Mould Or Spores In Pilot Custom 823

[The Good Captain]

It looks like there might be mould or spores in my 823. It could be staining of the grease in the barrel though. Has anyone got any suggestions as to where to get a suitable 'removal' liquid from, here in the UK? Our local pharmacists seem reluctant to speak about this - hardly surprising - and it would be a shame not to clean it out.

Phenol or Carbolic Acid just don't seem to be classed as 'over the counter' medicines any more. Shame...

So, helpful suggestions, please but the inks I've had in it, don't appear to be contaminated at all, so I guess it's just come from stagnant water.

Bye for now.

[Cyber6]

Just an idea, try some pen flush. You can make at home, some ammonia, distilled water and a drop of soap (unless you have a surfactant like PhotoFlo). Shake the heck of it... see if that clears it.

 

 

Good luck,

 

 

 

C.

[The Good Captain]

Thanks for that and I'm trying all sorts of ideas. So far, dilute vinegar and then water flushes etc. One thing I have noticed is that the TWSBI spanner tool is exactly the right size to unscrew the fillet rod retaining section at the back, like the Vac 700, so if it comes to the worse-case scenario, I'll take off the back end and clean out the barrel from there. One thing I might try first is a solution of baby feeding bottle solution - called Milton over here - as it's a sterilising mixture which can't harm anything much at all.

I'll keep you all posted but it could just be a bit of silicone grease that's been stained by the Noodler's #41 Brown that was in it last.

[PabloAU]

If you're seeing speckling at the lower end of the barrel where it flares out, my Amber 823 had that too. I put it down to staining of the lubricant. I removed the plunger mechanism with a TWSBI wrench and cleaned it with a q-tip. Was it worth the effort? Probably not, as the staining was only visible when the pen was empty.

[The Good Captain]

If you're seeing speckling at the lower end of the barrel where it flares out, my Amber 823 had that too. I put it down to staining of the lubricant. I removed the plunger mechanism with a TWSBI wrench and cleaned it with a q-tip. Was it worth the effort? Probably not, as the staining was only visible when the pen was empty.

Actually, I've just done exactly that and came to the same conclusion. Staining of the grease by the last ink. Opened it up with a TWSBI wrench and gave it a good clean and re-greased. All's well now. I've filled with Pilot/Namiki Blue so the bit of phenol won't do any harm.

BUT the Milton I referred to earlier, is pretty good at 'killing without harming' as it were. Similar stuff must be available all over the place.

[The Good Captain]

And as I meant to mention, the smell of 'mustiness' has gone after the washing and Milton treatment. I reckon it wasn't just staining.

[Diderot]

And as I meant to mention, the smell of 'mustiness' has gone after the washing and Milton treatment. I reckon it wasn't just staining.

 

I wonder if Corsodyl would also do.

Not sure if they have the same formulation, but I guess they both do similar things.

[Fabienne]

Sounds like you have 'Paradise Found'. Good to read about this. I have an 823 and the lump of grease in it was always a very unattractive feature of that pen.

[The Good Captain]

 

I wonder if Corsodyl would also do.

Not sure if they have the same formulation, but I guess they both do similar things.

I don't know about Corsodyl but I have to say that the very easy removal of the piston with the TWSBI spanner meant that I could get rid of all the old clumps of grease from the manufacture and once replaced with a delicate re-grease, means that the ink now flows readily up and down the barrel chamber. Quite a pleasing visual difference.

And the best bit is, that I didn't have to mess about with the nib at all!