Hey all,

I purchased a 51 frankenpen that I really enjoy writing with, very smooth and all that jazz. However, when I write with it, it will inevitably leave it's mark on me. I'm careful not to touch the nib, and rubbing the lower portion of the barrel doesn't give me anything, but sometimes it's a little ink and sometimes it's a lot.

Any thoughts on where I might look to see if there is a leak? I can't find one, but I'd sure like to use this pen a little more often.

Thanks!

Roll the pen on a damp paper towel -- any ink leakage will show up as a spot on the paper, and let you locate the leakage point on the pen.

Two things come to mind: Cracked hood and improper sealing.

If the ink appears well down the hood from the clutch ring, likely it's cracked and you will be able to see the crack if you can locate the position of the leak.

If ink appears at the clutch ring, the hood needs to be removed and properly sealed with shellac or section sealant. Or a new o-ring fitted, depending on date of manufacture. All Vacumatic "51"s have the hood sealed on, but Aerometrics after sometime in 1950 usually have an o-ring that seals the hood.

It's also possible that there is a leak in the pen (much more likely with a Vacumatic) that allows ink to seep out of the nib into the cap, where it will get on the hood and hence on your finger.

Peter