Any Ideas For This Platignum Visi Ink?

[chunya]

A long time ago I picked this up with a stack of other pens, it was in its original box and although these were inexpensive pens, and even now will never make more than a very few £, I liked the look of it (well, the outside of it, I didn't actually open it up until this morning).

 

As you can see from the photo, it is nothing more than a shell. Now, either someone removed the nib, feed, breather tube etc for use elsewhere, or this was just intended as a dummy for display.

 

I always like to give things a second life whereaver possible, and I probably do have a spare nib and feed that will fit as well as a big enough sac to act as a bulb. However, the original feed was a longish affair onto which the breather tube fitted, so is that a problem? I imagine that finding an original feed and tube might be akin to the quest for the Grail, and then the cost might make it impractical.

 

Debbie has a nice piece that explains the working of these pens: https://goodwriterspens.com/2011/12/06/of-bulb-fillers-and-national-security/

 

Any ideas on what I could do would be welcome, or should I just fit a nib and feed and use it as a Dip Pen? It's too pretty to just discard.

 

 

[eckiethump]

These are quite weird in that they do not operate as you would think with a normal bulb filler (postal pen for US people). The breather tube does not fit into the feed as you would expect and the feed has a convoluted path arrangement to it ? I've never quite figured out how the filling arrangement works, but it does admirably.

 

Edit below

What Debbie shows is not the same pen filling mechanism I am discussing above

Edited June 19, 2018 by eckiethump

[chunya]

Hi Eric, thanks for that .... I realised after I posted that things were not quite so straightforward ..... for example nothing to attach the bulb to!

I found an old feed and nib that fit snugly, so it'll just have to sit there and look pretty and be used as a dip pen.

All the sections went through a ultrasonic bath and the water was perfectly clear, so I am pretty sure it had never been used as a working pen.

[northlodge]

The National Security pen discussed by Debbie was almost certainly made by Lang.

 

I have seen these Platignum models where, as Eric says, the breater tube does not actually connect to the feed, it is held in place at the base of the chamber but falls short of the feed.

 

Such pens, in black, come up quite often on ebay for very little money, so you may well be able to source the parts you need without too much difficulty.

[chunya]

A good idea, it isn't worth spending much money on, but it is a pretty pen so if it can be revived cheaply ....

[CS388]

Magnificent box! I love the writing, so evocative of the period.

 

Pleased you found a nib that fits - it's probably an upgrade! (I've never been keen on Platignum nibs)

Could you use the pen as an ED?

 

Good luck.

[chunya]

Magnificent box! I love the writing, so evocative of the period.

 

Pleased you found a nib that fits - it's probably an upgrade! (I've never been keen on Platignum nibs)

Could you use the pen as an ED?

 

Good luck.

 

 

Definitely and upgrade re the nib! I probably could, but I'd have to search through my bits for a better fitting feed; as it is what goes in the top (only tried water) trickles out the bottom! I have plenty of feeds and nibs so it's just a case of trial and error.

[eachan]

I know Deborah of Goodwriters rather well. She hates being called Debbie. She goes by Deb.

 

Just sayin'...

[chunya]

I know Deborah of Goodwriters rather well. She hates being called Debbie. She goes by Deb.

 

Just sayin'...

Ooops! Apologies to Debs

[eckiethump]

I know Deborah of Goodwriters rather well. She hates being called Debbie. She goes by Deb.

 

Just sayin'...

I don't think it'll matter much, as Debs doesn't to my knowledge come on here anymore ;-). I've also known her and her husband for around maybe ten years, visiting them at their home, was never aware that being called Debbie was ever a problem ? She is American tho' ? :-)

[eachan]

I don't think it'll matter much, as Debs doesn't to my knowledge come on here anymore ;-). I've also known her and her husband for around maybe ten years, visiting them at their home, was never aware that being called Debbie was ever a problem ? She is American tho' ? :-)

Yes, she's from Pennsylvania. She has always been called Deb and now that she has become Mrs. Gibson she dislikes Debbie even more, because she's not a fan of the singer of that name

Anyway, back to the pens: That's a very nice Platignum, well worth saving.

[eckiethump]

Pennsylvania ha ha very fitting, forgot all about the singer connection ?

 

Bestest,

Eric