Stipula Etruria Piston Repair - Take 2

[wimg]

how big is this piston mechanism as compared to a standard international converter?

Longer, fatter and holds quite a bit more ink. At least 4-5X as much, I would say.

 

Warm regards, Wim

 

A standard international converter holds approx 0.75ml ink as per this measurement: link

 

4-5X capacity implies 3ml and more, an ink capacity much more than any other piston fill pen in the market today, a remarkable achievement by Stipula, if indeed true.

Ok, in that case I better check, if you don't mind - I'll report back on this. Just give me a couple of days.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[georges zaslavsky]

pretty interesting thread, I didn't know or expect that the erutria could be prone to such problem.

[efchem]

pretty interesting thread, I didn't know or expect that the erutria could be prone to such problem.

 

I started a thread in the repair forum as I now have everything apart and am looking for ways to repair it or parts for it. If anyone here has any advice, I would welcome that also. I have also been talking with Michael M. He has to be one of the nicest and most generous people in the FP business as he has guided me with removing the piston mechanism along with Wim here. Michael used to be a Stipula rep and repair guy and has some parts but for the newer aluminum mechanism. Mine seems to be the first mechanism they used before they changed to the aluminum housing. One of the main differences is that mine has the collar threaded into the plastic tube while the newer ones have the collar threaded into the section. Through my research, I also realized that I have the same pen as this thread although I have to verify the gold marking. Mine is actually even earlier than the ad.

 

To George, I don't know if it is the Etruria that really has problems or if it was the previous owner. It seems like things could have been avoided if the user was more careful with the pen. I got it with dried ink in it and I assume someone was moving the piston around with the dried ink and therefore causing the plastic piston rod to tear at the end and thus allowing the o-ring to move around causing it to lose the seal. I assume there was some type of lubricant on the o-ring originally and that is all it really needed to keep working smoothly. The pen now just needs some TLC and will once again be up to its originally glory.

Edited December 8, 2011 by efchem

[wimg]

Yes, exactly. Also note that Etruria S.r.l. uses much sturdier mechanisms these days anyway. The current rotating piston system helps to prevent this type of problem from happening as well. The first generation Etrurias were, as far as I am aware, their first piston filler pens. Any piston filler is prone to this type of problem if not treated with the proper care. As mentioned, the new system is quite unique in helping to prevent this from happening, however.

 

BTW, I have contacted Etruria about this problem, and took the liberty to send them your photographs. They are checking to see if they can find parts. It may take a little time however, considering it is extremely busy right now at the factory.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[efchem]

BTW, I have contacted Etruria about this problem, and took the liberty to send them your photographs. They are checking to see if they can find parts. It may take a little time however, considering it is extremely busy right now at the factory.

 

Warm regards, Wim

 

WOW, that is awesome. I did not think of contacting them because I thought that if I started fooling with the pen, they would no longer service it. I really appreciate the initiative and if they find anything, they can ship it with my Etrurias I will gladly pay for any parts they may have. Wim, you have truly gone above and beyond and I do appreciate it.

 

Erick

[hari317]

Yes, exactly. Also note that Etruria S.r.l. uses much sturdier mechanisms these days anyway. The current rotating piston system helps to prevent this type of problem from happening as well. The first generation Etrurias were, as far as I am aware, their first piston filler pens. Any piston filler is prone to this type of problem if not treated with the proper care. As mentioned, the new system is quite unique in helping to prevent this from happening, however.

 

Wim, are the current Etruria piston mechanisms designed for easy disassembly, so that periodic cleaning and lubrication be carried out?

 

How does their rotating piston system prevent dried ink from playing havoc with the seals?

 

Thanks!

Hari

[wimg]

Hi Hari,

Yes, exactly. Also note that Etruria S.r.l. uses much sturdier mechanisms these days anyway. The current rotating piston system helps to prevent this type of problem from happening as well. The first generation Etrurias were, as far as I am aware, their first piston filler pens. Any piston filler is prone to this type of problem if not treated with the proper care. As mentioned, the new system is quite unique in helping to prevent this from happening, however.

Wim, are the current Etruria piston mechanisms designed for easy disassembly, so that periodic cleaning and lubrication be carried out?

Periodic cleaning and lubrication you do the same way as you would with any piston filler as far as I am aware. Periodic cleaning means rinsing it every so often, and lubrication you do by unscrewing or pulling the nib and feed, and using a toothpick with the tiniest amount of pure, transparant silicon grease applied to it, carefully inserting it into the feed hole carefully, with the piston at the highest position (as if you had filled it with ink), right to the point where you jusy touch the piston, and dab some silicon grease on the chamber wall underneath the piston, going around with the toothpick. Remove the toothpick, and carefully move the piston down, a little bit first, up again, a little more, up again, etc., until you reach the lowest point. That's it . And lubrication is rarely needed when you use the pen regularly. Just don't let the pen dry out by itself, not too often anyway - that's bad for any pen, piston filler or otherwise.

 

In short, there is no need to remove the filler mechanism, and generally speaking, no piston filler allows for the easy removal of the piston filler mechanism, easy meaning by a normal user of such a pen. This isn't necessary. Normal pen maintenance, i.e., flushing of the pen occasionally, will take care of this, and most inks have lubrication characteristics anyway.

How does their rotating piston system prevent dried ink from playing havoc with the seals?

Thanks!

Hari

Exactly because it is rotating. This alleviates stress on the sealing rim of the piston when moving downwards, and also will ease it more gently down. This is not a solution to the worst abuser of a pen, obviously, but with any normal use of a piston filler, it will last you easily 20 to 30 years, if not more.

 

The best maintenance for a fountain pen in general, and for a piston filler for that matter, is to use it.

 

BTW, I have some old, cheap piston fillers I bought about 44 years ago, and which I used both continuously through 6 years of high school, less thereafter - of one the nib fell off (Lamy type of attachment, it just worked itself loose after many years of usage), but the piston filler mechanisms of both still work fine. And they are very simple mechanisms, not more complicated than a converter.

 

All three of my earliest Etrurias work fine as well (same as Erick's, just that I am the original owner). And I never lubricated those, no need to do so.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[hari317]

Hi Wim, yes, I used to lubricate the piston seal indirectly after removal of nib to access the chamber wall as you have described, but I find the best results when I can directly apply the grease on the sealing surface of the seal.

 

On the upper end Pelikans and the MBs and the modern Aurora 88/optima and a few other pens, the removal of the piston assembly is pretty straightforward if you buy or make yourself the spanner required to remove. even the Omas "cross pin knob secure system" is also designed to be taken apart, no glued parts. That way you can clean the pen well, lube the seal and also lube the actuating mechanism. I prefer and appreciate pens that are engineered in this way, but that is a personal preference.

 

The seal on the etruria rotating piston mechanism, are they O-rings too?

 

You are the resident expert on stipula and I have no stipula pens yet and would like to try them out eventually, thank you for taking the time out to share the information.

 

Regards,

Hari

[eric47]

The seal on the etruria rotating piston mechanism, are they O-rings too?

 

Seal may be black but the part that contacts the ink doesn't look like an O-ring to me. Appears a large block seal, but I've never taken one out.

 

[hari317]

That is some gorgeous material, nice pen eric. The black part, maybe it is the retaining washer/nut for the seal.

[wimg]

That is some gorgeous material, nice pen eric. The black part, maybe it is the retaining washer/nut for the seal.

That actually looks like the rubber piston to me.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[wimg]

Hi Hari,

Hi Wim, yes, I used to lubricate the piston seal indirectly after removal of nib to access the chamber wall as you have described, but I find the best results when I can directly apply the grease on the sealing surface of the seal.

I assume you don't take th eactual piston mechanism apart completely. In that case it shouldn't really matter, to eb very honest. The only thing is that it is easier to see what oen is doing, when disassembled.

On the upper end Pelikans and the MBs and the modern Aurora 88/optima and a few other pens, the removal of the piston assembly is pretty straightforward if you buy or make yourself the spanner required to remove. even the Omas "cross pin knob secure system" is also designed to be taken apart, no glued parts. That way you can clean the pen well, lube the seal and also lube the actuating mechanism. I prefer and appreciate pens that are engineered in this way, but that is a personal preference.

If thsi si straightforward for you, you are not a "normal" user . I am pretty sure these can be taken apart as well, in a similar way. I haven't done so myself yet - I tend do do this type of stuff only when necessary .

The seal on the etruria rotating piston mechanism, are they O-rings too?

Between piston filler mechanism and pen, AFAIK, yes. The piston filler itself has the rubber piston of course. I don't know whether there is another O-ring at the top end of the piston filler mechanism, however. I would have to take one apart, and not having done that yet, as mentioned above, I wasn't planning on doing so until it would become a real necessity .

You are the resident expert on stipula and I have no stipula pens yet and would like to try them out eventually, thank you for taking the time out to share the information.

 

Regards,

Hari

Thank you, Hari. I consider myself to be far from being an expert, just somebody with a little more experience with Stipulas, due to my interest in these pens (and especially the Etrurias ).

 

Warm regards, Wim

[eric47]

That is some gorgeous material, nice pen eric. The black part, maybe it is the retaining washer/nut for the seal.

That actually looks like the rubber piston to me.

 

The very bottom part, closest the nib and ink, seems in contact with barrel to me. So I'd agree with Wim rubber piston or rubber seal on the piston.

 

Hari, the latest Etruria, the Etruria Ambrosia. Non-LE production.

[wimg]

That is some gorgeous material, nice pen eric. The black part, maybe it is the retaining washer/nut for the seal.

That actually looks like the rubber piston to me.

 

The very bottom part, closest the nib and ink, seems in contact with barrel to me. So I'd agree with Wim rubber piston or rubber seal on the piston.

 

Hari, the latest Etruria, the Etruria Ambrosia. Non-LE production.

Hi Eric,

 

Is this actually an Etruria? I really need to know, as the guys from Novelli mentioned it is an Etruria-alike, rather than an Etruria...

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Warm regards, Wim

[eric47]

Wim it's an Etruria. I got it from Marco at Novelli. But it's also now on Stipula's site, at least the store.

 

http://www.penempori...rodotto=1110040

 

Even they call it an Etruria. it even has the backwards rotating piston.

 

It's smaller than the current Amber, same size as the original Amber but with current curved section. Doesn't it look like an Etruria?

 

 

Why the 'really need' to know? Another Etruria for your collection?

Edited December 11, 2011 by eric47

[hari317]

If thsi si straightforward for you, you are not a "normal" user . I am pretty sure these can be taken apart as well, in a similar way. I haven't done so myself yet - I tend do do this type of stuff only when necessary .

 

Hi Wim, Yes, I do regularly take apart MBs, most of which are ebay purchases with an uncertain service history, I have had some chances to take apart some of my NOS "sitting on a shelf for years" Omas and Aurora pens since they were leaking and presented a fit case for disassembly and a thorough overhaul. It is normal for me and for a few others here...

[georges zaslavsky]

Wim it's an Etruria. I got it from Marco at Novelli. But it's also now on Stipula's site, at least the store.

 

http://www.penempori...rodotto=1110040

 

Even they call it an Etruria. it even has the backwards rotating piston.

 

It's smaller than the current Amber, same size as the original Amber but with current curved section. Doesn't it look like an Etruria?

 

 

Why the 'really need' to know? Another Etruria for your collection?

pretty nice eritruria I want one

[wimg]

Wim it's an Etruria. I got it from Marco at Novelli. But it's also now on Stipula's site, at least the store.

 

http://www.penempori...rodotto=1110040

 

Even they call it an Etruria. it even has the backwards rotating piston.

 

It's smaller than the current Amber, same size as the original Amber but with current curved section. Doesn't it look like an Etruria?

 

 

Why the 'really need' to know? Another Etruria for your collection?

Aaaaaaaaaaa :bonk: :bonk: :gaah: I am close to bankruptcy with all these great new Etrurias this year, even worse than in 2006 when there were 7 new ones, no 8... This year it's 9 ....

Ah well...

 

 

Warm regards, Wim

[eric47]

Aaaaaaaaaaa :bonk: :bonk: :gaah: I am close to bankruptcy with all these great new Etrurias this year...

 

:roflmho:

 

Look on the bright side. It's not a LE, so you can buy one next year.

[Lothianjavert]

Wim it's an Etruria. I got it from Marco at Novelli. But it's also now on Stipula's site, at least the store.

 

http://www.penempori...rodotto=1110040

 

Even they call it an Etruria. it even has the backwards rotating piston.

 

It's smaller than the current Amber, same size as the original Amber but with current curved section. Doesn't it look like an Etruria?

 

 

Why the 'really need' to know? Another Etruria for your collection?

Aaaaaaaaaaa :bonk: :bonk: :gaah: I am close to bankruptcy with all these great new Etrurias this year, even worse than in 2006 when there were 7 new ones, no 8... This year it's 9 ....

Ah well...

 

 

Warm regards, Wim

 

I may need to get a second job... one to help finance another Etruria... or two.... I've already decided that I need a 991, an Alter Ego, and the Ambrosia is a must!