What Has Happened To This Pen?

[CS388]

Hello.

 

This is BHR eyedropper. It looked a bit rough in the auction listing, but when it arrived and I pulled the cap off, the section was a sticky and gooey mess. It seems to have melted?

 

 

 

The goo had spread all over the nib/feed and up the barrel. I left it open, when I went to work. When I came back, it had dried hard - the goo peeled off the barrel/nib/feed etc and they've cleaned up nicely - but the section is ruined. It has a strong smell.

 

What is it? Why did it happen?

 

Thanks

[chunya]

It looks a real mess, especially in that second photo. I can't imagine what will have melted the section but not the barrel or feed???? Probably someone will come up with a good suggestion. At least it's only the section that's ruined. If you haven't a spare one then give the measurements, and whether screw or push on, and I'll have a look in my box. If I haven't got the right one hopefully someone else might be able to help.

[CS388]

Thanks, chunya, that's very kind. But for the moment it's gone into the 'fix later' box. So, we'll see what transpires in the future?

 

Yes, it was just the section which had suffered. Although it looks messy in the photograph, the melted 'stuff' was just coating the barrel/feed/nib and they were unaffected underneath it. Strong pungent smell - and very fluid and sticky, I had it on my fingertips at work and it peeled off like bits of, well, BHR, I guess?

 

Thanks again.

Regards, CS

 

Edited to add: I put in the 'fix later' box, in it's own sealed bag. I've heard of cellulose decay being infectious, but never BHR - but just to be safe, it's isolated.

Edited August 5, 2018 by CS388

[PAKMAN]

All I can think of is it was left full of ink and the goop is ink, if so it should come off with water. However soaking in water is not so great for ebonite pens.

[CS388]

Thanks, PAKMAN. That sounds feasible. The seller wasn't a pen person, so it could well have been left in that condition (covered in old ink) for years, until it eventually ate into itself. The strong smell I mention is difficult to describe, but it does have something reminiscent of rotten old ink.

 

I agree with you: no water for cleaning BHR.

So, while we're here, what do people use to clean BHR, as there is still some cleaing left to do?

 

Thanks

[praxim]

I was thinking rubber decay, i.e. a form of mould feeding on the hydrocarbons. It would fit with the smell and gooiness. An alternative may be a solvent of some description, except I would expect that to attack the feed and barrel equally.

 

What does the section look like cleaned off? Abraded? Corroded and pitted? Spongy?

[CS388]

Thanks, praxim. After the mess dried up, I tried scraping some off the section, but it seemed to be the section itself, rather than something on top of the section, so I put it away to deal with it later. I didn't spend a lot of time on it, due to my uncertainty as to what I was dealing with.

 

I'm working away, this week and won't be back home until the weekend, so I'll look at it again, then - and report back.

 

Thanks to all for replies. Much appreciated.

[FarmBoy]

Pen looks more like mottled than black

[CS388]

Sorry, yes it's red mottled hard rubber. I used BHR as a shorthand to describe the material properties.

So, a RHR (?) pen - although I don't know the colour of the section (yet). The feed is black.

 

Thanks

[siamackz]

I would use liquid paraffin or a mineral oil with cloth to try and rub it out, and I would do it as soon as possible to prevent further spreading or irreversible damage to the pen material. This will make for a good BEFORE and AFTER comparison All the best!

Edited August 6, 2018 by siamackz

[kestrel]

Perhaps dried India ink rather than FP ink? I have rescued some dip pens that looked similar to this and India ink was the culprit. The gunk was so bad you couldn't see the outlines of the nib. Gentle rubbing with a flannel cloth soaked with Rapido-eze removed the ink without damage to the ebonite handle but it took a long time.

[CS388]

Thanks siamackz and kestrel. I will take your suggestions on and investigate further when I see the pen again.

 

Thanks again to all.

[CS388]

Hello again.

 

Update as promised. First of all, thanks again to all who replied.

It was PAKMAN and kestrel who got it right, although all replies are much appreciated.

Turns out it was some (mystery) fluid which had covered the section and the nib. It seemed to be more like paint than ink, so who knows what had happened. In the end, I used a high grade cellulose thinners to remove it (this stuff would dissolve a celluloid pen, but I recall that is is inert with hard rubber) Even then, it took some rubbing off and the most caked-on areas were left soaking under a rag for a few minutes, to break down whatever it was.

 

I feel somewhat foolish with my dramatic OP description of a ruined section, but, for the life of me, it looked as if it had melted! The section did take the lion's share of the clean-up. It is also red mottled hard rubber, but from a different stock to the rest of the pen, more black than red. Don't know if this has any bearing on why it was harder to clean?

 

I think it's a very old pen and have no idea how long the mysterious substance had been there. There are still a few minor issues with the pen, but I'm in no hurry and am enjoying it already. Early tests show it to be a wonderful writer.

 

Thanks again to you all for taking the time.

Hope I can reciprocate, sometime.

Regards, CS

 

[inkstainedruth]

Wow! What a difference -- you wouldn't know the photos were of the same pen. Congratulations for saving it from demolition.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[siamackz]

This calls for a Before and After side by side comparison photo

[chunya]

A fantastic job done there. How does it write, any flex? It looks like there is a fair bit of tipping there (or is it my eyes), is it just a Warranted nib?

[Chrissy]

Great job.

[CS388]

Wow! What a difference -- you wouldn't know the photos were of the same pen. Congratulations for saving it from demolition.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Thanks, Ruth. It's not fully saved, yet - but it's on the way!

 

This calls for a Before and After side by side comparison photo

 

Thanks siamackz. There's still a bit of (other) work to do on this pen, but I'll get round to some comparison shots, when it's completed. (And when (if) my photography skills improve)

 

A fantastic job done there. How does it write, any flex? It looks like there is a fair bit of tipping there (or is it my eyes), is it just a Warranted nib?

 

Thanks, chunya. Yes, very flexy nib. A bit of tine misalignment and it looks as if it's been sprung and repaired in the past - but still writes great. It's an old A O Waterman pen and has the correct A O Waterman 14k nib with good tipping still intact.

 

Great job.

 

Thanks, Chrissy. Always appreciate your opinion.

[Kelly G]

Wow! Those original pictures were of one ugly pen! Your restoration work was quite good and saved an otherwise derelict pen. Great work!

[eckiethump]

Very nice recovery job, well done ☺