An Exiting Project

[penrivers]

Wow, that good luck, dexterity and common sense to restore those pens. Once they are full restored, how much will you ask for them?.

[alexander_k]

I've just got one of the same pens. It needed much less work (and anyway I couldn't have done what Lex did - there are clear differences in proficiency between us) and it's a delightful writer too, with a surprising degree of flex. I guess that back then they managed to make good pens even at the lower tiers. I wonder how much such a pen cost originally.

[Brotzmann]

Very interesting post.Thanks for sharing!

[Cognaticrotty]

beautiful process, and BEAUTIFUL pen. great job!!!!

[Flounder]

I've only just gotten round reading this excellent post. Kudos to your outstanding efforts!

[Lexaf]

Oh, how most of us would have loved to have found that trunk full of pens! Were there literally hundreds of pens in it? Good to know that at least some of them have found their way into good hands - yours - where they could be restored and finally put in use.

 

Thank you for sharing the restoration process with us; makes me think that maybe I might be able to give it a try (thus far I have only worked on simple lever fill pens - sacs are easy to replace!)

 

Holly

 

Holly, Look here: http://www.penpractice.com/

This book has been of tremendous help for me.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Got your # 7 picture pen....in better shape except for the 'broken' or non working piston.

It is my sharpest Chased pen. It has deep sharp chasing.

I like our clip too.

 

Don't remember which nib it was I had on it...it's been waiting for a long time. What nib did you have on it, or have on it. I was rather noobie when I got it and didn't keep proper track of things. It was my very first chased pen.

Be nice to go with the original nib...when the day comes.

 

I've wavered between that being a Croat pen from real early '30's-31? when the window came in.

In before Pelikan bought up the patent pre' Pelikans were made there or if it was a war pen because of the lack of the cap ring....in the real early '30's cap rings were not universal.

 

 

Your rough nibs had to be real late '40s war years or just the dust of corrosion..

Degussa nibs were made in the once Osmia factory and are in some cased Easy Full flex...also have them in regular flex. There is nothing second class dull about them, the Herlitz or Luxor nibs I have...even if tehy are after the war. I have before, and after the war Osmia..The Osmia War pen, chased, had a nib that corroded form sitting for decades with IG ink....if only he'd used Royal Blue. The steel was not super dull like it was made with out ever seeing polish...just rusty and the end in the section was rusted away....

I only have four or five war pens, and none were rough....even the late war Reform, whose nib is a bit more corroded than others it still has some shine.

...

 

If you could post a nib picture or two. I have a couple of old nibs from Degussa, Luxor and Herlitz....some one like Kaweco could tell you lots more...in he gave me my nibs.

[Lexaf]

Amazing!!

 

A true labor of love. I may have to send you my little no-name German piston filler to restore and find a new nib for. Are you taking orders? (Just kidding)

 

PM sent.

[Lexaf]

I've just got one of the same pens. It needed much less work (and anyway I couldn't have done what Lex did - there are clear differences in proficiency between us) and it's a delightful writer too, with a surprising degree of flex. I guess that back then they managed to make good pens even at the lower tiers. I wonder how much such a pen cost originally.

 

Thank you Alexander for your contribution.

 

Indeed there were lots of fine pens made back in the 1930s. Also among the numerous small brands and pens that were manufactured without any brand name one could find a lot of good quality. To get an impression of what a pen in the lower tier area cost in that era, here is an example of an old price list I found from a less known German brand: NIOS. The lower end pens they made could be compared to 'my' no names. As there are already ballpoints mentioned in this list I think it was published in the early 1950's. Maybe in the 30's prices were even a bit lower, models would not have changed much in thet period between 1935 and 1950.

 

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/7025/khzg.jpg

 

http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/9287/r2qu.jpg

 

And here my own (and only) NIOS, Look at the similarities in design with the No-names: the turning knob at the back side and the high top on the cap.

 

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7458/pwak.jpg

 

http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/5531/ay15.jpg

 

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7943/ufxr.jpg

 

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/8284/9ikl.jpg

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2013 by Lexaf

[Lexaf]

 

If you could post a nib picture or two.

 

 

 

# Bobo: With pleasure...

 

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/1711/2fu9.jpg

 

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/4094/m96w.jpg

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited November 22, 2013 by Lexaf

[Kaweco]

............. Might the Hamburg '44, and marks be a start to seek the pre-early war manufacturers?

Have you shared the find, and photos with the Euro pen forum?.........

Hello pen2paper, possibly I`m an ignorant but what is the Hamburg 44 and where can I find the Euro pen forum ?

Thanks

Thomas

[thoppen]

Dag Lex,

 

I just bought exactly one of those pens. I was about to enter a post on help identifying it, but decided to do a forum search first, which lead me to this post. This is my pen:

[pw1224]

This is fantastic!!!

[Namo]

Somehow I missed that one! Thank you so much! Awesome!

[JonSzanto]

This is fantastic!!!

 

Well, uh, sometimes.

 

I've PM'd the fellow who started the thread with a couple questions, but here is my situation: I purchased two of these pens for restoration. The seller couldn't have been nicer, and I decided on two because in case one had problems, hopefully the other wouldn't. The project went as far as restoring the pistons - I was able to remove both assemblies, but then first one, and then the second, had the metal threaded driveshaft disintegrate into pieces, leaving the bulk of itself in the piston and a knob with a chunk of metal protruding. All of this was just with light pressure, and the piston never even budged.

 

I'm dead at the moment. I'll either have to build piston assemblies completely from scratch or the pens are, essentially, useless. I'm also going to write the seller to see if there are any working parts available in whatever stock they have left. Makes me sad.

[Lexaf]

Hi again,

 

For those who want to read the continuing story: read here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/261675-old-german-war-time-fountain-pens-again-mother-lode/

 

and here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266039-old-german-war-time-fountain-pens-again-part-2/

 

and here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/267011-old-german-war-time-fountain-pens-again-part-3-nibs-and-seals/

[Lexaf]

 

Well, uh, sometimes.

 

I've PM'd the fellow who started the thread with a couple questions, but here is my situation: I purchased two of these pens for restoration. The seller couldn't have been nicer, and I decided on two because in case one had problems, hopefully the other wouldn't. The project went as far as restoring the pistons - I was able to remove both assemblies, but then first one, and then the second, had the metal threaded driveshaft disintegrate into pieces, leaving the bulk of itself in the piston and a knob with a chunk of metal protruding. All of this was just with light pressure, and the piston never even budged.

 

I'm dead at the moment. I'll either have to build piston assemblies completely from scratch or the pens are, essentially, useless. I'm also going to write the seller to see if there are any working parts available in whatever stock they have left. Makes me sad.

 

# Jon:

I hope you do not mind that I explain here that the person you bought these pieces from was NOT me... Sorry for the late reaction, but for some reason the notifications for this tread stopped?!? so I just saw it today when a was adding a little post to point readers to the continuation of this story.

 

# all:

Still working on more pens... So there will be a part 4 (soon?) I think.

[Lexaf]

Dag Lex,

 

I just bought exactly one of those pens. I was about to enter a post on help identifying it, but decided to do a forum search first, which lead me to this post.

 

@ thoppen:

 

Hi Tim, Read my PM!

[JohnEbach]

Such beautiful work on these older pens. I enjoyed the lessons and history of what you guys have done.

 

thanks

 

john

[JPM-10]

Great story. I just bought a fountainpen like this via Marktplaats.

It s a super fountainpen. Writes like no other pen I own. The best part is the FLEX of the nib. Super!!

 

Also thanks for the pictures on how to repair it. I was afraid to unscrew the end of the barrel to get the piston out. See now how to do it.

Thanks.

 

Bedankt, voor je helder verhaal.

De pen lekt niet, maar als er iets mee is weet ik nu hoe de boel te repareren.