Jump to content

What's Up At Christof's


christof

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.7k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • christof

    650

  • Soot

    64

  • BMG

    46

  • markiv

    44

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Christof,

with that drawing talent you should consider making comic- books!Really, I love seeing your drawings as much as I like your pens!

Regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all for the compliments and nice comments. But I think it's time to forget about comic books and great customer service and get back to the really important things in life: cool vintage fountain pens!

 

I recently had the opportunity to work on some very cool vintage Soennecken. Perhaps you remember my antique store find with the green tin? There has been some coole pens inside. Also a post war Soennecken Präsident 1. I didn't posted pictures because the condtion was to poor. But now, the pen has been finished. Tom Westerich has been so kind to replace the missing cap ring and push knob, and I did the rest. Means: straighten the bent nib, complete disassembling and cleaning, polishing and reassembling with a new ink sac. Voilà:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8096122653_33973ba958_c.jpg

This pen is fantastic, isn't it? Well, I have to admit that I got a little bit in a "presidential fewer" and bought another one from a reputated and well known seller. It's the pre war Präsident, completely made of hard rubber with a fantastic designed bulky cap band also made of hard rubber. I really would love to know who had the idea for this design feataure and how did he presuade his bosses to produce this... not an easy task I can imagine, haha.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8096129614_83784c9dd3_c.jpg

An interesting detail: The pen is fitted with an 18ct. nib. Not that common for prewar pens, except for the french market.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8096135520_cd3a8c156d_c.jpg

The third pen I worked on is an interesting Soennecken 116 from early post war time. This one is a piston filler.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8096134826_0981f42dc9_c.jpg

The pen looks like the luxury version of common 116's. Three cap bands in different sizes and a huge "presidential" nib. Quite interesting I think.

The different filling mechanisms: Casein push knobs of the Präsidents and the hard rubber knob of the piston filler.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8096135170_114148dbff_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8096135906_4ce079682b_c.jpg

Btw, the Präsident works in in my opinion similar to the Waterman's inkview. There's just a push knob instead of a lever. Interesting that Germans invented this system. The black tube around the casein knobs is just a securing mechanism, which can be screwed inside of the barrel while filling the pen.

The last picture shows the hard rubber Präsident with two other hard rubber push knob fillers, a Parker Lucky Curve and a Montblanc Meisterstück 124S.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8096136236_134e6a4f1b_c.jpg

 

...hope you did enjoy this little review and let's see what's next.

Edited by christof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice work, Christof. I'm beginning to find those Soennecken pens more and more interesting. That bulky hard rubber cap ring reminds me of some crescent fillers.

May Your Force Be With You

If I mention a supplier, I am ONLY affiliated if I EXPLICITLY say so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These look like the superstars when it comes to vintage pens. Simply fantastic.

 

Vik

This post is your keyword to post one of your great pictures of your own fantastic Präsidents. Please, please....

Christof

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love these teases, Christof... Great work on some great pens.

Now if only you were describing restorations of pens you were then going to sell (and I saw them for sale before they were all sold... and at a price within my budget, of course).

--

Glenn (love those pen posses)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now if only you were describing restorations of pens you were then going to sell (and I saw them for sale before they were all sold... and at a price within my budget, of course).

 

I have done this, several times, for example here: RESTORATION OF A ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I know you have... but unfortunately $3000 is outside my pen budget :-)

--

Glenn (love those pen posses)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You always have been and remain compulsive viewing/reading Christof. Thanks for sharing.

 

Soenneckens always seem so distinctive, so classy (made even better with your professional photos :clap1:). I haven't yet got any in my collection but after seeing those beauties of yours, I think I am going to have to correct this situation in due course.

 

I urge everyone to take a look at the super restoration job Christof did on his MB L139. :yikes: Nerves of steel

 

Pavoni.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You always have been and remain compulsive viewing/reading Christof. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you Pavoni. I am always thinking that my english writing must be quite....uhm.... bumpy to read for native speakers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You always have been and remain compulsive viewing/reading Christof. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you Pavoni. I am always thinking that my english writing must be quite....uhm.... bumpy to read for native speakers.

 

When you have such fabulous pens, draw and photograph as well as you do Christof, who could possibly notice your very rare linguistic inaccuracies. You are a 'Star' and we very much enjoy your generous and valued contribution. :thumbup:

 

Pavoni.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Repeating... I do love your photos and detailed descriptions of your restorations, the process, etc. I'd love to watch a video of you at work. (does one already exist?)

--

Glenn (love those pen posses)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Repeating... I do love your photos and detailed descriptions of your restorations, the process, etc. I'd love to watch a video of you at work. (does one already exist?)

 

No video, sorry. I am not good enough as an actor...

But I'll try to post some pics of a cork seal repair next week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, here I am with the cork seal pics! (Please forgive the poor quality. Usually, I take pics in the studio, not in the work shop...)

 

MB 144 repair:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3140/5739245576_f45597c349_b.jpg

 

Soennecken 110 repair:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/6917532582_e3a7ba1bc4_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6917532428_601d60fff8_c.jpg

 

And this should be an illustrated explanation on what you see on the pics. Sorry for the poor quality- has been done on the road.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8115218165_8c784911d4_c.jpg

 

personal note to step IV:

Lot's of collectors, amateur restorers but also lots of prof. restorers do not seal the corks with paraffine wax (I know that because I took a very close look to every pen I bought...). Some of them use silicon grease instead, others nothing - just blank cork. In my humble opinion, it's important to seal the cork with hot liquid paraffine. Cork is a natural material. Cutted to very thin walled seals it becomes brittle. Paraffine fills all the tiny holes and gaps and gives the seal solidity. It also does reduce the friction between the barrel walls and the seal and it prevents the complete soaking of the cork with ink. But as already said, this is just my own experience and opinion.

Edited by christof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my humble opinion, it's important to seal the cork with hot liquid paraffine. Cork is a natural material. Cutted to very thin walled seals it becomes brittle. Paraffine fills all the tiny holes and gaps and gives the seal solidity. It also does reduce the friction between the barrel walls and the seal and it prevents the complete soaking of the cork with ink. But as already said, this is just my own experience and opinion.

Christof, it would be bliss if everyone did things your way. Every pen would be wonderful and problem free for a long time.

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." -- A. Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Christof, a work of art. You should be very proud of your restorations, and the instructions above... and for doing all of the detailed things like sealing in wax. Well done!

--

Glenn (love those pen posses)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...