I recently purchased a Paker 451 (NOS) and it has a lot of sticky residue on the barrel from the sticker. What is the best way of removing it? I hesitate to use any of the petroleum-based products since it's a plastic barrel. Any suggestions welcome, since I would like to use the pen as soon as possilble! Thanks.

p.s. I did a search in the forum but didn't find anything in the various cleaning threads/posts.

I've had good luck with a clean cotton rag and some olive oil.

Rub the area with a drop or two of canola oil on a cottonball. Remove any excess oil with a clean cottonball or soft cloth.

Lighter fluid, which is naptha. It evaporates very quickly and does not damage the plastic. If you're worried, a quick wash with a little soap and water is all that you need. I've used it for years with no negative results - even on the pens on which it was used nearly 20 years ago.

I use vegetable oil.

Thanks for the cooking oil idea. Like Ron I always reach for lighter fluid but when it comes to pens made from unusual materials I hesitated to recommend it because I don't know how it might react. I first learned about lighter fluid when I was a little kid and would sometimes get tar on my feet at the beach. My mom would get it off with lighter fluid.

Hey, it works! I just tried some cooking oil (canola) and it came off beautifully. Thanks for all your help.

Frankly, my preference is for lighter fluid. I know what it will do to the material - nothing, while it will remove the adhesive. I don't know about cooking oil, olive oil etc. The advantage to lighter fluid is that it evaporates very quickly, leaving nothing behind on the pen.

I've only got a sample size of 1 right now, but Tryphon's pen cleaner/protectant took sticker residue off a pen I was working on pretty well.

Just another thought to muddy the waters - like dissolves like - an old chemistry thing I remember from ages past. Anyway, I have found that using the same sticker (if t is still available) works by dabbing and removing rapidly with an upward almost rubbing like motion the piece from the surface to be cleaned. If the original isn't available, scotch tape or masking tape will do the same trick. This way there are no chemicals, no muss, no fuss, and no cleanup afterwards. Besides, all those chemicals give me headaches and the oil gets into everything.

Peace,

Phroneo