Rotring Lava (Pencil!) Issues

[EisenFaust]

Hi everyone,

 

Long time lover of 'the finer things in life' EisenFaust here, glad to be aboard. Some of you might know me from StraightRazorPlace.

 

I have recently developed a fascination with vintage writing instruments (after getting a Lamy Safari for work) and have since acquired a few nice items, one of which is a Rotring Newton 'Lava' mechanical pencil. Now, before you say it - Sorry to begin my FPN career with a pencil post!!

 

Love everything about it but it seems to have a mechanical issue - the 'sheath' (extended and retracted with a firmer push of the top button) does not lock down in the extended position very firmly (or far enough) and it has a tendency to spring back inside when one presses the lead against a surface to write, leaving the lead itself exposed. I would like to tear the pencil down completely to check for any obvious issues, but would like some guidance from the community before I attempt any repairs least I damage the pencil irreparably.

 

Can anyone help out?

 

Promise I'll post about fountain pens next time ;-)

 

Thanks!

[JPS_Rotring]

Disassembly would be my best guess, theres not much in there that could break on normal usage, it sounds more like that the clutch mechanism doesn't grab correctly, most of the times theres an old splintered lead in there prohibiting the pen from pushing against the paper