I was curious as to where one might be able to purchase a clutch ring and trim ring for a PFM V. My clutch is pretty worn and the trim ring is missing (Australian model). Any leads?
Thanks!

You might want to check with the owner of this website:
http://www.gopens.com/Parts/VintagePenParts.htm

Jun

Thanks, Jun. I'll ask them, but all I saw there were PFM I and II clutch rings (i have no idea what the difference would be). But it can't hurt to ask!
-Robert

Hi,

I'm not sure what you mean when you say trim ring. Is it the cap band? Sheaffer PFMs generally were trimless (without the cap) except for the three little bumps and the nib.

Dillon

Dillon,
I seem to remember PFM's having a thing gold seperator ring between the clutch ring and the barrel. Am I just thinking of the Imperial or did the PFM have this as well? Perhaps all the ink vapor is catching up to my brain cell.

Not all PFMs had a trim ring; some did, some didn't. The fact that your pen doesn't have one does not mean that it's gone AWOL.

re. the clutch ring. No need to replace it. What happens is that the tabs on the ring become compressed over time - you can fix that quite easily.

Unscrew the section nipple from the section, which will allow the clutch ring to pull out. You can then use an awl, or needle nose pliers to push the tabs on the clutch ring out a bit. It doesn't take much. Re-assemble (maybe some section sealant on the threads). You should be good to go.

excellent! Thanks so much for the repair advice. And here I was thinking that I'd have to replace the darn clutch ring every 50 years. What a relief!

Actually, if memory serves, someone posted instructions (same as Ron's) but with pictures - for the same problem. A search might help. Don't forget to search in the Sheaffer forum as well.

Regards,

Gerry

Hi,

Thanks Ron! I learned quite a few things from you lately.

Dillon

SO, the repair went wonderfully. Actually, it was more like an adjustment, but it was relatively easy nonetheless. The difficult parts were:

-the clutch ring did not want to slide off all the way, so I had to work with it while it was still mostly on the pen (it moved about 1/8 inch away from normal position and then wouldn't move anymore

-I wasn't totally sure about how to raise the pips, but I ended up getting a small bit of the needlenose pliers under the pip and raising the pip up slightly.

It works fine though now. I did notice some weird gummy residue coming out from under the shell. Was this the original section sealant? I did not seal this back up with shellac. I figured I might need to get in there again and what would be the purpose anyway? The pen take up ink great like it is and wouldn't the sealant only be to prevent an air leak from the snorkel system?

Hi,

Who did you buy the pen from?

Dillon

Dillo,
I got it online...ebay to be exact. Seller is tbickii and a great seller with fast shipping (yeah, A++++ and all that jazz =). It is a maroon PFM V with a medium nib. I have to say it's my favorite writer right now. I have seen this gunk in old Imperial TD's before, but this is my first PFM pen. I imagined it was just old factory sealant that had gone bye-bye. I paid around $190 for it and it's in excellent condition with no brassing, but it does have initials engraved on the barrel.
-Robert

You do see the remnants of the sealant on the threads of a PFM. Sheaffer used/uses a sealant on the back end of the section of their inlaid nibs. I suspect that it's there to keep the thing from unscrewing as it is to seal, especially since they have the point holder gasket in front on a PFM.
I suppose that you could get away without applying a sealant, but I like to put something there just to make sure that it doesn't come apart when you don't want it to. If you use shellac, just a drop on the threads is enough - don't slather it all over the threads. Section sealant will hold well too, and be easier to get apart. In either case, just a little heat will get the pen apart again.

Hi,

One thing to keep in mind when using section sealant. Don't use too much, it can seep out of the joint. You don't need too much, just enough to keep it airtight.

Dillon

Hi,

I'd second that. Alcohol dissolves pens!

Dillon