Does Dlr Onoto Use O-Rings?

July 22, 2016

In this thread I discussed an Onoto "Everybody's pen". Taking a tip from Northlodge, I showed unaccustomed patience in cycles of cleaning and heating to try to dislodge the section. Far beyond normal recommendations, I would up giving it a few heat sessions plus about 45 minutes total in an ultrasonic cleaner before I was able to turn the section to release it eventually. Not having access to clear household ammonia here (not at either supermarket nor hardware stores) I eventually resorted to an "oxy-cleaner" stain removing solution from the laundry. With that in the USC for 15 minutes and further heat I was finally able to remove the section by careful force.

Cleaning up the section where it goes in to the barrel, I found two slim indents girdling the section with some encrustation remaining. Removing the remains with a dental pick, it appears these are about 0.5 mm in size. Could they be for very small O-rings or is there some other sealant DLR might have used? The encrusted parts were not black (unlike the interior of the barrel which was a semi-gooey mess and needed more cleaning cycles even to work the lever, then to clean properly).

I am not clear where I would get such small O-rings if that they are. Alternatively, and given how hard it was to remove the section anyway, just cleaning it up and shoving it back in would probably suffice. Note that this pen uses a sac (new to be fitted) and is not a plunge fill pen.

July 22, 2016

I've never seen an O ring between the section and barrel on an Onoto.

One could imagine the O ring was installed by a repairer later on, but given the pen is not a plunger filler but a sac filler, installing an O ring looks completely unnecessary to me.

Francis

July 22, 2016

I've never seen an O ring between the section and barrel on an Onoto.

OK, thank you.

One could imagine the O ring was installed by a repairer later on, but given the pen is not a plunger filler but a sac filler, installing an O ring looks completely unnecessary to me.
Francis

My reaction also, hence my puzzlement. To be clear, I found indented rings but no actual rubber. The encrustation could well be dried ink given the internals had obviously collapsed and leaked ink.

After cleanup the section is still a very tight fit in the barrel so I will simply put it back together like any other pen.