Restoring A Parker Pen Box

[D Armstrong]

This post is intended to illustrate my recent restoration of a paper Parker pen box. Hopefully you will find it interesting, and some of you may want to use these techniques on your own damaged boxes. Please: don't experiment on anything valuable. Practice on something you don't mind damaging. Like I tell my kids: the first time you try something, you will likely mess it up completely! I should mention that I come from an antiques restoration background, and spent a number of years buying and selling antiquarian books. Many of the paper skills I share here were learned on literary cadavers from those years.

 

I will use the "royal" we throughout, as it is more fun that way; you can pretend that you are all right there throughout the process.

 

 

Whenever you embark on a restoration, remember The Restorer's Laws:

 

1. Do only what you absolutely have to.
2. If there is damage, halt it; if possible, reverse it.
3. Use original methods, if possible, and make your repairs as invisible as possible.

 

1. The Tools

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/1tools.jpg

 

Tools of the trade, listed clockwise:

 

• PVA glue: acid-free, water-based, and flexible.
• Paper: Japanese tissue, used for repairing books.
• Tweezers: fine.
• Glue spreaders: one of flexible plastic, the other a bamboo skewer (easily shaped with a knife to whatever shape is needed, as you need it.) The best one, one's finger, is not shown here.
• Knife: custom made with a curved edge, razor sharp.
• Small ruler, for precise trimming of paper.
• Magnifying headset.
• Clamps: set of restorer's clamps, weak elastic.
• Silicone bowl for glue.
• Cutting mat: for easy cleanup, no table damage, and the ensuing domestic peace and happiness.

Not shown, relaxing music (in this case, the latest album by Danu: Seanchas.)

 

 

2. The Patient

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/2patient.jpg

 

A Parker box from the 1940s. Paper covered, with a hinged lid.

 

Condition is poor, with various marks, most corners blown, and significant lifting of gold decorative paper.

 

 

 

3. Stage One: Dissection

 

We carefully, with the knife--sharp on one edge, dull on the other--separated the insert from the base. Most of the glue had ossified, so it was a fairly simple job.

 

On the underside of the insert, the damage was obvious, which is good: it makes the treatment obvious, too.

 

As a bonus, we note that the elastic is nice and strong. Just imagine trying to find an exactly matching replacement elastic cord!

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/3insert.jpg

 

It is interesting to note that the edges--where the fabric was inserted through the cardboard top--are quite ragged. It may well be that it was simply shoved through, rather than cut.

 

The cardboard top of the base has been broken at one of the points where the fabric is let into the top itself. Heavier paper (Japanese, of course) is the answer, as the repair is structural in nature. A big patch can be used, as it will be invisible on the outside.

 

Before we can patch the seams and corners, we have to lift the delicate decorative foil paper which wraps around the edges. This will be hidden, but if our reinforcement runs underneath the original paper, it will be stronger and give a cleaner, more finished look. The more invisible the repair, the more it is a true restoration.

 

 

 

4. Stage Two: Reinforcement

 

In the case of this box, there is very little materials loss. For proper restoration, we want to invisibly reinforce what is already there.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/4insert.jpg

 

The biggest gun in our arsenal: the right paper. In this case, less-than-paper-thin Japanese-made. So tough you can hardly tear it, yet thin enough to read through; this is the stuff book restorers use to mend torn pages. The fibres instantly soak up glue, and feather out to become almost invisible. In this situation it is perfect; the repair material inserted into corners and folds will not bulk up the area, but will still reinforce it.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/5insert.jpg

 

We work with half of the seam at a time, long edges first (if we repaired the corners first, it would be nearly impossible to properly get to the long edges afterward.) Sometimes we have to open up the damaged area wider, so as to run the reinforcement onto a strong area, like a tailor resewing a seam into a strong section. When the glue is dry, we run another bead of glue along the side section and gently pat the patch material down onto it. As soon as the patching paper hits the glue it softens, so there is no room for error: if it sticks to the wrong spot, it must be replaced, as it will disintegrate if you try to move it.

 

With that done, we move on to the corners. The method used for these is identical to that used on the lid later, and the photos there are much easier to make out, so we will save a description of that process for later.

 

 

 

5. Visible Things

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/6insert.jpg

 

There is some lifting of the decorative foil paper. Fairly simple to glue down, this is where a custom-shaped bamboo skewer really shines. A tiny needled end gets the glue into the smallest corners of the lift, without getting it on the outside where it would be hard and shiny when it dries.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/7insert.jpg

 

The only loss to the foil is on one corner; fortunately we scrounged up some foil from the underside of the insert, and can trim it to the right size and shape. Note the torn edge, which will mate well with the tear on the original, and the cleanly cut mitre on the opposite edge.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/8insert.jpg

 

With the replacement done, we finish the last corner (again: everything in the right order. It pays to be methodical and to think things through before spreading the glue.)

 

 

 

6. Getting To the Bottom of It All

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/9base.jpg

 

The base is another simple fix. Medium thickness paper, glued to the corners, reinforces what is already there. The insert will hide the reinforcement, but we need to leave plenty of space along the top edge to insure invisibility. In this case the fold-overs along the edges are quite strongly glued down, so we will leave them alone (remember Restorer's Law #1!)

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/10base.jpg

 

We run a bead of glue along the bottom inside corner of the base, not the insert. Why? When the insert is pushed into the base, we want the glue to stay down in the join. If we put the glue on the insert, it would get scraped off along the top edge as it passes by. (The same principle is used in woodworking: put the glue where it does the least traveling.)

 

We clamp it well, but gently, and leave it to dry.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/11baseinsert.jpg

 

 

 

7. The Lid: Blown Corners Everywhere

 

The lid is a mess. At some point, it was crushed all the way down on the base, blowing all of the corners out.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/12lid.jpg

 

Again, we peel back the overlay paper, all the way into the sound areas. A double thickness of tissue will be glued between the cardboard and the overlay.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/13lid.jpg

 

Like the long seam on the insert, we work one edge at a time. Patience is a must! The decorative paper covering the short side can be pulled completely back out of the way, so we glue the tissue into the long sides first.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/17lid.jpg

 

Then, we glue the tissue onto the cardboard exposed on the short side, and pull the overlay paper back on to the glue, fusing it all back together.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/15lid.jpg

 

We gently clamp the corners while the glue dries. We do the other end after the first is completely done. Remember patience? If we do the other end too soon, there is a strong chance of the still-damp areas tearing loose or stretching open (even Japanese paper is fragile when wet!)

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/16lid.jpg

 

Alas, the corners will not be beautiful again, but they will be sound, and the glue will knit the edge fibres quite well. We like to think of it as being like a battlefield survivor with a cane: much better than the alternative!

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/18lid.jpg

 

We have hidden all of what we have done under the overlay. As the last step of the lid, we spread a bead of glue along the edge inside, and secure the overlay flaps. Many of them had lifted up over time, so we worked them all loose for the regluing.

 

Once all is dry, we move on to the final step. The hinge holding the lid on to the base is gone. Made of the thin decorative overlay, it didn't stand a chance.

 

We have to compromise here, where necessity forces us to make a complete replacement in a very visible location. If the rest of the box was perfect, we would run down to Queen Street West (in Toronto, where we get our paper), and find a perfect color match. As it is, we will use some cream-colored paper whose qualities make it perfect for repairing book hinges. The hinge should outlast the box!

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/19hinge.jpg

 

We glue it to the inside first, and after only a few minutes glue it to the outside of the bottom, like the original (we can see where it tore free.) Why not let it dry completely to the lid first? In this case, the moisture from the glue will let the hinge material mould itself to the profile of the box. If we waited until it was dry, the paper would be stiff with glue, and we would not have a perfect fit.

 

 

 

8. Time For Home

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/638739/Images/FPN/Box/20done.jpg

 

Here is the box, restorations complete. The lid fits like a dream. You may notice I have yet to take an art gum eraser to some of the marks, but that will come later. While it is certainly not perfect, it is strong and functional for the first time in years. When we started, it was garbage. Now, it can perform the job its maker intended: protect and display a Parker pen!

 

You will undoubtedly have questions as to sources for materials and tools. Here are a few suggestions:

 

http://www.leevalley.com Lee Valley Tools, in Canada and around the world. Makers and sellers of the finest tools, except for those carried by:

 

http://www.mehr-als-...page/detail.jsf Dick Fine Tools, in Germany. Many astonishing highest-quality Japanese tools.

 

http://www.japanesepaperplace.com/ Japanese Paper Place. More than you could possibly imagine, including bookbinding tools and glues.

 

http://www.shopbrodart.com/ Brodart book repair and library supplies.

 

 

So I hope this has helped some of you, and interested all!

Edited September 16, 2010 by D Armstrong

[algabatz]

Thank You for this fantastic tutorial!

I have done some restoring of old comic books, but this is a way much more skilled work.

I have some crushed boxes I will practice on.

 

Btw I have used a German made self adhesive rice paper in the form of a tape, called Filmoplast (no affiliation). It's practically invisible and although I'm sure using glue is more versatile this has the advantage of being reversable, the paper tape can be moisturised and removed again.

Thanks again.

 

/Tony

 

http://www.neschen.com/data/pool/d530943901_250.jpg

 

[Ernst Bitterman]

Filmoplast is the bee's knees, but the edges are a little easier to make out after the repair than with the Japanese paper.

 

(For those keeping track, this is an excellent example of the phenomenon known as "hair-splitting")

 

The repair is a thing of beauty, and an object lesson in the truth that patience is a virtue.

[brettttt]

What a great tutorial. Posts like this really raise the value of FPN. Thanks very much for the time and care you took to create and post.

[ljwahl]

What a great tutorial-- I appreciate your excellent explanations of both materials and method. Thanks!

[encremental]

A brilliant read! Many thanks.

[TMLee]

Excellent job. :clap1:

I too, like to see things repaired rather than discarded.

What I am amazed is that the elastic cord has lasted all these years.

I thought rubber stuff deteriorates after some time. :hmm1:

Anyone with an opinion on why it hasn't on this one ?

[MSA]

Clean Bowled!

 

Excellent Post.

 

Regards

[Beechwood]

Really useful, thanks

[D Armstrong]

Excellent job. :clap1:

I too, like to see things repaired rather than discarded.

What I am amazed is that the elastic cord has lasted all these years.

I thought rubber stuff deteriorates after some time. :hmm1:

Anyone with an opinion on why it hasn't on this one ?

 

Well, in my experience the two main enemies of rubber are use and sunlight. Likely this one hasn't had much use, likely due to it's smushed condition. And probably it sat in the back of a drawer somewhere--out of the light--for the same reason.

[EdBurke]

Here I am a year later saying how great it was to read this before I tried to restore a Parker "61" box with strips of brown wrapping paper, diluted Elmer's glue, light weight black paper and spray on contact cement. Your method seems very good and far better than the one I had planned.

Thank you,

Ed

 

 

[Journaleur]

Almost exactly a year later, but I just stumbled on this tutorial. My appreciation to the gods of serendipity.

 

Thank you very much for this wonderful example of the restorer's art and craft. I will be using the information to repair some file boxes and some other boxes that have blown corners. The techniques and methods you demonstrate are exactly what I have been looking for. Fortunately, the "repairs" that I have done are not irreversible. Now I know how to do it properly. What a find! Thanks again.