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I Got Duofold Working!


essayfaire

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I finally succeeded in getting this inherited Duofold to work, decades after it came into my possession! I know a lot more now and had decided to give it another go now that I realize some pens don't twist to fill. This had been my grandfather's and did not come with a box nor instructions. I filled it with a lubricated ink (Monteverde) and it seems to have worked. Time will tell.

 

I can't tell what size nib this is, but it seems to put down a fairly fine line.

 

I'm pleased as punch! :)

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Festina lente

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What a beautiful pen. I'm sure this will start up a bit of a discussion, but the barrels of most Duofolds in this colour (black and pearl) are badly ''ambered'', a result I'm told, of the old rubber sacs ''off-gassing''. With a pen such as yours that's almost the original colour, I'd be tempted to have a new clear sac installed to preserve it's pristine shade, or at least one of the new generation latex sacs.

 

What say you, Parker experts?

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What a beautiful pen. I'm sure this will start up a bit of a discussion, but the barrels of most Duofolds in this colour (black and pearl) are badly ''ambered'', a result I'm told, of the old rubber sacs ''off-gassing''. With a pen such as yours that's almost the original colour, I'd be tempted to have a new clear sac installed to preserve it's pristine shade, or at least one of the new generation latex sacs.

 

What say you, Parker experts?

Thank you! That's interesting, as it almost looks to me as if the cap and pen are slightly different colors; I wonder if this "ambering" effect is the cause. The bad news is by last night the pen seemed to be out of ink. I have refilled it and am trying to see how long it lasts. I presume it has some sort of rubber bladder inside that might be compromised. I'm interested in what the Parker experts have to say.

Festina lente

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It does have a rubber blader inside and if it hasn't been changed out in may years it may be time. This pen is a button filler and could also need a pressure bar replaced. Danny Fudge at The Write Pen restores my pens like this. Very reasonable and quick turn around time.

PAKMAN

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It does have a rubber blader inside and if it hasn't been changed out in may years it may be time. This pen is a button filler and could also need a pressure bar replaced. Danny Fudge at The Write Pen restores my pens like this. Very reasonable and quick turn around time.

Thanks for the advice! I sent it off to him this morning after it stopped writing yet again. Perhaps I should retitle the thread "I Temporarily Got Duofold Working!" ;)

 

Will keep you posted on how it turns out.

Festina lente

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You'll be happy with it after Danny does his magic!

PAKMAN

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essayfaire: Congrats on such a lovely pen. Your grandpa had great taste. Indeed a well preserved Parker Duofold with relatively little discolouration. The button filler is simple and easy to service. Enjoy!

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  • 2 weeks later...

You'll be happy with it after Danny does his magic!

The pen is back already and working beautifully! Now I know what a button-filler is supposed to feel like; it had no spring to the push before I sent it off. I've had it inked for three days now and it is holding onto its supply. His prices were quite reasonable, too.

 

@como, I'm glad my Grandpa didn't like his nibs broader than I do! It was the only FP we found among his things, and I don't think he had used it for years though it clearly had been used in the past.

Festina lente

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You'll be happy with it after Danny does his magic!

The pen is back already and working beautifully! Now I know what a button-filler is supposed to feel like; it had no spring to the push before I sent it off. I've had it inked for three days now and it is holding onto its supply. His prices were quite reasonable, too.

 

@como, I'm glad my Grandpa didn't like his nibs broader than I do! It was the only FP we found among his things, and I don't think he had used it for years though it clearly had been used in the past.

Festina lente

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essayfaire: I have a modern version of this celluloid, and it's also a button-filler with a sac inside. If mine can look as good as your grandpa's pen in 70 years of time (though I'll be long gone), I would be very happy! Enjoy your grandpa's pen, very special indeed.

 

The pen is back already and working beautifully! Now I know what a button-filler is supposed to feel like; it had no spring to the push before I sent it off. I've had it inked for three days now and it is holding onto its supply. His prices were quite reasonable, too.

 

@como, I'm glad my Grandpa didn't like his nibs broader than I do! It was the only FP we found among his things, and I don't think he had used it for years though it clearly had been used in the past.

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The black and pearl Streamlined Duofolds are beautiful pens, and worthy of careful restoration. They're different enough that I like their shape and the way they fit in the hand a bit more than their flat top siblings.

 

 

Peter Amis, who owns the Pen Sac Company, says that the formulation of the rubber used in latex sacs today will not cause the discoloration of pens as the vintage sacs did. They are still not as resistant to the effects of ink as some of the other sac materials are. All come with their own set of problems. This article may help with questions about sacs....

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Dear Ron, thank you for the very informative post. I have a custom made pen from this celluloid (same as was used by Montegrappa and Delta, called Marbled Green, Black & Pearl or Verde Variegato but its the same material). I agonized over whether a button filler was ok because I had concerns that the rubber sac would eventually discolor the celluloid. I favor the button-fillers and lever-fillers for their ease of maintenance. I am happy to learn that it would no longer be the case. Great! Thanks again.

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I favor the button-fillers and lever-fillers for their ease of maintenance. I am happy to learn that it would no longer be the case. Great! Thanks again.

This is my only button-filler: what makes them easier to maintain? I was wondering how I would go about changing out ink colors.

Festina lente

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It’s relatively easy to learn how to change a sac of lever-filler and button-filler. Pressure bars and buttons are readily available should you need to change. Pens with a rubber sac inside are not the best for risky inks which can rot the sac. It can be a pain to flush the pen so I usually just use a few basic well bahaved inks for my vintage pens and leave the risky inks to my converter pens. Well, there are many threads on FPN on this topic.

 

This is my only button-filler: what makes them easier to maintain? I was wondering how I would go about changing out ink colors.

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It’s relatively easy to learn how to change a sac of lever-filler and button-filler. Pressure bars and buttons are readily available should you need to change. Pens with a rubber sac inside are not the best for risky inks which can rot the sac. It can be a pain to flush the pen so I usually just use a few basic well bahaved inks for my vintage pens and leave the risky inks to my converter pens. Well, there are many threads on FPN on this topic.

 

Ah, so long-term maintenance as opposed to day-to-day care. I try not to try risky inks anyway as I like my nibs pretty fine and things that are riskier also tend to clog the nibs.

Festina lente

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it is quite common for some collectors to remove the sac (not to install them) to protect/preserve barrel from ambering

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Yes that’s what I meant. Good luck and enjoy. It should be good for a long time now that’s repaired.

 

Ah, so long-term maintenance as opposed to day-to-day care. I try not to try risky inks anyway as I like my nibs pretty fine and things that are riskier also tend to clog the nibs.

 

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it is quite common for some collectors to remove the sac (not to install them) to protect/preserve barrel from ambering

Then how do they write with the pen? Or don't they?

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Then how do they write with the pen? Or don't they?

Dipping, or they don't. The object of collecting is to preserve the pen in as original state as possible. Many of the better looking pens lost their colour due to 'gassing' from the ink sac, so they remove them.

 

Good examples are the Duofolds in greens and blues and where the barrels no longer match the cap

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Dipping, or they don't. The object of collecting is to preserve the pen in as original state as possible. Many of the better looking pens lost their colour due to 'gassing' from the ink sac, so they remove them.

 

Good examples are the Duofolds in greens and blues and where the barrels no longer match the cap

Ah - I only buy pens that I use (form follows function and all that). Using it as a dip pen makes some sense, but I imagine people could just collect dip pens instead; I bought one once but it now sits in a display box because I much prefer using my fountain pens. I keep thinking I should sell it to a better home.

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