Oh the joys of EBay. I just bought a black CS 15, nothing in the way of a real description, but for a fiver I thought I couldn't really go wrong.

Here's the pic from the auction.


So, the pen arrived this morning and once I got the old sac out of the barrel I could see it had Conway Stewart written on it.


I've been busy cleaning the pen up and trying to give it a bit of a shine rather than being a very dull and flat black. It's cleaned up quite nicely and the barrel imprint is very crisp and clear.


The hardest part was removing the nib and feed, they were nicely sealed in with lots of blue ink. Once I finally got them out I was able to straighten out the slightly bent nib and now it's also got a new sac, it's a nice smooth writer.


Nothing special I know, but I'm still quite pleased with my purchase and the way that it's cleaned up.

That's a great bargain you got yourself there. I'm very new to the Conway Stewart pen acquisition scene but I'm drawn more to the black than the multi-coloured textured models which seem to command the highest price.
I've yet to determine whether that's because of some innate conservatism on my behalf or my frugal state of economic affairs.
Since I contracted this disease, I've picked up a 28 for a few dollars (which I promptly destroyed through sheer ignorance tempered with impatience), a black 475 (which is near mint) and a beautiful black 58 (bought cheaply off Ebay in the last week).
Could you describe how you managed to get the nib and feed off the section?
I'd like to replace the nib on my 475 but I'm not sure what the section is made out of.
Having read the warnings regarding soaking casein pens in water and having wrecked my 28 (dirty big pliers, rubber slipping, much swearing), I'm little wary about jumping straight into it boots and all.

I kept dipping it in water for a few minutes and then letting the old ink wick out into paper towel. After that I gently heated it with a hairdryer and was able to remove the nib and section after that. Even so, it was still much more difficult than any other pen I have to actually remove the nib and section. I do try to avoid pliers, I used them once on a pen with the ends wrapped in calico and even so managed to put a small scratch on the section. Okay, it was only a very tiny scratch, but even so I was annoyed with myself.

My pen budget is always very small, I blame it on the fact that I went into the wrong career. I'll certainly never be rich

Because CS sections are only friction fit, they are intended to fit tightly, which is why, for only a few pounds or dollars, a proper pair of section pliers is a 'must have' for a CS enthusiast!

You should be able to safely soak post war CS pen sections for a time in water (20 minutes in warm water usually does the trick) and then start to pull them out with the section pliers and a VERY gentle rocking motion. After that, as Carrie says, next step is the hairdryer.

After that, if that doesn't work and it is a valuable pen, the next step is to send it to the professional restorer....!

Don't know what you use to polish pens up Carrie, but I think the Micromesh range of polishing materials are utterly fantastic and perfect for pens - they may even take that scratch out of your section!!

Andy

I remember when I first posted here that you mentioned section pliers and, as I learnt through my own foolishness, I'd never attempt to remove the section again without such a tool.
But what I was wondering about (which I probably didn't make very clear in my post above) was the removal of the actual nib and feed from a section. I have two sections for a 475. One fits better than the other. However, the better fitting section has a nib turned helicopter whereas the loose fitting section has a perfect nib.
Another option I suppose would be to glue something on the loose section to enable a tighter fit.
Either way, I'm going to proceed with care!

The easiest thing is to use a substance called Prout's Glue to fix the loose section in position. This is applied to the section using a warm screwdriver and will enable the section to be a tight fit. It will soften by application of a hairdryer if you want to remove the section at a later date. The glue is often available on ebay or if you know a friendly restorer he may sell you a small pot.

To remove the nib and feed, support the section assembly on a knockout block (a metal or hard wood block drilled with a hole large enough to take the nib but small enough to support the section all round). You can then use a punch and GENTLE tapping with a mallet to knock the feed out from the blunt end, so the nib and feed drop through the hole in the block. Don't be tempted to hit too hard, this probably means that the feed is glued into the section by old ink, so soak in warm water and detergent for a bit and try again. If you can mark the original alignment of the nib temporarily on the section it may make replacement easier since sometimes the holes are not quite circular after all these years.

It is generally possible to replace the new or cleaned nib and feed by hand pressure (align nib and feed, hold between fingers and push back up into the section), though you may need assistance from some rubber covered pliers for the last few mm. The pliers I use as section pliers will close up small enough to do this job as well.

Have fun!

Andy

Carrie, this is very much after my own heart, I love buying pens for virtually nothing and bringing them back to life. A CS15 for a fiver has got to be good value and, as you describe, is easy to get back to good working condition. I too have a very tight budget, well no budget at all really, but enjoy placing paltry bids for pens and winning a couple of them.

Most recent bargain is the attached CS55 (complete with hallowed Duro nib) also a fiver and requiring the same processes as your 15. The only other issue is the round tip part of the lever has been broken, I'm on the look out for a new lever but it is a beautiful pen with a broad, almost italic nib. Extraordinarily flambuoyant for signatures!

I cannot buy valuable and rare pens but thoroughly enjoy the cheaper version of the game and find it very satisfying. Best pen to date is an old BCHR CS330 Scribe with a 5N nib which is the creamiest writer. It too was around a fiver (or less?), is well used but full of character and dignity.

One day I will get the time to review them.

Greg

Thanks for the info, andy. I appreciate it!