Restoring Black Lacquer Grooves On A Parker 75 Sterling Silver Cisele

[TudorR]

I have bought a Parker 75 sterling silver fountain pen from the flea market. The black lacquer that used to fill the grooves on the cap and barrel is gone for the most part, so I wonder if there is a way to restore it. Has anyone had success with this? If so, what type of paint/lacquer did you use?

[Addertooth]

They start with a clear lacquer, add some black pigmentations so that it is significantly darkened. They paint the entire pen, and it settles more thickly in the cracks and crevices. Then wipe the surface away (leaving a thick layer of the darkened lacquer in the Cisele cuts (chisel cuts). They let it cure, and then you can block polish the surface, which leaves the dark lacquer in the crevases intact. I have seen some 75 cisele pens which still had a thin layer of the lacquer all over the pen, to discourage oxydation of the sterling silver. Keep in mind you want to keep the lacquer off the clip and golden ends.

 

Edited January 25, 2020 by Addertooth

[TudorR]

They start with a clear lacquer, add some black pigmentations so that it is significantly darkened. They paint the entire pen, and it settles more thickly in the cracks and crevices. Then wipe the surface away (leaving a thick layer of the darkened lacquer in the Cisele cuts (chisel cuts). They let it cure, and then you can block polish the surface, which leaves the dark lacquer in the crevases intact.

 

Thank you. Any suggestion on the manufacturer/product for the lacquer and pigment?

[Bibliophage]

Thank you. Any suggestion on the manufacturer/product for the lacquer and pigment?

Depends on the age. Most of the pens from that period probably used nitrocellulose lacquer, similar to the safety razor manufacturers. It's _very_ unlikely to have been a poly-anything (acrylic/ethylene plastic). That mostly leaves shellac and nitrocellulose lacquer - both still available.

[entertainment]

Only the earliest pens had the black lacquer. Later pens just depended on tarnish and polishing of the high surfaces. I have read that you can encase the pen in a latex pen sac to speed the process of tarnishing, but I have never done that myself.

[entertainment]

See this FAQ (#10) on the parker75.com website:

http://parker75.com/FAQ/FAQ2.htm#Q10%20Restoring%20the%20dark%20grid%20lines

[siamackz]

Heres how I restored the grooves on my silver sheaffer... https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/327333-restoring-silver-imperial-patina-pattern-done/

[entertainment]

Heres how I restored the grooves on my silver sheaffer... https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/327333-restoring-silver-imperial-patina-pattern-done/

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing that!

[TudorR]

Thank you for the very helpful advice and great links. I'll look up some patina solutions for silver. On a first search, it seems that they are highly toxic and sold only to jewelers for professional use. I'll keep the egg trick as last resort, as I'm likely to make a mess .

[Erik Dalton]

Heres how I restored the grooves on my silver sheaffer... https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/327333-restoring-silver-imperial-patina-pattern-done/

 

 

Thanks for the tip. Very helpful.

[entertainment]

Thank you for the very helpful advice and great links. I'll look up some patina solutions for silver. On a first search, it seems that they are highly toxic and sold only to jewelers for professional use. I'll keep the egg trick as last resort, as I'm likely to make a mess .

Lots of non-toxic possibilities mentioned in this thread. How about the pen-sac method if you are scared of a mess?

[Bibliophage]

You could also use a bicycle tire innertube.