First, I just wanted to say thanks to the board for helping me out with my Sheaffer. I've been using it for a while now, and it's fine yet smooth and hold quite a bit of ink. I enjoy the fact that I can write with the same pen my grandfather used when he was my age.

I still have one question though. Sometimes, when I'm am inking the pen, a small amount of ink will appear where the plunger comes out of the barrel as I pull it up. Is this normal?

That's a sign of a problem developing, alas. The felt packing within should prevent anything like that from happening, and if it doesn't, that means the packing is going awry. A possible short-term solution: First, empty and clean the pen, and let it dry. Run the filler right out, and apply a good dose of pure silicone grease to the shaft, then run it back in. Do this a couple of times, in the hope that the grease with reimpregnate the packing. If it does, you've bought a little extra time before a serious refit is needed. If it doesn't work, you're out the cost of the amount of grease you've used, which is not so great.

Edit-- one word which starts with "w" is much the same as any other, right? Apparently not.

That's too bad. I'll probably just have it restored, I'd rather fix it properly than try stopgap measures.

Thank you for the information.