Hello and welcome here: this is definitely the right forum for people obsessed with vintage fountain pens.

 

The Eversharp Symphony is a beautiful pen, especially the first generation with that peculiar cap and the metal threads on the barrel. They are great writers too with excellent nibs.

 

As to whether you have to replace the sack: it depends on who you ask. If you are a bit handy, these pens are quite easy to open. This allows checking the overall condition of the sack. If the sac is still pliable, I guess you can use the pen as such. If the sack is rather brittle or partially hardened, it has to be replaced.

 

Here is information that might be useful if you decide to open the pen: (it is for a Skyline but it also applies to the Symphony):

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/30442-skyline-repair-tutorial/

 

And here is interesting info with great pictures of the Symphony:

http://penhero.com/PenGallery/Eversharp/EversharpSymphony.htm

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Thanks! That repair tutorial is great, but I'm not sure I want to tinker with mine since it's working so well. It might give me a little push to find some pens at estate sales to work on for a fun project.

 

My pen is definitely the first generation 500, but in black.

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I'm not sure I want to tinker with mine since it's working so well. It might give me a little push to find some pens at estate sales to work on for a fun project.

 

I fully agree, I would do the same.

The first generation Symphony is not that common anyway so it would be a pity to damage that pen.

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I fully agree, I would do the same.

The first generation Symphony is not that common anyway so it would be a pity to damage that pen.

 

Yes, do be careful when "opening" the pen for sac replacement. The Symphony pens can be prone to cracking, and they need a little heat to release the section. This can be tricky due to the metal threads. It might be best to send it off to an expert.

 

Teri

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Compared to Skylines - a different model of Eversharp pen - there aren't many Symphony's available. That's even more true for the first gen pens; they were only made for one year - 1948. If you haven't done this type of work before, it would be safest to send it off to someone with experience. Good luck.

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  • 1 month later...

Depending on where it was stored the rubber sac In your pen could go on for years

 

In the pen community there have been many stories about how when taking apart a 60 - 70 year old pen to find the the rubber sac was still in tact and alive ( still plenty of bounce so to speak) when depressed it refilled quickly.

 

That said the last thing one might want to experience is a failed sac and the ink to deal with, so at some point in the not too distant future for piece of mind you may wish to replace the sac...

 

Good luck in your new pen world.

penfancier1915@hotmail.com

 

Tom Heath

 

Peace be with you . Hug your loved ones today

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