I did a search and found threads talking about this problem, but nothing about steps to take to repair or stabilize celluloid that is beginning to craze, so is it posible? I just won and received a beautiful red pearlescent Eversharp that is just starting to craze at the barrel end and I would like to protect it! Thanks for your help, regards, John

I think a low viscosity epoxy resin would do the trick.

No - celluloid cracks should never be repaired with any sort of epoxy or glue. A celluloid crack should be repaired by chemically welding the joint with a solvent such as acetone that actually melts the two sides of the material together. Filling in the crack with some celluloid of the same color is often important as well to prevent pitting around the crack. Glue makes it harder to do a proper repair later.

However, I don't think there is much that can solve a crazing problem. Depending on the type of pen and the extent of the crazing, there are some repairs that involve lathing off the crazed part and replacing it with a new peice (especially with Waterman 100 year pen ends), but that does not work with all pens and finding donor parts is not always possible.

I hope one of the professionals here will chime in with a little bit better information. . .

John

I have a wonderful Eversharp which suddenly gave way when I was carrying it in my pocket. It's lost part of the end and has a snapped barrel. Ah well, there's nothing to be done about it. I was considering epoxy resin, I suppose I could just use epoxy and hope that it stabilized it all, but this thread seems to imply that there's no hope. I will miss that Wahl - it had become a good user.

Rabbi Zvi

Thank you fjf, John, and Rabbi Zvi,

I'll use it till it falls apart, and then place what is left in the parts box! The number 2 flexible nib is a wonderful challenge for me ( I am a lefty), regards, John

Crazing and cracking in celluloid, particularly the older ones from teh 20's, is due to decomposition of the material. Some celluloid seems to hold up very well, others fail rather badly pretty quickly, and there is absolutely nothing you can do to fix it.

Some of it will "crystallize" and fall apart when touched. This is due to the molecules of celluloid falling apart --it literally turns into something else, and that something else is either a gooey mess (lots of old photographic film turned to slime) or a very brittle, shrunken "crystallized" material.

If you decided to make replacement parts, use acrylic or polycarbonate for the clear parts, it will greatly outlast celluloid.

Later celluloids (40's and 50's) are much more robust and if cared for will last a very long time. Protect form water, heat, and sunlight (especially in combination!). Any number of celluloid and hard rubber pens have been ruined by living in "flea market" glass top cases in unheated storage -- in the spring and fall, they get damp from condensation and then get put out on a table in full sun with the glass down -- warpage is terrible.

Peter