Unknown Pen - Lots Of Restoration Questions!

[Geo42]

So firstly, im new to this as you will quickly tell so apologies for dumb questions. I recently bought a batch of vintage pens that are in much need of restoration, of which this pen is one. I have partly disassembled and given components an initial clean and i now have a number of issues i need help with. Firstly i have no idea what this pen is! can anyone shed any light on manufacturuer, model and date?

 

I would like to get this pen writing again and as you can see the sac has perished and i need to replace, my questions are:

 

1. how do i safely get the hard part of the sac off the section safely? it feels as hard as the section itself and its hard to tell where one begins and the other ends

2. how do i size the right sac for this pen? i literally have no idea what to buy

3. any ideas how i get the feed and nib out of this pen?

4. is it possible/needed to get the lever mechanism out for a clean? it seems to be working fine but id be happier if i could inspect in detail

 

Any help with this would be very much appreciated as i really like the styling of this pen and would love to get it back to former glory. Thanks.

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by Geo42

[pen lady]

Well, your pen is a Wyvern 404 I think. It was their answer to the Parker 51, suddenly in the later 40s - early 50s hooded and semi hooded nibs were the rage. If you look on the barrel, you should see some kind of imprint. Now, as to your restoration questions:

 

1. You can carefully scrape and chip the old sac remnants off the nipple with a small sharp instrument.

2. Order 2 sacs, either a #12 and #14 and fit whichever seems the best.

3. Soak the nib and feed in cold water with a drop of dish detergent and household ammonia (if you have some) for a few hours. If you have some kind of bulb apparatus to force the soaking liquid through, so much the better. After a good long soak it should be possible to just blow a breath through. If so, you are good to go if not, try soaking again. Unless you know what you're doing, don't remove the nib.

4. If the lever's working, don't try to remove it. As long as all the old sac has been removed from the barrel, you'll have no problems.

 

Best of luck in restoring this pen. I've had mine (a green/grey pearl) for a few years and it writes wonderfully.

[CS388]

Even though the old sac feels as if it has become one with the barrel, it is usually quite brittle and will come away easier than you'd think. You'll need a tool, like a dentist's pick, to get it all out - and it can be fiddly and will probably take longer than you think! You still have some of the old sac on the section nipple, so that should give you an idea of the size needed - go to a UK site like Pendragons, they have a guide to sac sizes. (You measure the nipple on the pen and order the sac. Simple!)

 

No idea of the manufacturer - and I wouldn't take the lever mechanism out, if it is working.

 

Good luck

 

eta: overlapped post with pen lady's better response.

Edited December 5, 2017 by CS388

[Geo42]

Many thanks to the Pen Lady and CS388. Ive just looked up Wyvern 404 and its a match! Good spot. Unfortunately there is no barrel imprint at all. I will definitely take the advice on the replacement sac and I won’t remove either the nib or the lever. Thanks again.

[pen lady]

You're most welcome! Mine is quite lightly imprinted, yours is probably the victim of over-zealous polishing. Do you have re-sacing supplies? If not, you'll need some shellac and pure talc as well as the sac. There's lots of instructions on the internet - go forth and conquer!

[PaulS]

this art deco design on the clip for the 404 is very distinctive - most of my other Wyverns have a different style of clip, and although the 404 isn't of course in the same league as the P51, the design similarity of the hooded nib is reason enough to make the comparison.

I always think that Wyvern's trade mark of the mythical beast, must be one of the most striking of pen trade marks - it does occur on the barrel of my 404, but on this one its either been polished away as pen lady says, or as no doubt happened with many barrel imprints, the pressing was too light and no mythical beast remained. This logo/trade mark also appears on some of their nibs, but only the 14 ct. ones I think. Picture of the 'Wyvern' on the barrel of a 404, attached.

Best of luck with the renovation.

[Geo42]

Thanks for the comments Paul, it is indeed a shame about the barrel imprint but overall the restoration is going well and the pen has responded well to polishing. New sac fitted and everything cleaned out. Will post a pic when fully completed. Cheers