My interest came from a new Liaison I got that was skipping on the downstroke. I have Richard Binder's smoothing kit and I used the 0.3μ sheet for some very light polishing of the nib, and it pretty much solved the problem. I would like to go a little further but I have some questions:

Is it better to smooth with the pen inked or uniked? Better to have the sanding film rest on a soft surface, like felt, or is a harder surface preferable? I suppose a very light touch is best, at least in the sense of being cautious? Are there any writeups somewhere on how to move the nib on the sanding film?

How about polishing? I am talking about keeping new pens in pristine condition and removing very tiny scratches as opposed to restoring beat up vintage pens. For metal parts (nib/trim), what do you think of Flitz metal polish? There is a paste and a milder liquid version. I imagine the liquid would be safer for my application. How about the barrel? I guess the same polish is fine for metal barrels, but how about plastic/celluloid/lacquered bodies? Flitz has also a "Fiberglass & Paint Polish". Would that be better for non-metallic pens? I have also noticed a Tryphon kit that includes a scratch remover, a polish, and a cleaner/protectant. Any other suggestions?

How about the polishing cloth? Is microfiber the way to go? How about lens cleaning cloth?

Finally, is applying some sort of a wax on pens going too far if the pen is going to be used? Any danger of making the section too slippery for use?

I know, I am asking too many questions at once . But I think those of us who are not plannig on becoming deicated amateur restorers would appreciate any tips for minimal pen maintenance

Stylo,
I will try to provide a few answers.
1. Smoothen the nib with the pen filled. The ink will lubricate the abrasive and give a much smoother result. Alternatively, you can wet the abrasive with water, but I prefer to use the ink.
2. I rest the abrasive on a smooth hard surface, but sometimes it is useful to use an abrasive that has a rubber base, like the micromesh stuff. A veeeery light touch is absolutely necessary if you want a mirror like finish on the iridium.
3. Polishing: I produce the Tryphon kit and so I am biased: in my opinion there is nothing better. I also sell the MicroGloss polishes (Standard and #5, which is slightly more aggressive) and they are also excellent. When polishing pens, follow these rules:
A. Lacquer over metal pens. Start with the pen polish, not the scratch remover. Rub lightly and stop often to check progress. Finish off with the Pen Shine (cleaner/protectant).
B. Plastic pens (Thermoplastics): start with the scratch remover. Scratches on thermoplastics pens can be quite deep. Follow with the pen polish and finish off with pen shine.
C. Celluloid and acrylics pens: start with the pen polish and finish off with the pen shine. Use the scartch remover locally only on the deeper surface scratches.
D. Metal pens: often all that is needed is the pen shine. Use polish very lightly: some pens are thinly plated and the polish can remove the plating. Do not use the scratch remover.
4. Micro fiber cloths are excellent for a quick and safe cleaning of pens.
5. Wax is fine for a protective finish, especially on HR and thermoplastics pens. You can choose a wax that enhances the shininess of the surface, like the Tryphon pen wax, or a neutral and very safe and mild wax like the Tryphon Museum Wax.
I hope this helps a little!
Take care,
Giovanni

It helps a lot! Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed explanation I now know what to do

My two cents.

1. I prefer water as lubricant. I can see what I'm doing, and also can see what sort of marks the nib ismaking on the mylar which helps a bit. If I have to handle the nib, I keep my hands cleaner. I keep a cup of water and an ink bottle for dip testing handy. I'll smooth with water and mylar, dip the nib to test it on paper, then rinse it in water, and back to smoothing.

2. I've tried both hard surface and a softer material under the mylar and have ot say I prefer a pad of paper or something soft under the mylar. A slight amount of curvature in the polishing seems to help avoide flat spots. In the end I don't think it matters too much.

3. I use a muslin buffing wheel on a Dremel and solid stick polish on all my pens. I even used it to take the level of gloss on my Filcao Atlantica to a new level (it came with some machining swirls). NOTE: the use of wheels seems to be a very controversial topic on the board. If Keith was here, he'd be warning you off of them. Care should be taken ifyou go this direction. For just daily cleanning and polishing, I have the Tryphon set, although use mostly the polish.

Also, David Nishimura advises against buffing wheels in his "Pen Repair Don'ts" article. Buffing wheels are alleged to be responsible for a lot of high-point brassing on vintage pens, so one needs to be careful.

There are also dangers to overbuffing on some pens. I have a lovely little Sheaffer Balance vacuum-filler in Ebonized Pearl. Someone buffed it to a beautiful high-gloss shine, but in the process created little chips where the mica "Mother of Pearl" chips in the pattern came close to the surface.

John

i have used rennaisance wax on knives for years and now use it on my pens as well. it leaves a hard wax coating that helps protect the surface.
i also polish by hand. less chance of losing the even surfaces and/or imprints. in fact, for restorations i mask imprints with transparent tape so as not to muck them up.
as to the nib work, i make the same recommendation as i do for removing scratches on knives. start with the finest grit you have and only if you aren't cutting enough should you go more course.

Well, you can send it to me...