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I have replaced lots of pressure bars in Sheaffer Balances but a couple of years ago I obtained one with what I have since discovered is called a Shepherds hook pressure bar. The original was horribly corroded so I removed it hoping to perhaps clean it up but the corrosion was too far advanced and the small bit that makes it not just a J bar broke off. I recently obtained a NOS replacement and sought advice on how to place it. I was told to get the bar started into the slot in the end of the barrel then lift that tab with a strong dental tool and lift that "tab" into the slot. Well, that tab seems to be caught on the lip of the slot and no dental tool I have is moving it. I am open to suggestions.

I have replaced lots of pressure bars in Sheaffer Balances but a couple of years ago I obtained one with what I have since discovered is called a Shepherds hook pressure bar. The original was horribly corroded so I removed it hoping to perhaps clean it up but the corrosion was too far advanced and the small bit that makes it not just a J bar broke off. I recently obtained a NOS replacement and sought advice on how to place it. I was told to get the bar started into the slot in the end of the barrel then lift that tab with a strong dental tool and lift that "tab" into the slot. Well, that tab seems to be caught on the lip of the slot and no dental tool I have is moving it. I am open to suggestions.

I received a very beautiful, if broken, vintage button filler some time ago and started working on it last week. It needs a new sac and this I can handle, but the pressure bar is quite rough and a little rusted in some places. This is my first repair so I'm not quite sure what I can and can't do. Should I replace the bar? I can't find a right size replacement (7 cm) anywhere so I'm thinking of just using this old one. The bar is not snapped or cracked and it's still very springy.

I am currently working on a 2nd Generation Waterman Skywriter and wondered what does the Pressure Bar for this pen look like as it came to me missing the Pressure Bar? Thank You, Derrick

I told family I would like a fountain pen for my birthday and was given this lovely item, my father's Conway Stewart Executive 60 with the Cracked Ice design. What a beauty. But it needs servicing and parts, missing some of the original innards - the pressure bar, the feed, the ink sac. Is it possible to obtain compatible parts and get the pen working again?

Hello everyone! I have got here a Mentmore Autoflow in BHR. I want to try restoring it. The problem at the moment is that it does not have a pressure bar in it. Therefore I cannot see what kind of part is needed as a replacement and how it would be fitted. The button is fine and screws out nicely. Just need to get an idea about the kind and size of the pressure bar needed. I did not find anything in the archives and would appreciate to learn what exactly I need to get. Maybe there is some reference somewhere, pictures or drawings of the mechanism would of course also help a lot. If someone knows which ink sac is needed I would be glad to hear as well. Thanks! Amelie

I've just bought a lovely 1930s Wahl Eversharp fountain pen with a flexible nib I'm itching to use. The pen came apart easily enough, in fact it came apart rather too much. The pressure bar came tumbling out, along with its retainer. Fortunately, apart from a bit of ink, the parts are in good order and the slots on the lever aren't broken. Following Richard Binder's instructions, I know what I must do - please correct me if I'm wrong - re-engage the pressure bar with its retainer, insert back into the barrel, jiggle and wriggle to get the slots on the lever into the grooves on the pressure bar and after some sliding jiggery pokery, Bob's your uncle. I'm not especially cack handed but this is very fiddly and it's extremely difficult to see into the barrel. Has anyone got any tips and tricks for me that might make this exercise easier? How best can I illuminate things so I don't have to grope and hope so much. Any ideas would be very gratefully received. Thanks

Good morning all, I recently picked up this pen at a Flea Market and am in the midst of restoring it. I am under no delusions about it's worth, in fact the clip is missing, so I have no idea as to the maker. That aside, I wanted some experience with a button fill. As you can see, the plastic button was once attached to the pressure bar which has a bad case of the rot. The button and bar merely slide into the barrel button first from the section end and rest on the button's shoulder on the blind end. I have been looking around for this combination of button and bar, but have had no luck. Are these out there and if not what is there that may be compatible? I am contemplating purchasing a bar and then modifying the button to accept it. I know, what a bunch of work for a no-name pen. Well, I'm retired and loving my hobby and the pen is quite good looking. The exterior, section, feed, and nib are all in great shape. I have resolved the cap and clip issue, so I'm taking on the fill portion. I don't mind creating a "Frankenpen" that looks and writes good for my personal use. Any help will be greatly appreciated. dvelosky

I just acquired a Waterman 52 1/2 V pen, and the pressure bar has an approx. 30 deg bend in it. I'm pretty sure that's why the seller unloaded it, noting that the lever is broken. I don't think the lever is broken, but I'm concerned about how fragile the pressure bar is. Any tips on straightening this out and minimizing the chance of truly breaking it? I'll try to post some pics when I return home.

Ladies and gents, I've just come into possession of a couple of pens (one of which is a Sheaffer snorkel Clipper/Statesman missing its cap, if anyone has a source for those...) but the other is an English Waterman in BHR. Casting about the interweb seems to indicate it's usually known as a flat top and has no model number, or any great value. This one has even less value, having a crack in the cap and a lot of plating MIA, but I've rather taken to it and would like to get it up and running as a user. However, at some point in its history, someone lost its pressure bar and I find myself in fresh territory. I gather it should be flat and hangs off the tabs on the lever bar (which appear to be all present and correct). So a couple of questions came to mind which extensive searching didn't really resolve: a. Is it possible to acquire a replacement without too great a hassle? Unlikely, I suspect, but if you don't ask... b. If not, is it possible to adapt a more readily available bar to fit? I'm not averse to a little drilling, filing, etc c. Given that authenticity is not paramount, can I just fit a J-bar instead? The last seems the easy(er) answer, but one comment I found suggested it puts extra pressure on the lever box (which is not, of course, designed for it), so maybe it's one of those Really Bad Ideas that us dabblers are prone to. Hope the greater wisdom of the board can assist. Cheers, Al