Search the Community

I'd like to share my experience of adjusting a modern Pelikan nib myself. Ages ago, I bought myself a pen that had been on my list for a long time: a black/rhodium Pelikan M1005. It was a disaster! I had hard starts, mid-sentence skipping, couldn't write a frustration-free sentence. The QC problems in modern Pelikans are well-documented; in my case, the tines on the 'Fine' nib came misaligned. Under a powerful loupe, I saw that the tines made a kind of V shape at the tip where they should fit beautifully together. I got the pen just before I went on a big trip, so I didn't have time to have it sorted out before I left; and then when I returned, other stuff intruded. And so time passed. What to do? I seriously considered doing nothing, sending it in to a nibmeister, and even throwing it away (frustration, remember). In the end, armed with information from FPN - notably the pictures from 1000km (and watch_art does some entertaining ones) - I decided to try to fix it myself. My thinking was that, if I was slow and careful, I wouldn't do anything that couldn't be fixed by a professional, if necessary. So, I separated the nib from the collar and feed, realigned the tines, reinserted the nib and feed into the collar, screwed the nib unit back into the barrel, inked it up, and was good to go. The entire operation was actually prety simple and took no more than 15 minutes (plus all the research before starting). Perhaps I got lucky: the only tools I needed were my fingers (and that good loupe). The hardest part was overcoming the mental barrier against working on such an expensive item. It's still not absolutely perfect: it has the occasional hard start on smooth paper (like the Rhodia dotpad in the photo) and the nib and feed are fractionally misaligned. But I now have a very usable pen. It puts down a beautiful, smooth, wet line (though it's just as well I usually prefer broader nibs, because grading this nib as 'fine' is pure fantasy). So, I saved myself time and money, and developed a stronger relationship with my pen: I am very pleased I took the 'do it yourself' approach. What's your experience been like? Picture: writing is a pleasure now. Disclaimer: YMMV. If in doubt, go to a professional. As one well-known pen reviewer on YouTube says, you do this sort of thing at your own risk.

Hi All, I just got a Parker 51 aerometric. I never had one before. The nib was slightly off-center - enough for it to be noticeable in writing. The person from whom I bought the pen told me to remove the hood (which actually did not require any force or special effort, such as heating), and to carefully and slowly rotate the collector. This worked. However now, whenever I dot an "i" or write a period with even very moderate force, ink gets quite visibly sprayed onto the paper. The ink appears to be spraying from the area between the feed and the opening at the tip of the hood. This rendering the pen useless. Interestingly, if I remove the hood and write without it, this problem does not occur. What should I do to correct this? Please let me know if this should be posted in another forum. Lavie

As an aficionado of Japanese fountain pens, I am well familiar with the chorus of comparisons among the top three manufacturers. Of Pilot, it is often said that the company is the only one of the three that keeps the necessary parts on hand, or that has the ability to reproduce parts, to service or repair any of its vintage pens, no matter how old. For those of you familiar with the parallel world of mechanical watches, Patek Philippe is known for this ability in the horological universe, and actually makes that claim in writing; I am not aware of any such claim by Pilot. This post, however, is not about written guarantees, but to report on the impossibility of repairing what was, at one time, the star offering of the Pilot fountain pen line-up. The year, as I recall, was 1959, and though Pilot had long been making fountain pens with inlaid gold nibs, they had never made one this large: the Super 500. The 14k nib is, to put it simply, a work of art: it extends a whopping 45 mm from the tip to the tail, all of which is inlaid into the section. The nib wraps around the section at the top to form a ring around the feed. The pen fills by means of a sac. I had been looking for one of these pens for a long time, and found one finally up for auction. The photos were not very good, but I could tell that though the nib needed a good soaking in vinegar and probably ammonia, the imprint on the barrel was extremely clear, hard to believe for a pen that was more than 50 years old. Bidding was fierce, and I won it. Once I received the pen from Japan, I filled it with ink. I was not disturbed in the least by the vertical "hairline" on the ring on the back of the nib. I thought that was intentional, and explained how the nib was inlaid into the section. I filled the pen with ink, and though the F nib writes beautifully, I got ink all over my fingers: the ink was leaking from the feed through this vertical hairline and, I came to find out, from the left side of the front of the nib. I brought the pen with me to the DC Super Show and showed it to all of the nibmeisters who were there. All of them considered it carefully -- for which I sincerely thank them all -- but none were willing to tamper with it because they did not know how to remove the inlaid nib in order to start fixing it. I also showed it to some of the Japanese visitors and exhibitors, and all of them told me to give it to Pilot because they were the only ones who would be able to fix it. I had met the US representative for Pilot ast year, and decided to write him a note. He told me immediately to send him the pen, and if he could not get the repair people in Jacksonville to fix it, he would take it with him on his next trip to Tokyo. I was amazed by this offer of personal service, and am very grateful for his attention. Three months or so after sending the pen, the sales representative just returned from Tokyo and, unfortunately, the news is grim: Pilot's repair people believe they must remove the nib to solder the hairline, and will probably need a new section to be re-inlaid, but they no longer have any sections for a pen this old. The end result is that the pen cannot be repaired. Frankly, I could not have asked for better, more attentive customer service: several employees of the company, both here in the States and Tokyo, dealt with this problem quickly and professionally. However, the result is less satisfying: the conclusion is that Pilot cannot repair one of their greatest pens, one of their most expensive pens (at the time). This leads me to wonder how many other vintage Pilot pens -- some less exclusive than the Super 500 -- cannot be repaired by Pilot. I own dozens of old Pilot fountain pens, and love them. Does this mean that there are no parts for them at Pilot's workshops, either? This is a problem, and that is why I decided to write this post tonight. Reluctantly, I have replaced the pen in its box. It saddens me that I have no recourse at this point: the nibmeisters are unable to fix it, and the manufacturer simply does not have spare parts available (and apparently is unwilling to make them, which honestly would be a lot to ask). If any of you has an idea on how to resuscitate this pen, please let me know. Otherwise, let it be known that contrary to popular wisdom, Pilot cannot repair all of its vintage pens.

Good Day Pen People I have been reading great information here. It gave me the confidence to start slowly with some pen repairs. After buying some tools and several sizes of fountain pen sacs from fountainpensacs.com (great supplier!), I have finally repair several of my older lever filled pens. How exciting! With that success I decided to try to repair this pen. https://www.flickr.com/photos/iguanapress/15859158732/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/iguanapress/15672279868/in/photostream/ My question. Is this pen a Sheaffer Snorkel? It does not have the snorkel tube. I fear that I have a snorkel pen without the snorkel tube. Or did Sheaffer make a pen like this without the snorkel. If the it is supposed to have the snorkel tube, then I may have a pen to keep for parts. I am trying to figure out how to insert p photos in a post. Thanks for any help. Jim

Hello there, I've only started using fountain pens recently and that is mostly because I discovered my mum's very old one while digging through her piles of old junk. on the pen it says Super-Rotax made in Germany (picture below) but I cannot find the piston or converter or any which way I could fill it up with ink. My mum said there used to be a piston or something like it but that doesn't seem right because pistons don't come off the fountain pen, right? Could anyone take a look at these photos and help me and see if there is anything I could do? or do I just have to take it to some expert and get it fixed there? thanks

Well i went and screwed up >.< my ink sac broke(no idea how, it was fairly new i'm pretty sure) and i didn't get around to it, so somewhere along the line i managed to break the gold filler tube(the pen was a gold and black sheaffer snorkel... gold filler tube. i'm not sure what exact model it is, can't remember. i don't know where to get replacement parts however... they sell sacs on ebay, but at this point i'm looking for a new spring, sac protector, sac, sac plug, and (gold) tube :S i'm lost as of where to ask. this pen is setimental, and i want to get it back into working condition. i believe all the other parts of the pen are in good working order...even though i kind of listed everything in it.

Hi guys I recently took my Lamy 2000 out of storage only to find out that a crack had developed above the nib around the body. I haven't used it for over 6 months so I was quite surprised to see this happen out of the blue. It seems like others on the forum have enountered the same issue like here, here and here. I contacted Lamy in Germany, who then asked me to speak to the Australian distributor. Unfortunately, it seems they want to charge me $75 for spare parts, which is quite a bit since the pen is worth $150 at retail. I already asked whether this should be a free repair since it seems like a manufacturing defect, but was rebutted. Has anyone else with this problem managed to get it repaired for free? If not, how much did you guys pay? And has anyone had the same issue and managed to get them to repair it at no cost?

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I recently came across an old Mont Blanc my father had and when I tried to take the cap off, the screw part broke off. By screw part I mean the nib section that you screw on and off the body when changing cartridges or ink via a converter. I took some pics and was wondering if anyone here could tell me if it can be repaired or if I've permanently damaged the pen.. Thanks!

So, I have my first Parker 51 Vacumatic, and it looks to be a Mark I from 1947. It also needs repair. I've been reading up, and checking available YouTube videos. Here is what I need some clarification on.... Is the section a screw-on, or is this model earlier than that? From what I've been reading, I should gently heat the barrel, and NOT the section, then grip the barrel and gently unscrew the section. Correct? In my digging around, I found a new, but somewhat expensive version of the old Barrett pliers. Knipex makes these, and they are sold at Sears. Parallel grip and smooth surface. http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=group_detail&parentID=1368&groupID=1500&artID=34171 And, I lucked out at Lowe's. I found these on sale for $10, and the larger one is another parallel pressure grip, plus the mouth is already rubber. http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/099198/099198850498.jpg

Hi - thought I'd share some photos of an excellent repair carried out by Peter Crook of Carneil Pens in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. I had been after a blue marble Parker Duofold (1990s) for some time, and got one from eBay. When it arrived, I discovered the lip was cracked, which apparently happens quite often due to overzealous cap tightening. The original lip is blue marble, like the rest of the cap except the top. Peter informed me that only black lips are available, so I went with that. I'm actually very happy with the result, I think it looks as good as the original. The black lip matches the top of the cap, and mirrors the black ends of the pen itself. I've attached some photos of the repair. Many thanks to Carneil pens for a great job.

Vintage bug has bitten...and now wondering if I should learn how to resac etc etc. Perhaps the best thing you can do is talk me out of the whole thing....

I have a 146 Montblanc, and it seems there is a leak or some ink gathering behind where the nib and feed meet the section. If I flush it with (cool, not cold, not warm) water I can change inks but some of the old ink seems to have gathered behind and eventually comes out on my hands when I rest near the end of the section. Does anyone know who repairs these? I suppose with tools I could do this, but if there is a defective part, then I'm stuck. I don't particularly want to send it to MB as they'd replace the old parts with current, though I may have to if I can't do the maintenance myself. It's a 1970 or so vintage.

I bought my first vintage rescue today, and am trying to identify it so I can purchase parts. In addition to the picture posted, here's what I know about it so far. It has a 14k gold flex nib stamped EAGLE (top line; largest) 14K (midline; midsize) MADE IN USA (nib base & smallest; slightly curved)The cap is postable and screws on. It's also missing the clip and jewel.The missing jewel (and possibly double-duty clip securer) should screw in as well.There's a small hole in one side of the cap.The colors are large veins of flat black and opalescent medium blue, with smaller veins of pearly white running throughout.It's a lever fill, and I think the sac is black latex.The cap ring might be brass. It's tarnished a bit.I've been able to identify several seams via color alone, but you can't feel them.I've been unable to find an Eagle brand pen that looks similar. I think it may be a Frankenpen. The body looks similar to a Shaeffer Prosperity, with the exception of the pointed cap end.I would like to Find a cap and jewel complimentary to the pen and if possible, accurate to the body's lineage and history (gettin' fancy now!)Know more about it in general, including general worth, etc.Repair the pen to the point that it works and looks pretty, but isn't a full-on, bank-breaking restoration.I am an utter newbie at this, so any resources you could direct me toward or information you can give is awesome! Thanks!

Hi, I have Gold Filled Wahl. I got this vintage pen and tried to disassemble it, but the section doesn't come off. I tried soaking in warm water and heating the section before trying to pull it, however, none of that worked. How do I disassemble this all metal pen? Is it harder to disassemble a fountain pen with metal sections?

Please advise want is best repair option. On my MB 149, the rotating top has separated from the the stem that operates the piston up and down. It looks like a break. What are my repair options? Who shall I call? What should repair cost me? Any chance to DIY? I lve in Orange County California

I recently visited an antique shop, and in one display case I found a couple of old fountain pens. I picked up this Stratford Button Filler for a bargain, $5!!! I have cleaned it up, and was able to remove the nib and feed. But the button is jammed. It moves down less than a 1/16 of an inch, and can turn about 5o. Overall the pen is 4 1/2" uncapped, and 4 3/4" capped. http://i.imgur.com/mpjLIFJ.jpg I would like to know if anyone has any knowledge of how I would go about repairing this pen so it can properly function again. Here are some details about the pen: Cap; The cap has a black top section where the clip is attached. The clip is broken, and all that remains is the word "Stratford". There is a small hole that I assume would have been under the clip. There is a cap band at the bottom of the cap, which is composed of 7 sections, 4 smooth sections with 3 sections with ridges in between. It also appears to be lacking an inner cap, I am not sure if this pen ever had one or not. http://i.imgur.com/5Ss7Hyk.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/smlxIVG.jpg?1 Barrel; The barrel of the pen has the same celluloid style as the cap. There is a small amber colored ink window between the grip and the barrel. The end of the barrel has a small 12 sided cone shaped blind cap. Beneath the blind cap is a small metal button (I think it is aluminum). http://i.imgur.com/Tj8D53n.jpg http://i.imgur.com/mhLWKiX.jpg Nib; The nib says "14 KT. GOLD PLATE", and it is just under 1" long. It is friction fit into the grip with the feed, and has a small notch at the bottom of it, and a small hole directly above it. http://i.imgur.com/fZyzcKO.jpg Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advanced.

Hi everyone, I have recently acquired a Montblanc Meisterstuck pen and I am wondering if anyone can tell me if there is a piece missing from the cap. When I close the pen it does not snap on securely. Can anyone shed light on this? Thank you, Sherryl

My recently-repaired, and much travelled Iride has lost some of the gold plating from the clip during its journeys. I don't think the clip is 're-plateable' but I read that a couple of owners have had terminal failures of the celluloid barrels, and I wondered if anyone has a complete Iride cap or a fully-plated clip going spare? Please let me know if you have. They are not common pens so i guess such spares will be hard to find ... I just thought it was worth an enquiry. Thanks

Hi, I have an old Parker squeeze converter which at first sight seems to work well, holds a lot of ink and is not leaking. However when I squeeze it the rubber has some cracks in one part , the rubber is not yet cracked completely but sooner or later it will. I can still use it and it also feels flexible. I was thinking if there is any preventing work or something. Can I melt the rubber with the hot red point of a needle so the crack is no longer spreading ? Or can I glue it somehow? Thank you!

Hi! I've uncovered a Waterman that was given to me as a child by my grandparents. If anyone could help me identify the model, I would be most grateful. I would also love to purchase a fine or extra-fine nib; the current medium is much to thick for my day-to-day notes. Any help identifying candidates or instructions for this would also be greatly appreciated. The nib is slightly bent, a product of my childhood, but still writes fine. It has a number 8 on the plastic underside. Thanks! W

I bought a second-hand fountain pen, the patron of art Peter the great from the eBay. The description of the item was good in function. But the pen was broken when it arrived. The broken part was inner plastic barrel like the picture. The seller told me the pen can be repaired at Montblanc service but the certification was not stump by the origin store (He said that he bought it from NY montblanc store last Nov.) He also told he can refund USD 100 for repairment. I ask the montblanc service but they did not want to answer the approximate price for repairment. Does it deserve to repair it? Is there anyone know how much does it cost to repair it?

My grandfather recently gave me a sheaffer snorkel pen and pencil set and when I tried to fill the pen it didn't work. I have no idea how to repair fountain pens and I'm looking for a reputable place to send the pen for repair. Any recommendations?

I have a problem with my Stipula Passaporto and I was wondering if anyone could help me either source parts or fix it. The pen still writes, but I would like to find out more information on how I could fix this. The feed is completely screwed into the section and nothing leaks. I've tried to look up replacement parts, but my google-fu seems to be lacking. The nib is fine, but the feed has a ridge that seems to have broken off with use, causing the nib to wiggle when seated. Gif for demonstration: http://zippy.gfycat.com/OccasionalIdealisticBarebirdbat.gif Here is an album of close-up images of where the feed meets the section: http://imgur.com/a/rjNUo http://i.imgur.com/Uuah1GL.jpg

My Fellow Waterman Collectors, I have already posted this in the pen repair forum. I have a Waterman #58 that needs fairly light restoration, specifically a sac, a nib adjustment, possibly seals and an appropriate clip installed. I would like to send it to a highly recommended repair person accustomed to working on old Waterman hard rubber pens (this one is a red ripple pattern). It is a hard to find pen, so I am trying to be as careful and responsible as possible. I expect that within 15 years my modest collection will end up on the market and for a poor old professor (community college) this #58 is the most valuable pen in my Waterman collection, thus I see this as a restoration for my enjoyment and conservation for the next owner. I will appreciate all recommendations including self-recommendations from experts. Thank you, Ed

My Fellow Collectors, I have a Waterman #58 that needs a sac, a nib adjustment, possibly seals and an appropriate clip installed. I would like to send it to a highly recommended repair person accustomed to working on old Waterman hard rubber pens (this one is a red ripple pattern). It is a hard to find pen, so I am trying to be as careful and responsible as possible. I expect that within 15 years my modest collection will end up on the market and for a poor old professor (community college) this #58 is the most valuable pen in my Waterman collection, thus I see this as a restoration for my enjoyment and conservation for the next owner. I will appreciate all recommendations including self-recommendations from experts. Thank you, Ed