Eversharp Pressure Bar Advice...

[missuslovett]

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

[Greenie]

I am sorry to say, but I find this to be a very awkward assembly.

 

For informational purposes only - I am a urologist and I perform surgery with small endoscopes daily so working up inside a long tubular structure is part of my job. Still, the Eversharp pressure bars with the retainer at the end of the barrel is a challenge.

 

Your words are the best, and I shall gladly use them. Jiggery Pokery fiddly. That best sums it up.

 

If Bob is not yet your uncle...

 

 

For lining up to lever with the pressure bar, lift the lever slightly (you can put a rubber band around the barrel under the lever to free up a hand), use an alligator grasper to keep the bar lined up with the lever. I have no tips for the fiddliness of the retainer, and I am always happier to have the models without the retainer where I only have to futz the bar onto the lever.

[missuslovett]

That's a brilliant tip about the rubber band. Thanks, Greenie! The retainer actually came out along with the pressure bar, so organising the both of them back in, along with the positioning of the lever was hellish but by some miracle (fluke), I managed it. Richard Binder mentioned removing the lever if the retaining clip was also out but I couldn't face that so I positioned a powerful, adjustable reading light shining into my lap as I held the barrel vertical beneath me, two fingers adjusting the lever, the other hand on my alligator forceps and the bar/retainer combo. To say I was stunned when I managed to jiggle the lever into the grooves on the bar is an understatement. I leave my Heath Robinson method here should anyone else need the reference from the tags.

 

The pen is now miraculously drawing and expelling ink (it has a breather tube/wick that came out as well!). It now just needs some small adjustments to the nib and it will be writing smoothly again. I can't tell you how chuffed I am that it's rescued. It's such a pretty pen I'll post some pictures soon. But, like you, I prefer something an awful lot less fiddly!