I have just finished putting back into writing condition a vintage Wahl fountain pen, and was struck once again by how many times I go back to Frank Dubiel's book when I am stumped or having problems. I never met the man, but I bless him on a regular basis for his work. If you want help on repair this book is a must have in your toolkit!

Yes, it should be in the library of anyone repairing FP's and most people interested in understanding them - and looking to undertake simple maintenance.

I just wish he (or editors of later editions) had spelled groove correctly ...
My eyes come to a full stop every time I encounter a grove in the text...

Good luck with your work, and please update us with details of interesting problems or experiences you have encountered along the way.

Regards,

Gerry

i find his gruff style, as well as the typos to be more endearing idiosyncracies than jarring---in fact, at first i thought he did them deliberately.

As good as Da Book is -- and I do consider it indispensable for anybody who wants to work on pens -- it is not free of error. Some of the things Frank recommends are not good ideas -- such as the use of nail polish for securing sacs. Nail polish damages celluloid irreparably, and this is not something you can just dismiss because there are a surprising number of 1940s pens with sections made of celluloid (including Waterman Commando and Taperite, and some Skylines).

So, as with any reference material, use Da Book with care.



I remember once Frank and I were talking about repair work, and he noticed the ink on my hands. I said it was inevitable, and he said, "If you're getting ink on your hands, you're doing it wrong." Which is generally true unless you're adjusting nibs in real time.

I found 'grove' not to be a typo - it's consistently spelled that way throughout the book viv.

Gerry