What is on your bench?

[Ron Z]

1 hour ago, VacNut said:

It is getting more difficult to find.

 

You can buy it by the liter on Amazon.

[GlenV]

17 hours ago, FarmBoy said:

From a jar in the desk drawer. 
 

Wow you just continue to surprise me!  

[VacNut]

21 hours ago, Ron Z said:

 

You can buy it by the liter on Amazon.

I try to avoid them. It doesn’t seem right to use so many natural resources to deliver a single bottle.

I can wait to walk into a store. The local art stores are finding it difficult to keep the shelves stocked giving the tariff issues.

If anything, I order on-line and pick up at the store. Anything to help the brick and mortar places.

[VacNut]

19 hours ago, GlenV said:

Wow you just continue to surprise me!  

And he doesn’t actually re-tip.

What’s in the archive of the nibmeisters…

 

[Black16]

On 6/20/2025 at 4:15 PM, VacNut said:

That’s a great looking pen. It looks like the wrong type of ink was used. I use kohinoor Rapideze to remove ink. It is gentle on pens. It is getting more difficult to find.

 

The filler is odd at the end of the barrel. Could it be a retrofit or replacement? It’s uncommon to unscrew an end cap and then have the end of the barrel open. 

 

It may be black hard rubber BHR, which should not be immersed in water, as it may discolor. If you use the rapideze, you should use wet the q-tip to clean the pen interior.

Can you depress the spring?

Am currently making a research (very slowly) on such pens as I've seen only three of them on the whole internet via reversed image search and one of them is mine. They have a very similar pattern to MB Marcel Proust but the nibs they all have are marked Edel (except for mine, mine has a soviet replacement nib). Am aware about Edelstahl nibs and Edelfeder nibs, but can't identify any the pen itself anyway. It has victory-related soviet engravings hence it is either pre-WWII or WWII era pen.

 

I can depress the spring a wee bit, yes! The rod does not move. I suspect the cork of the piston mechanism is dried out and stuck, but when I was buying it - the seller sent me the disassembled photos so seems it was easier to un-stuck it before it was shipped... Yeah he sold it as a pen he knows nothing about how to use - probably his ancestor's pen. He could easily damage it after reassembling.

 

I saw such mechanism somewhere before but I wasn't able to find it again, sadly. It was mentioned as 'spring piston' IIRC.

 

Am not sure if I'll be capable to get Rapideze soon, maybe you by any chance know any substitutes or the chemistry behind it? I have some chemistry background so I might have the needed chemicals on hands already.

And it could be dried out since the very 1945 so... Though I suspect not an IG ink - the nib is stained in blue, not blue-black or black colour.

Also the colour of the section did not change after a few minutes of soaking in distilled water, but I never restored hard rubber before so can't say anything about it. Tho it becomes... slightly sticky?? After it immersed in water even a wee bit. If it helps.

I do have ebonite pens and they do not behave like that nor they smell this way - it smells just like rubber, not that usual ebonite sulfury smell. AFAIK black hard rubber is exactly ebonite, right? Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

 

UPD:

I tried soaking the old nib in dish soap and water overnight - the ink is still all over it and the water just got a wee bluish tint. I'll try ammonia solution on the nib just to figure out if it is an ink or some kind of paint or whatever was used.

Also updating about the "sticky" section. It is not sticky now so it was not a kind of reaction to water - it seems it was in something that made it feel sticky when exposed to water. After that quick soaking it is clean and it is not sticky if exposed to water now. I've no idea what this pen been through, could be inked up with something nasty and not fp friendly. The section is cracked and the feed seems to be like melted or welded into it partly (I could try using a macro lens to take better photos) and I doubt there's the channel left for ink now. But the nib I could replace with an ONLINE pen company nib. Tried it as a dip pen and it works perfectly, the section is not "sticky" after cleaning with plain distilled water and using fp friendly ink (I used Kaweco Caramel Brown for this test).

Edited June 22, 2025 by Black16
updated info

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Got a random question about Parker 51 aerometrics... has anyone else seen numbers engraved on the inside of the inner cap? Like the flat part when you look into the cap? I noticed this in a Parker 51 Demi dating from like 1948, it had a 15 or something like that engraved into it, looked like by hand.

 

I figured this was an irregularity, but I just got a hold of a full size Parker 51, also an early aerometric - the date code is well worn off but I can tell it's an early one because it has the early chrome plated "press 6 times" sac shroud. This one has "16" (or 91?) engraved on the inside of the inner cap. 

 

I either haven't noticed this in my other ones or it's a quirk of the really early aerometrics. Was wondering if anyone knew anything about it.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I just had the worst Parker 51 aerometric restoration I can imagine. I don't know what this pen was inked with. The ink was dried in solid chunks that even a brush didn't do much to.

 

The hood unscrewed surprisingly easily... except for the fact that the collector/nib/feed came out with it, stuck inside. The breather tube took me 15 minutes along to get clean, it was completely clogged. I ran a guitar wire through it (or attempted to) for 15 minutes before it finally unclogged.

 

Getting the collector out was a challenge. Finally got it out, well, now getting the nib/feed out was a challenge. I spent half an hour individually shimming each and every single fin of the collector, and I am still not sure I got all of the ink out. 

 

I replaced the sac because while it was still "functional" it was hopelessly stained and had literal solid chunks of ink stuck to it on the inside. I've reassembled it and I don't think I was able to get the nib/feed deep enough in the collector but after a few tries I couldn't get it any further in. All in all, it's been probably 5 hours. For an aerometric. The "easy" ones! I'm not a religious man but I am praying that it works when I try to ink it tomorrow.

 

I will say though... goes along with David Nishimura's advice I've seen that even if a Parker 51 seems like it's filling, it may still need to be serviced. The pen actually filled when I got it, before disassembling. With a completely clogged collector and clogged breather tube. When I say clogged, I mean clogged solid. I don't understand how. 

 

 

 

[Black16]

6 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I just had the worst Parker 51 aerometric restoration I can imagine. I don't know what this pen was inked with. The ink was dried in solid chunks that even a brush didn't do much to.

 

The hood unscrewed surprisingly easily... except for the fact that the collector/nib/feed came out with it, stuck inside. The breather tube took me 15 minutes along to get clean, it was completely clogged. I ran a guitar wire through it (or attempted to) for 15 minutes before it finally unclogged.

 

Getting the collector out was a challenge. Finally got it out, well, now getting the nib/feed out was a challenge. I spent half an hour individually shimming each and every single fin of the collector, and I am still not sure I got all of the ink out. 

 

I replaced the sac because while it was still "functional" it was hopelessly stained and had literal solid chunks of ink stuck to it on the inside. I've reassembled it and I don't think I was able to get the nib/feed deep enough in the collector but after a few tries I couldn't get it any further in. All in all, it's been probably 5 hours. For an aerometric. The "easy" ones! I'm not a religious man but I am praying that it works when I try to ink it tomorrow.

 

I will say though... goes along with David Nishimura's advice I've seen that even if a Parker 51 seems like it's filling, it may still need to be serviced. The pen actually filled when I got it, before disassembling. With a completely clogged collector and clogged breather tube. When I say clogged, I mean clogged solid. I don't understand how. 

 

 

 

One of the reasons such stuff happens is when the pen in question wasn't flushed and was filled with another ink and so there was some reaction between them. I had such pens on my bench. And yup some inks just dry out this way on their own, encountered that as well.

 

If the materials of the pen allow - you can use ammonia solution or dish soap or ultrasonic cleaner, if the clogging is way too stubborn. I personally like to use makeup brushes as they are cheap and work just fine, usually they're labelled as lash/brow brushes. But those aren't gentle tools so I wouldn't use it on anything gold plated for example.

 

If you need to remove stains gently you may try Sailor's Doyou ink, many folks here will confirm and I myself just un-stained a pen with its help yesterday. Works like a charm in most cases.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

4 hours ago, Black16 said:

One of the reasons such stuff happens is when the pen in question wasn't flushed and was filled with another ink and so there was some reaction between them. I had such pens on my bench. And yup some inks just dry out this way on their own, encountered that as well.

 

If the materials of the pen allow - you can use ammonia solution or dish soap or ultrasonic cleaner, if the clogging is way too stubborn. I personally like to use makeup brushes as they are cheap and work just fine, usually they're labelled as lash/brow brushes. But those aren't gentle tools so I wouldn't use it on anything gold plated for example.

 

If you need to remove stains gently you may try Sailor's Doyou ink, many folks here will confirm and I myself just un-stained a pen with its help yesterday. Works like a charm in most cases.

 

I don't have a ultrasonic cleaner, no room for one unfortunately. I've heard good things about Koh-i-noor Rapido-Eze, maybe that stuff would have helped. 

 

I just hope the pen works... it was way too much effort. I just tried filling it with water and that part works great. Out of probably near a dozen aerometrics I own by now, it fills better than any other. Shoots water out like a damn cannon. But nib being a little too far out is going to bother me, and I'm unsure if the collector is clean enough to work properly.

 

I wonder if the pen was inked with Parker's infamous superchrome ink. Then again, none of the parts were corroded and my understanding is that ink was very corrosive. The pen had its original silver breather tube and it was incredibly dirty but not damaged. Whatever it is, it stains like crazy. I have a little old toothbrush head I use for cleaning pens and it is so stained I will need to replace it. And I haven't been able to get my fingernails clean either.

[gweimer1]

1 hour ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

 

I don't have a ultrasonic cleaner, no room for one unfortunately. I've heard good things about Koh-i-noor Rapido-Eze, maybe that stuff would have helped. 

 

 

My first ultrasonic cleaner was a small jewelry model that I found in a thrift store.  It was small enough to fit on the bathroom sink in my small apartment.  You should be able to find a small one that you could squeeze in somewhere.

[es9]

1 hour ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner, no room for one unfortunately. I've heard good things about Koh-i-noor Rapido-Eze, maybe that stuff would have helped. 

There’s honestly no substitute for either in certain circumstances. You can get a very small ultrasonic that will do what you need. And rapido is the best flush there is… almost everything else is just a poorer substitute because rapido isn’t cheap. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I live in a very small place and it is already chock full of boxes of pens, parts, tools, etc. When I say I have no room, I really do mean it. I'll probably get one eventually but I've made it a few years without one.

 

I've inked up the pen and it seems functional. I am not confident that nib is positioned properly but it writes and fills so that's a success in my book. A little scratchy for my taste but good flow for a Parker 51 (possibly because of the bad feed/nib placement). The clear new sac is very pleasing after using so many Parker 51s with stained ones.

 

I always buy these Parker 51s for a "good price" with the intent on fixing them up to sell but I am never happy with my restorations and the effort involved is too much for the "profit" I'd get. I don't understand how people restore and sell pens for a living. Seems like a good way to lose money and drive yourself crazy.

 

I might let this one go, will test it for a week to make sure the feed placement and the collector are behaving properly. I need to get something out of this pen for the amount of frustration and work I put into it... Maybe I'm too critical of my restorations? In the state this pen was when I got it, there was no chance in hell that it would write, every single part of it was clogged with solid particulate. I've gotten it to a state where it fills very well and writes okay (tentatively...).

[VacNut]

I think there are very, very few collectors who are making a living on buying and selling pens. It is a hobby and the sales sustain the hobby. If they are making a “good” living then they can likely make a much better living focusing their efforts onto other ventures.

 

Given the state of the pen you described, the fact that it could be returned to functionality speaks to the engineering quality of Parker in the 1940’s. I  can’t think of another pen that could have been restored from such a condition. 

[VacNut]

On 6/21/2025 at 10:05 AM, Black16 said:

I can depress the spring a wee bit, yes! The rod does not move. I suspect the cork of the piston mechanism is dried out and stuck, but when I was buying it - the seller sent me the disassembled photos so seems it was easier to un-stuck it before it was shipped... Yeah he sold it as a pen he knows nothing about how to use - probably his ancestor's pen. He could easily damage it after reassembling.

 

I have an Italian Zemax Pre-War pen that has a similar spring filler, but the filler is a very recent modern replacement of the piston filler that was used. 

A spring filler usually relies on a rubber diaphragm or sac to contract so it draws up ink, after it has been stretched by the filler. The pen may have been a piston filler if it has a cork seal.

Does the filler screw in to the back end of the barrel? 
 

I am not sure where you are located, but I think a knowledgeable collector at a pen show could restore the pen closer to its original condition.

Good luck

 

[VacNut]

Not really a restorations, as the smooth gold shows every fingerprint, so much more a show pen than a practical daily user. There really wasn’t a need to install a diaphragm.

 

There are many more gold overlay Aerometrics than Vacumatics. Parker made solid 14K caps, but these are 18K, so I assume they were made in France. (Someday I will check the hallmark).

 

[Black16]

On 6/22/2025 at 6:40 PM, VacNut said:

I have an Italian Zemax Pre-War pen that has a similar spring filler, but the filler is a very recent modern replacement of the piston filler that was used. 

A spring filler usually relies on a rubber diaphragm or sac to contract so it draws up ink, after it has been stretched by the filler. The pen may have been a piston filler if it has a cork seal.

Does the filler screw in to the back end of the barrel? 
 

I am not sure where you are located, but I think a knowledgeable collector at a pen show could restore the pen closer to its original condition.

Good luck

 

I could send this pen to be restored to anyone who can do that but the point is in restoring it myself. I've a jewellery maker's background and anyway I have plans on making my own pens and nibs in the future hence must get pen-related skills (eg celluloid and rubber parts aren't what I'm very competent with so far...).

 

It has a blind cap that screws in, but I can't take out the filling mechanism itself. I'm not sure if it is cork there as everything inside is stained with that ink. It didn't come off the nib even after soaking it in ammonia, I've no idea what kind of ink it is then. And I also doubt the disassembled photos were recent - the seller could just send me old pics he had for decades, but it doesn't matter anyway.

I guess I'll try to put the barrel in the ultrasonic to see if after a few circles in there the stuck mechanism moves slightly. It's metal and the cork must be replaced anyway, I doubt it can be damaged by this procedure.

 

Many thanks for the info about Rapido-Eze, I'll see if I can get it or substitute the recipe at least partly myself for less money.

[Black16]

Actually tried to repair this nib recently. I got the pen for £5 to learn all this stuff and finally got some spare time to spend with it. It was my first attempt in nib repairing and am not totally satisfied. It now writes flawlessly, but I plan to grind it into oblique soon. Might also try to straighten it though from what I see on pics Waterman Hemispheres have slightly arched (not sure if the term is correct) nibs so I bent it to look like those after aligning the tines.

I got used to working with soft metals and I was sure fp nibs are fragile even being made of stainless steel, was surprised they actually aren't that easy to break completely. Well I'm happy I fixed it and didn't ruin it more, but still could do better (am not sure what's not satisfying here and I guess that's my impostor syndrome speaking, but I still see a lot of imperfections and could do better...).

 

First two pics are how I got it and the last one is the result (couldn't take a better photo, the lights reflect less of all on this one).

 

[VacNut]

Fountain pens are generally held together by friction, threads, rosin, or shellac (the most difficult to remove option).  A spring filler suggests that it is threaded into the back of the barrel. It is odd that the spring is exposed and that there are no exposed collars or nut on the filler that can be unscrewed. Could something be missing at the filler?
 

Most sections can be knocked out from the barrel side if they cannot be pulled out from the nib side. I think removing the filler first is the key.

 

You can search this forum, but ultrasonic cleaners are used to remove ink. They are not intended to “loosen” parts -  you may find that they unfortunately loosen parts that are not intended to be loosen.

 

I do not know the barrel and section material, but you may consider soaking just the section longer in water for several days or longer. Sometimes water will wick up into the section to loosen the feed. Naphtha is also a safe option to soak the pen. It does not degrade BHR or celluloid. The only material of concern is Casein, which should not be soaked in any liquids.

Since you have a jewelers background, you may have apprenticed with a craftsman with more years of experience. Your pen is not a simple restoration. You may consider sending it out to an experienced pen technician and then ask them how they were able to restore the pen. Consider it a learning experience for future pens.

 

You are the guardian of the pen, so you have the freedom to work on it as you see appropriate.

Good luck.

[Black16]

6 minutes ago, VacNut said:

Fountain pens are generally held together by friction, threads, rosin, or shellac (the most difficult to remove option).  A spring filler suggests that it is threaded into the back of the barrel. It is odd that the spring is exposed and that there are no exposed collars or nut on the filler that can be unscrewed. Could something be missing at the filler?
 

Most sections can be knocked out from the barrel side if they cannot be pulled out from the nib side. I think removing the filler first is the key.

 

You can search this forum, but ultrasonic cleaners are used to remove ink. They are not intended to “loosen” parts -  you may find that they unfortunately loosen parts that are not intended to be loosen.

 

I do not know the barrel and section material, but you may consider soaking just the section longer in water for several days or longer. Sometimes water will wick up into the section to loosen the feed. Naphtha is also a safe option to soak the pen. It does not degrade BHR or celluloid. The only material of concern is Casein, which should not be soaked in any liquids.

Since you have a jewelers background, you may have apprenticed with a craftsman with more years of experience. Your pen is not a simple restoration. You may consider sending it out to an experienced pen technician and then ask them how they were able to restore the pen. Consider it a learning experience for future pens.

 

You are the guardian of the pen, so you have the freedom to work on it as you see appropriate.

Good luck.

The section unscrewed easily (and so with taking out the nib, I swapped with a new one already), the problem is only with the stuck filling mechanism and I didn't manage to knock it out. That is why I want to try the ultrasonic cleaner - it is stained with ink inside so my guessing is the ink residue holds it all together. So I want to get rid of the ink to be able to remove the mechanism. Well at least it is what I thought can be done at this point.

 

Jewellers do not usually work with pens or non-metal stuff in general and I learnt everything I know by myself, so thanks for the wishes! I'll try my best with this pen (it is a personal thing, this particular one) and will learn on other pens first as I usually do.

 

Am not sure if none of the parts are missing, but for example the cork can be replaced and so many other parts. So I guess the first step will be to remove the ink blockade to disassemble the pen and to inspect if anything needs to be replaced, etc.

[FarmBoy]

10 hours ago, VacNut said:

Fountain pens are generally held together by friction, threads, rosin, or shellac (the most difficult to remove option).  A

The prevalence of Super Glue, Teflon tape, Kragle, and foreign objects such as tape and wood sticks should not be under stated.