Christopher Godfrey Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Does anyone have, perhaps, among their spare parts an Osmia cap-top emblem? I just received a Progress 96 (with Vacuumatic-type filling system) from...Bulgaria! It was not well-described on the original eBay listing, having no cap emblem and having the single cap ring very loose and slightly bent (Ron Zorn -- Main Street Pens -- will hopefully swage the ring for me); but at the top of the cap there is just a dirty great, deep hole! (The hole is 3,5mm in diameter, as far as I can judge) It's a nice pen with flexy #6 nib and clean red-ish, see-through barrel with spiralling design. The barrel is smooth, while the cap is chased -- mis-match or normal? I have never used a Vacuumatic, though -- any tricks or tips re filling? Anyone have spare parts, I wonder? Link to post Share on other sites
Inksomnia Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Can you post some pictures? I have some Osmia spare parts, but I'm afraid they are for bit newer osmias. Usually, colored Osmias have matching caps. I think it might not be correct cap. I think all of these are too new for your pen? I think correct one would be parker style cap diamond, judging from the pen model. Cap might be from different pen. Link to post Share on other sites
ralfstc Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 A picture would really help. The 96s, IIRC, had a once piece cap, and should definitely look like they belong to the pen! Nice pen, though. Stunning nib, and a terrific filling system! Ralf Link to post Share on other sites
ralfstc Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Aha, found a photo. Not a one piece cap. But definitely matching . . . Link to post Share on other sites
mizgeorge Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 If this is the pen I think it is (a solid black one?), I'd be returning it, or at the very least asking for a significant refund!! It clearly has a major defect, and the pictures have been very cleverly taken to avoid showing that, as well as it being not mentioned in the description. There is no way it could have been seen that the jewel was missing, or that the band was loose. I'd add that if it is the pen I think, it should be in pretty immaculate condition for anything approaching the price asked. Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Godfrey Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 Well, here was I, thinking that no one was going to read my post: thanks to all of you. I shall attache a photo; but am already committed to sending the pen to Osman Sumer in Hamburg (at the suggestion of one of our very learned friends here on FPN -- gracias, Azuniga!) mizgeorge, you have been watching the same pen, then, on eBay? You are correct in that there was no photo showing the bent cap band and no way of seeing the cap emblem. Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that the cap is really a miss-match: cap chased and barrel smoothly plain (plainly smooth! The Germans used the letter G in some models, didn't they; but I forget what the letter actually <stood> for) In any case, I hardly think I am in much of a position to ask for some refund: the pen took many weeks to get here (Christmas on top of Covid delays -- I tracked it while it sat and sat and sat at Chicago airport -- literally, weeks!) Osman Sumer almost called me silly names for buying from that country...! I shall not be doing so again, I assure you -- oh, and I have deliberately failed to leave any feedback for that seller. However, the nib writes nicely and seems to have plentiful flex (yum yum)! I know these photos are poor quality: I haven't yet come to grips with taking pictures of pens in close-up; but they demonstrate the pen better than what was posted on the fleabay. The closed pen is almost 14cm. -- slightly longer, then, than my 226. I have a couple of times also sent pens to Ron Zorn for the swageing of cap bands: his work, too, is great. After its visit to Hamburg, perhaps it will go to the wilds of Pennsylvania, where the Zorns moved from upstate New York... Funny that you should post that particular photo, Ralf: I <do> have a blue diamond-pattened 744 much like that one; but it has one single, wider cap band. Model Platina Supra. You want a photo of it, too? Bl**dy fountain pens! They are so addictive, aren't they? 😎 Link to post Share on other sites
OMASsimo Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 That’s an awesome pen even though it might have been frankenized. The "G" usually stands for "glatt" meaning smooth in contrast to chased, at least for pre-war models. Later, the meaning changed to "gold" to indicate the nib material. Osmias were highly praised and expensive in their day but then forgotten almost completely. Especially pre-war models often were repaired with whatever parts were available just to keep them running. This makes it very difficult to tell what the original factory version really looked like. And even original factory pens apparently came in many slightly different variations making it even harder. However, mixing chased and smooth barrel/cap finishes is nothing I’ve seen before. By the way, the cap looks like one version of the 7x series of the same period. If I get around, I will post a picture of the corresponding cap jewel tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Godfrey Posted February 1 Author Share Posted February 1 Thanks for the encouragement, OMASsimo! Looking forwards to any photos you may post... (Should one say: grazie, Massimo, perhaps?) Link to post Share on other sites
OMASsimo Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Finally I get around to post the promised pictures. These are from a 74 from the 1930s. First picture showed the conical shape of the jewel and the clip: The other two pictures show it from top side and top, respectively: Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher Godfrey Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 Excellent pix: thank you! Grazie, signore. Link to post Share on other sites
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