Managing Tarnish On Sterling Silver Pens

[Flounder]

Loving the warm look to that Imperial Touchdown, Paul.

[PaulS]

thanks - everyone to their own ideas, of course, but personally I'm not too worried if an older object takes on that certain something that tells you it has a little age, and has been used......... but with care though

[edwardt]

In addition to agreeing that an occassional pass with the cloths makes less mess and is less likely to wear fine detailing, I'd also like to add that you can buy very small anti-tarnish silver polishing cloths (8x8cm!).

 

They take up very little space in your pen-fettling drawer/box/whatever, are very inexpensive, and last forever if kept in their envelope-thing, inside a plastic ziplock bag.

 

ps - I've found my rolled-silver caps don't tarnish if the pen is long forgotten inside a sealed tube!

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/FMT%20Hard%20-%20Soft%20Parker%2051%20Pen%20Tubes/FMT%20Pen%20Tubes%20jewel%20foam-silk.jpg

 

@Founder: Where do you get these tubes from please?

[SpecTP]

I'm speculating, but you can probably use tubes like these candy tubes + some sort of dessicant https://jet.com/product/detail/700965b6668c4d6e80dec4a66ffe5c7d?jcmp=pla:ggl:b_nj_dur_gen_food_beverages_tobacco_a3_b2:food_items_candy_chocolate_a3_other:na:PLA_648367109_39638376784_pla-212814403264:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&gclid=CKCjuK67odACFWUGMgodUcEJgA&gclsrc=ds

[Goudy]

how about coating our Sterling examples with some clear shellac - might that be a permanent solution against tarnishing, that's provided of course that shellac isn't harmful to Silver.............. I don't think I'm being serious - am sure if it had been o.k. then someone would have already recommended it.

 

I don't know about shellac, but I did use Renaissance Wax on a vintage safety with a sterling overlay, and I'm pleased with the way it's holding its shine. I didn't want to be constantly polishing the pen in case it wore down the detail on the silver.

 

http://i.imgur.com/3GBbWBn.jpg

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

From a very personal standpoint, I much appreciate the patina of handling rather than neglect.

 

I find that my Sterling pens develop a patina when I grasp them. The end of the barrel, away from the nib, has no patina - just tarnish. (I typically hold the cap in my Left hand, so the cap remains untarnished. That is evident on the images above contributed by Member PaulS)

 

As I often swim, I usually moisturise my hands etc. it might be the case that doing so adds to the patina and avoids tarnish. (?)

[Moisturising - not swimming.]

 

I do a minimal touch-up with a Sunshine cloth, only when tarnish becomes a (Ms Fussy) distraction.

 

Just curious : Has anyone noticed nasty side-effects on Sterling after using those hand sanitisers?

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 12, 2016 by Sandy1

[Freddy]

Hi,

 

 

 

As I often swim, I usually moisturise my hands etc. it might be the case that doing so adds to the patina and avoids tarnish. (?)

[Moisturising - not swimming.]

 

I do a minimal touch-up with a Sunshine cloth, only when tarnish becomes a (Ms Fussy) distraction.

 

Just curious : Has anyone noticed nasty side-effects on Sterling after using those hand sanitisers?

 

Bye,

S1

 

I swim often and during the winter my hands become very dry.

 

The lotion I use AmLactin cerapeutic has not as far as I can tell

had a negative on me .925 pens..exceptin' makin'em slippery.

 

Fred

[Flounder]

 

@Founder: Where do you get these tubes from please?

 

They're cola bottle preforms from https://www.onlinesciencemall.com/.

[edwardt]

 

They're cola bottle preforms from https://www.onlinesciencemall.com/.

 

Cool - thank you!

[PaulS]

I could be wrong, but the Sterling overlay shown by Goudy is a very nice example of a Whytwarth (British) f.p. - quite scarce and very desirable, and I'd hazard a guess c. late 1930s - early 1940s.

[Goudy]

I could be wrong, but the Sterling overlay shown by Goudy is a very nice example of a Whytwarth (British) f.p. - quite scarce and very desirable, and I'd hazard a guess c. late 1930s - early 1940s.

 

Well spotted. The hallmark dates it to London 1922.

 

There's a video of the same model in action here:

 

[PaulS]

thanks - got the date very wrong though

[da vinci]

I don't know about shellac, but I did use Renaissance Wax on a vintage safety with a sterling overlay, and I'm pleased with the way it's holding its shine. I didn't want to be constantly polishing the pen in case it wore down the detail on the silver.

 

http://i.imgur.com/3GBbWBn.jpg

Beautiful pen Goudy

 

Are you in the UK? If so could you drop me a pm to let me know where you got your Rennaisance Wax from please?

 

Also, did you use a silver polishing cloth first the the wax or just go straight to wax.

 

TIA.

[Goudy]

I bought a tin on eBay UK. As the pen was already quite clean and shiny, I just gave it a wipe with a microfibre cloth to remove dust and fingerprints before applying the wax. There's also a Renaissance "pre-lim cleaner", which is for removing tarnish prior to waxing. I haven't tried the pre-lim on silver, but it worked well on a brass ornament.

 

By the way, I've since found that Renaissance Wax can cause discolouration on some vintage BHR pens, probably due to the petroleum content, so be cautious if applying to ebonite.

[wspohn]

I just hand them to the butler who gets the maids to polish them using their thumbs when they aren't otherwise occupied - works a treat!

 

Actually that was/is a great way to polish silver, finishing with a soft cloth. Having a temporary shortage of maids, I'm currently relying on nothing but the soft cloth.....

[Sandy1]

 

I swim often and during the winter my hands become very dry.

 

The lotion I use AmLactin cerapeutic has not as far as I can tell

had a negative on me .925 pens..exceptin' makin'em slippery.

 

Fred

 

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks for sharing!

 

I've also tried 'Gloves In a Bottle' SPF 15 to prevent dry-out. http://www.glovesinabottle.com

 

Bye,

S1

[PaulS]

I thought butlers always wore white gloves when cleaning the silver cutlery - at least mine do

 

Had some idea that coin collectors wore gloves too - am I right in thinking there is a weak acid in our finger moisture - which might quicken the appearance of tarnish on Sterling surfaces?

[wspohn]

I thought butlers always wore white gloves when cleaning the silver cutlery - at least mine do

 

 

 

https://books.google.ca/books?id=8NkTDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT25&lpg=PT25&dq=cleaning+silver+with+thumbs&source=bl&ots=PKarx6758p&sig=aOJ-aTYnmzkDkZ8rDWmLifU8mVw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfsoejlabQAhUO52MKHaBOAPkQ6AEISjAH#v=onepage&q=cleaning%20silver%20with%20thumbs&f=false

[Goudy]

There's an Italian seller who always wears white gloves when handling pens in his eBay listings: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MONTBLANC-264-Black-Celluloid-Fountain-Pen-RARE-18K-Gold-Size-OB-From-50s-/262709153749

 

I don't know why. Maybe he just has ugly hands.

[tonybelding]

Sheaffer Targa in sterling silver. . .

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/targa/sterling_silver_targa_01.jpg

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/targa/sterling_silver_targa_02.jpg

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/targa/sterling_silver_targa_03.jpg