I recently acquired a Sheaffer fountain pen with a white dot on the cap above the clip. It came with a bottle of sheaffer ink with a well inside the bottle. I unscrewed the tip and pulled out the rod while the nib was imersed in the well. The pen draws up the ink, but when I push the rod back in place the ink all comes out. I know this is a very basic question, but how is this pen filled? Thank you, The Novice

It is called a vac-fil. You will find perfect instructions on this site. As the site says, the operation to fill is counterintuitive. It is NOT a syringe. It uses a vacuum to suck up ink when the plunger is pushed down. A lot of these pens need the seals and packing replaced and might leak when not restored.

Evan

Hi...serious newbie here...

I've been browsing the forums to learn more about these vac-fill Sheaffers, and try to learn if it's me, or if it's my pen.

I bought a (reputedly) restored Sheaffer (White dot, brown striated, wide gold cap band, Triumph Lifetime nib, plunger-fill system with a semi-transparent barrel).

When I got the pen, I noticed it was fizzing air out past the plunger rod on the downstroke, so that just seemed wrong. I sent it back and the guy (reputedly) re-restored it.

Now the pen doesn't fizz or bubble at the plunger, but it still doesn't take up a big drink on the downstroke. Bubbles are expelled into the ink, but it only takes up about an eighth of the area (from what I can see through the semi-transparent barrel).

At this point I don't know if I'm plunging too slow (or too fast) on the downstroke. I leave it submerged for 10 secs or more, but no difference. Testing it, I don't feel a little "thoomp" when the vacuum is released, so I wonder if it's still not making a vacuum.

Any thoughts? I'm about ready to send this off to Aaron for a complete rehaul.

Thanks for any advice (this is a great place, btw...I had no idea it was here!)

k

There are a couple of types of Sheaffer pens that have a "rod" type of thing that comes out of the back of the pen: Vac Fill, Touchdown, Snorkel (though you'd see the little front tube with with this). It sounds like it's either a Vac Fill or a Touchdown (you can tell depending on how big the rod is). Do not immerse the pen while pulling it out. You pull it out, immerse, then push down in a steady stroke.

If the pen is unrestored it probably will need work done to fill properly. A professional restoration is a good idea on the Vac Fills especially because they can be a tough fix.

[edited to clarify response was to original post]

This one isn't a snorkel (I have one of those) and I don't think it's a Touchdown because I can see the (small amount of) ink through the semi-transparent barrel (Touchdown's have a sac, no?). From what I've read so far, I think it's a vacuum-fill.

My problem is that it was sold to me as "restored" but it was a faulty job, and I returned it for a second "restore".

But from your description, it sounds like I'm following the correct steps to fill it. It isn't filling, though, so the restoration job was probably botched and I need to send it out to a real professional.

Thanks,

k

Sounds like the way to go. When a vac filler is working properly, it makes itself known. Touchdowns only have a little window on the section, and have the same wide rod as a snorkel, so you're pretty certainly looking at a vac. If you can lay hands without great expense on some pure silicon grease (which if you've got a dive shop locally, you probably can-- otherwise it's a bit of a risk whether it is in fact pure), try a good slather on the rod before sending it away. One of the two working ones I've got was initially acting very like yours is now, but a serious rod-greasing seems to have smartened up the seals. If that's not an option, or it doesn't work, send it out to someone who knows their way around the mechanism.

Sorry, my earlier response was to the original post.

Yours is indeed a Vac from what I hear, but it sounds like there may not have been a fully proper repair made to it. I'm not a Vac Fill expert, but these are repairs that can be problematic and are best left to experts in Vac Fills. The half-assed solutions that I've seen circulating from time to time really don't leave a nice filling system. They're temporary at best and can cause problems later on.

Well, at least it's not me.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to get a pro to give it a once-over. I love the feel and the nib, and have already started acquiring others based on that, but I was pretty sure the "restoration" it got wasn't up to par.

Best,

k

Read the Vacufil profile here: http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer...uumFilGuide.htm

If it's not a vacufil, then it's likely a TD: http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer...chdownGuide.htm

Definitely a vacuum-fill...thanks for the links. Tons of good info for n00bs like me.

k

This is quite true- I've found Sheaffer nibs to be more rigid and a bit smoother than comparable contemporaries (with the exception of the Parker Duofold). A Sheaffer's lifetime is one of the friendliest of all vintage nibs to modern writing styles. This goes for Lifetimes opens, Feather Touches, and Triumphs in my experience. I've found the Triumphs to be especially rigid, durable, and smooth.

Seconded. The chubby triumphs of the '40s are far and away my favourite points... at the moment. It's hard to imagine better, but I've yet to try a Nakaya elastic point yet, and I do like me some flex which is something the triumphs tend to steer away from.