Help Identify 'american' Vintage Fountain Pens

[sodul]

I found these 2 vintage pens on the bay today, and while I'm waiting for them to arrive I'm trying to actually identify them.

 

The American Pen Company was renamed the Moore Pen Company in 1917 but these pens looks likes they are from around 1950, so I doubt they are related. I can't read the engraving on the fine nib, which seems bent btw, but the medium one read 'very smooth - made in USA - broad'. Both levers have 'made in USA' engraved, hard to read but visible ont he first picture.

 

 

 

 

I'll post better pictures once I actually receive the pens.

[Zeeppo]

There was more than one Pen Company called American. There is currently the American Pen Company that I think may have been founded after the fifties.

 

I am looking through some books where I am certain I saw a couple pictures of Veri Smooth Nibs. I can't remember if they were associated with a specific pen or simply one of the many replacement nibs one could get back then.

 

 

Dang I feel like I should know the answer to this one. I am going to keep poking around on this one today.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Zeeppo

[sodul]

Thanks Zeeppo, these are definitely third tier pens but a nice beginners restoration project considering I only paid a little over $12 shipped.

 

I received the pens today. I was surprised that they came in a vintage box, but also that the vintage box was the package itself with the packing tape directly applied to it. Luckily it did not seem to get damaged and I was able to remove most of the tape. I will probably fold a little pen tray and use the box to store 5-6 vintage pens once I expand my collection.

 

 

As I suspected the dirtier nib is damaged and unlikely to be repairable due to a crack in the tine. It is a 'spoon' nib, so it was a pretty bad nib to begin with. The 'very smooth' nib has a folded over tip. No tipping material in either nib, I'll have to look at least for one replacement nib anyways.

 

The sacs are completely dry but did not leave a mess in the barrels and the lever mechanisms are still fully functional so I should be able fix them.

 

I cleaned and polished the caps with toothpaste and they look much better now. II'm cleaning the section, feed and nib with pen flush and got some success, as the 'veri smooth' is able to write when dipped in ink already.

 

 

 

Now I need to get my hands on a spare nib for the black pen, two rubber sacks and some shellac.

 

Any advices on how to cleanup the old sacs from the sections but also on how to remove the nibs and feeds?

 

 

[sodul]

I was able to cleanup the pens and even able to fix the damaged nib to the point it can write. I've only tried them by dipping them since I have no replacement sacs yet, and the ones I found seem to cost just as much as the pens shipped. I measured the part of the section holding the bladder to be 7.1mm in diameter.

 

The 'Veri smooth' nib is actually not bad, it has a hint of flex if pressed hard but the pen does not like it as the barrel is friction fitted to the section. It was definitely not intended to flex. I could not clean the 'spoon' nib properly, and it is probably a little bit corroded. The best thing would be to get the nib and feed out and find a good nib for the pen.

 

Here is a writing sample:

 

And here is how the pens look like now:

 

For comparison before:

[sodul]

I made little 'punch' tool to get the nib and feed out on the black pen:

 

The back of the nib had rusted and clogged both ink channels. I'm soaking the nib and feed overnight in pen flush and will probably use some naval jelly to get any leftover rust on the nib. I still need to order sacs, probably #16 or #17.

 

I suspect the green pen has the same issue since I get no water flowing from he section to the nib either.

 

I know these pens are low value and not really worth restoring but they will be great for learning on how to restore nicer pens.

[sodul]

I got both nibs and feed out now, and both had rust clogging the ink channels. The feeds and sections are pretty clean now but the nibs were quite rusty. The spoon nib is not salvageable, the broken tine only holds by the plating and the rust and I have neither the skill or equipment to fix it, and spoon nibs are just horrendous anyways. I'm replacing it with a chinese #5 nib I had laying around. It fits but is a little loose. I should be able to keep the 'very smooth' nib but the plating is in a pretty sorry state now. I still need to get new sacs.

[sodul]

I finally have a working pen. It is a frankenpen and it will probably rub purists the wrong way, but it worked.

 

I took the sac from a chinese Xhenyu 368 pen I got for free with ink a while back. The sac was easy to remove without cutting it and was on a 5.2mm section so with a bit of stretch it fits securely on the 7.2mm of the American section. I took the nib from a Jinhao 599, a #5 Fine nib. After 3 pulls of the lever the sac fills quite nicely, and the pen writes quite nicely as well. I wedged a little piece of paper between the section and body to get a secure fit as it was quite wobbly and I don't want to shellac everything just yet. I wrote for over 1 page (A5) and the pen performs nicely so far. No leaks, or dryness.

 

I will keep an eye open for cheap vintage nibs that would go better with the pen, but as far as my very first restoration goes I'm quite happy with the results.

 

I will order a few $0.99/shipped pens on eBay as a source of sacs for third tier pen restoration. I have a Hero 616 I paid $0.65 shipped and will try to get he sac out to put in the green American pen.

 

Original nib, not repairable:

 

Sac from chinese donor pen:

 

Works nicely with the lever mechanism:

 

 

Writes well:

[sodul]

I eventually took a cheap, unknown brand, nib that I had around. Made it into a nice stub and put it on the black pen to replace the broken spoon nib. It is now a very nice pen to write with. If I do get my hand on a vintage nib I'll probably swap it.

 

[welch]

To remove dead sacs, I use a "dental pic" and a tubular LED flashlight. Back around 2010, I bought them, and some other repair "stuff" from Pendemonium. The "pen pic" is about $5. See http://www.pendemonium.com/repairservices.htm

 

Ron Zorn ("Main Street Pens") sells the flashlight and other "stuff".

 

The Andersons (http://www.andersonpens.com/repairs-other-supplies-s/1996.htm) sell a wide load of repair supplies, including sacs.

 

Old computer saying that applies to the supplies that Ron and the Andersons sell: "you might not need it now, but when you need it, you'll REALLY need it".

 

Extra:

 

- Indy-pen Dance has nib-tuning supplies at: http://www.indy-pen-dance.com

Edited April 27, 2017 by welch

[inkstainedruth]

 

To remove dead sacs, I use a "dental pic" and a tubular LED flashlight. Back around 2010, I bought them, and some other repair "stuff" from Pendemonium. The "pen pic" is about $5. See http://www.pendemonium.com/repairservices.htm

 

Ron Zorn ("Main Street Pens") sells the flashlight and other "stuff".

 

The Andersons (http://www.andersonpens.com/repairs-other-supplies-s/1996.htm) sell a wide load of repair supplies, including sacs.

 

Old computer saying that applies to the supplies that Ron and the Andersons sell: "you might not need it now, but when you need it, you'll REALLY need it".

 

Extra:

 

- Indy-pen Dance has nib-tuning supplies at: http://www.indy-pen-dance.com

 

 

The Andersons used to bring replacement sacs to pen shows. They no longer do, because of the amount of stuff they *do* bring. But if you order sacs, you can arrange for pickup at a show.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[otw]

I admire your "make it work!" spirit.

 

I was going to suggest that you could take that broken nib and try grinding it down into an italic (or stub), but then I saw the picture. It would be a REALLY BROAD stub!

[sodul]

I admire your "make it work!" spirit.

 

I was going to suggest that you could take that broken nib and try grinding it down into an italic (or stub), but then I saw the picture. It would be a REALLY BROAD stub!

 

Yes, unfortunately it is cracked right where the nib meets the feed so there is no way I could even salvage it as a hugs stub. I'm watching some vintage nibs on the fleabay that would actually be an upgrade from the spoon nib ... anything is an upgrade over a spoon nib. I ideally if I could get hold of a 'very smooth' nib in good condition for $1 or $2 I would do the swap. I was lucky with the original sacs, they were in one solid piece in each pen and left no mess inside.

 

I learned a lot on refurbishing these 2 pens. I made my own carnauba wax and my own shellac (trying tonight on one of the sacs) and I learned how to carefully polish the barrel and cap.

 

Anyone has a better idea of the 2 'American' pens ages? My guess is 1940s-1950s but there is a good chance I'm wrong.

[sodul]

I finally got some decent NOS nibs. The radius was too small for the feed but I was able to fix that enough that the nib and feed fit in the section snuggly. The pen looks a lot more like it used to when new and I can't really complain to have proper tipping material rather than a spoon tip. Here is the new nib with the original spoon nib to the left, the chinese temporary fix to the right:

And this is how I got the pen 8 months ago:

 

I have no idea who the manufacturer of this new nib is, but while not an exact match for the original nib, it is a good match for the pen. I still do not have proper sacs for the pens, I'm waiting for my vintage collection to grow before making a bulk sac purchase, it probably will be silicone since it is a lot more stable than rubber in the long term and I'm not so worried about the drying issue.