Doubts Storage And Daily Use Of Pen With High Humidity

[fountainpen51]

Hi, I have some doubts regarding this, I think I have read almost all the posts about preserving the celluloid, but I have some doubts.

First I comment that I live on an island, the average annual humidity is 68% onwards, the average temperature is between 18ºC-64ºF (winter) 26ºC-79ºF (summer), I do not use air conditioning.

I have read that the optimum humidity is 30% -40%, so here it is almost double, I know that to store it is better a dark, airy place with silica gel and MicroChamber papers, do not pair with Hard Rubbers

Now, as for daily use of the pen, they remain on the table, away from the Sun, but not from the humidity. Here I have doubts about this, would it be advisable as long as I do not write at the moment save them in a "special storage box" with the airing and silica until the next day I rewrite it??

I thought you could make a glass / wood case with an air inlet pc fan and another outlet, with silica gel to keep the humidity just right and save there for daily use until it is written. Or just leave them on the table even if I use it for months? Maybe the daily changes in that box will damage due to frequent temperature/humidity changes?

I found a new Vacumatics in a store stored in its box and the original plastic, in perfect condition, forgotten in a case, so I do not know what would be the correct storage with these characteristics, but I have seen several celluloid pens broken by the humidity in little time in posts, and I would like to maintain its good condition, I know it will not last forever, but as much as possible.

I do not know if it will be an important fact, the celluloids I have are several Arcos brown, several Vacumatics (many unused), Pelikan Souverän, and some HR.

Do Montblanc pens need equal care of the moisture in their rings?

What do you think about this? What advice can you give me?

I speak with the help of the translator, I hope to be clear in what I mean.

Thank you.

Edited October 13, 2017 by fountainpen51

[ParkerDuofold]

Hello Fountainpen51,

 

I also live in a humid area... the New Jersey coast... but I use air conditioning.

 

Do you have a wine chiller? Perhaps storing your celluloid pens in it would be the solution.

 

See, a refrigerator operates the same way as an air conditioning system does, just on a much smaller (and more extreme) scale. The air inside a refrigerator is naturally dehumidified by the cooling process; however, a refrigerator may be too cold and result in lots of condensation and moisture problems when you remove the pen for use... thus a wine chiller, which is usually kept at warmer temps than a refrigerator may be an ideal compromise (and solution).

 

Mind you, this is just food for thought... I've never done this... I use my A/C, so I do not have to resort to alternates, (if alternatives are even needed),... but perhaps this would be viable way of preserving your pens... if they need it... bear in mind, these pens have survived most of their lives w/o air conditioning and they're still here, so this may all be a moot concern in the first place, but I'll leave that debate to greater minds than mine.

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

Edited October 13, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[fountainpen51]

Hello Fountainpen51,

 

I also live in a humid area... the New Jersey coast... but I use air conditioning.

 

Do you have a wine chiller? Perhaps storing your celluloid pens in it would be the solution.

 

See, a refrigerator operates the same way as an air conditioning system does, just on a much smaller (and more extreme) scale. The air inside a refrigerator is naturally dehumidified by the cooling process; however, a refrigerator may be too cold and result in lots of condensation and moisture problems when you remove the pen for use... thus a wine chiller, which is usually kept at warmer temps than a refrigerator may be an ideal compromise (and solution).

 

Mind you, this is just food for thought... I've never done this... I use my A/C, so I do not have to resort to alternates, (if alternatives are even needed),... but perhaps this would be viable way of preserving your pens... if they need it... bear in mind, these pens have survived most of their lives w/o air conditioning and they're still here, so this may all be a moot concern in the first place, but I'll leave that debate to greater minds than mine.

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

Yes, I have a wine chiller, but it is being used. I also thought about the refrigerator and as you said the condensation is worse.

I do not really know how fragile the celluloid is in this location, and for some posts I've seen of how the humidity is destroyed in quick time ... I prefer to treat them as best as possible.

[Water Ouzel]

I live in an alternately humid/dry area; north-central Minnesota. One day we might have air conditioning here, we do run a couple of dehumidifiers in the basement, but hope to have that need go away in a few more years (the basement slab is only two years old and still expressing moisture a bit).

 

The single issue I've encountered with high humidity has been some sticking glued flaps on postal envelopes.

[penmanila]

i live in the philippines, where humidity normally runs at around 80% (today it's 86), and have had no problems with my stored vacumatics (and other vintage pens, for that matter). of course i keep them in a cool (but not airconditioned) dry place, and i do air them out once in a while and give them a good wipe.

 

i have 64 of my best vacs filling a 64-pen case, and some of them are new old stock-mint, so i should have a fairly reliable gauge of deterioration, and so far i haven't seen any visible or notable degradation of the plastic. i also do fill up the pens with a few squeezes' worth of water occasionally, just to check out the diaphragms.

 

i do the same thing with my hard rubber pens, etc. nothing assures me better a visual and hands-on check from time to time.

[fountainpen51]

Thanks for these tips, maybe I should not worry so much?

I hope someone can provide some information that we have not said.

[penmanila]

Indeed. Time and the weather will do far worse damage to us than to our pens.

[fountainpen51]

Ok, thanks for the comments, I will do the tips mentioned here and they will last a long time!