Reblackening Hard Rubber

[MT4]

Hi all,

 

I own some HR pens, and some among them are fading a little bit. I have read about the re-blackening process, the polishing method, and so. I know that both of them most probably mean that you are altering the pen (by either removing material from it or by chemically altering the surface material). I also know that this has been discussed endlessly...

 

My question is: Isn't there a feasible way of de-oxidizing the HR, that would also be applicable for non-black pens and won't involve removing material? Even if this means that you have to further work on your pen, by either polishing or aestetically enhancing it in some other way, it would be useful for us hobbyists. If available, this technique would return the pen to it's original shape (no HR pen was factory sold oxidized AFAIK).

 

There are most probably people with a high chemistry level around (higher than mine for sure, as I didn't learn anything related to chemistry in the past 25 years), so please answer in an understandable way.

 

TIA

 

Martin

 

 

[Vintagepens]

The answer, in short, is no -- no such method of deterioration reversal is known, and discovery of such a method is unlikely. What you are asking for is the equivalent of turning rust back into steel, or charcoal into wood.

[MT4]

Thanks, David. I was somehow expecting that there was a product/method/technique that (even if this meant enough man-hours to put the job beyond what a service is willing to invest in a single pen...) was able to revert this.

 

My pens are not specially expensive or scarce, but I enjoy the time I spend playing the repairman with them. I might try re-blackening some of them in the future, but I am not yet sure enough about it.

 

Thanks again.

 

Martin

[rhr2010]

I think this is a touchy topic. As David points out, there is no reversal process and most serious collectors would prefer a pen cleaned up and kept in its original conditions. However, for user grade pens that you would enjoy more in a dark black color, there are some dyes that work quite well. The process is recommended only for user grade pens and it should be disclosed if you ever sell the pen. In addition, for the trained eye with a loupe is not difficult to find out the trick. Re-blackening does not reverse the oxidation process but just paints on top of it and it can be polished away with an abrasive polish. I used on some user grade pens the product sold by Walnut, the moderator of the Wahl-Eversharp forum. I was extremely pleased with the results: http://pensburymanor.com/PMBHRPPNo9.html

 

 

If it gives you more pleasure in your daily use, go for it. After all they had to use aggressive restoration even on the "Last Supper" of Leonardo Da Vinci, otherwise the generation to come would have nothing to look at...conservative restoration and preservation are developing topics and in the past "restorers" butchered several pieces of art.

[vans4444]

I have a number of faded BHR pens. I normally just clean them and apply some museum wax. However, as an experiment I did try some Pembury Manor black dye on a Waterman ED that is not in good condition. A great deal of care is needed to get it right, but the pen now looks really good and is in my rotation. I would not want to buy a pen that has been dyed and I assume it adversely effects the pens value. However, I enjoyed the exercise and the pen.

[eckiethump]

Not all BHR is of the same quality, PMBHR solution will give differing results on different pens, some very good, others not so, I find warming the pen prior to application improves results. Like most things in cosmetic repair there is quite a bit of personal trial and error involved, to gain experience, before you can attempt it with a degree of certainty as to the final results on a particular pen.

 

 

I'd say it is at least 2-3 years since I have bothered, or been asked to use, PMBHR for re-blackening. Removal of the oxidised layer always being my preference, at the certain risk of lost detail.

 

Kirch, shows some very excellent, before and after pictures of re-blackening on his web site, but I don't know the process he employs ?

 

The other, process G10(I think it was called) seems to have disappeared, I am surmising this didn't stand up to the test of time, but have not read of any ones personal experience of it.

 

et

[rhr2010]

I used so far Penbury Manor potion on two Moore safety pens with astonishing results. One was severely faded to a disgusting greenish brown and it now looks like a million bucks :clap1: . The other needed some uniformity since it was oxidized in patches and it also come out looking great. My last experiment has been on the end screw on piece of the cap of a Conway Stewart and that also came out very good, but this was just a small piece. I never tried on a Waterman so far.

 

 

[MT4]

Thanks. I might try Pensbury manor later. Are the results too obvious? I wouldn't like a pen looking like a fake one. Anything about HR other than black?

 

Rgds.

 

Martin

[Malcy]

I recently used MAAS polish on a very oxidised Sheaffer 2A. It managed to remove a lot of oxidisation darkening the pen nicely. It still was not as dark as the original and I am sure that more oxidised rubber would be removed if I kept at it. The cleaning with this polish is pretty gentle and the pattern did not seem to be diminished.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Malcy

[Roger W.]

Thanks. I might try Pensbury manor later. Are the results too obvious? I wouldn't like a pen looking like a fake one. Anything about HR other than black?

 

Rgds.

 

Martin

 

A reblacked pen will look nice and black to those that don't know about pens. Anyone that knows hard rubber will see it for what it is trying to reverse nature. As David said - you can't make steel from rust and you can't truly reverse oxidization on hard rubber. The best you can do is on a smooth pen and that is to remove the top oxidization but, if you aren't careful with the pen the newly exposed surface is now subject to oxidization. This is true for other hard rubber that is not black. Non black hard rubber can not be stained or "reblacked" in anyway so you know those have not been tampered with. Oh, and that is what it is - tampering - any pen that is deoxidized or reblacked has been tampered with and is no longer worth what it was before. Rare pens should never be reblacked.

 

Roger W.

[rhr2010]

I think it should be a personal decision and done with no intent to fraud anybody... In addition, as we all know, it is not difficult to spot the re-blackening, but it is not obvious either. I have a mint Moore and a re-blackened one and it takes a loupe and very strong light to tell one from the other...the easiest way is to "scratch" that "tampered one". I have no association with Pensbury Manor, but the potion works well for my standards for a user grade pen. If you have a cavity, would you think that you are tampering your tooth if you fix it, maybe with white enamel...I know this is a touchy topic, but a pen is a pen at the end of the day and if you can get more pleasure by "tampering it", why should you not do it? I think it is a personal choice.

[Roger W.]

I think it should be a personal decision and done with no intent to fraud anybody... In addition, as we all know, it is not difficult to spot the re-blackening, but it is not obvious either. I have a mint Moore and a re-blackened one and it takes a loupe and very strong light to tell one from the other...the easiest way is to "scratch" that "tampered one". I have no association with Pensbury Manor, but the potion works well for my standards for a user grade pen. If you have a cavity, would you think that you are tampering your tooth if you fix it, maybe with white enamel...I know this is a touchy topic, but a pen is a pen at the end of the day and if you can get more pleasure by "tampering it", why should you not do it? I think it is a personal choice.

 

I said nothing of user grade pens and it may certainly add pleasure to the owner to have a pen black as the day it was made. I'd never do it but I am a collector and more casual user (5 of 100's inked would show a leaning). You really do have to get examples that are fitting - a tooth is not comparable in any way that I can comprehend - do people collect teeth and I've missed something? Maybe something along the lines of polishing ebonite pipe bits to remove an oxidized layer might be more apt though not many smoke pipes (I do and the point is well taken but, I smoke in my home office and if the bit is brown what does it matter?) My focus against related to rare pens and as I've said elsewhere, it would behove anyone to find out enough about their pen before they do anything to it. It is certainly in the realm of reasonable that someone might obtain a rare Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman etc. that would rise to the occassion to be preserved over being used but, that is still the owners choice at the end of the day.

 

Roger W.

[rhr2010]

Roger, you are right that the example might not have been perfect. I used it more to the purpose of discussing "user grade" pens. I like to carry a pen in my shirt pocket and it gives a first impression about me, like my smile, my hair cut and so on. I have mixed feeling myself about the "re-blackening" process. I used to think that it was plain wrong, but then I gave a second thought and concluded that I personally don't care too much. I am just trying to understand the strong opinions of people. I think there is a lot of debate also in the art and antiques field and restoration should be conservative and preserve the original character of the piece. Also for what concerns watches, some people like the "patina" on the dial of an old watch, but if I have to wear it, I have the dial redone. However, I "collect" only pens in working conditions, with a nib that provides pleasure to write with and an appearance that is pleasing to the eye. That said, if I should get that oxidized Waterman 58 or Waterman 20, I would just clean it and not even carry it too often in my shirt pocket. I guess it is a matter of judgement, case by case.

 

What do people think about Waterman 100 year pens with the jewel rebuilt with vintage lucite? As long as the color is correct and the restoration faithful, I do like them, buy them and collect them. However, from a logical point of view, the pen is no longer "original", still very pleasing to my eye though. Is this restoration different from re-blackening?

 

 

Federico

[Roger W.]

Roger, you are right that the example might not have been perfect. I used it more to the purpose of discussing "user grade" pens. I like to carry a pen in my shirt pocket and it gives a first impression about me, like my smile, my hair cut and so on. I have mixed feeling myself about the "re-blackening" process. I used to think that it was plain wrong, but then I gave a second thought and concluded that I personally don't care too much. I am just trying to understand the strong opinions of people. I think there is a lot of debate also in the art and antiques field and restoration should be conservative and preserve the original character of the piece. Also for what concerns watches, some people like the "patina" on the dial of an old watch, but if I have to wear it, I have the dial redone. However, I "collect" only pens in working conditions, with a nib that provides pleasure to write with and an appearance that is pleasing to the eye. That said, if I should get that oxidized Waterman 58 or Waterman 20, I would just clean it and not even carry it too often in my shirt pocket. I guess it is a matter of judgement, case by case.

 

What do people think about Waterman 100 year pens with the jewel rebuilt with vintage lucite? As long as the color is correct and the restoration faithful, I do like them, buy them and collect them. However, from a logical point of view, the pen is no longer "original", still very pleasing to my eye though. Is this restoration different from re-blackening?

 

 

Federico

 

You make a good point on the Waterman 100 and there are pens that you'd have to make a case on the merit of the pen. I don't own a Waterman 100 but, I understand that the original plastic is so prone to crazing that a restored end is the only answer - it is a lovely pen. Mabie Todd levers are most often pitted - maybe plate (filled originally so not "replate") the lot of them knowing that would almost always be the case with a good looking one. So those are particular cases. When it comes to BCHR I accept that it took a particular manufacturing process to make it black and once that is gone it is gone. I'm not sure a BCHR pen is any better than a user pen left at home - I'm not sure they should be considered durable enough to be a user that anyone in the public would see anyway (just drop the cap once on a hard floor - crack it 9 times out of 10). Still the owners risk - what they want to do. I use and carry Snorkels and Targas and a balance with a cracked cap already - sturdy pens to carry. In my younger days I carried a Boston 13 and it was well used when I got it but the cap wasn't cracked until later. BCHR is not something I would carry though I do have some 200 of them.

 

Roger