Stopping/Reversing Ebonite Degradation

[stardustny]

Is there a way to reverse or stop ebonite degradation, or do these vintage pens have a maximum shelf life?

[Paul-in-SF]

I understand that the surface of ebonite can change from shiny black to dusty brown (not sure what happens to other ebonite colors), which I think is due to a kind of oxidation. Is this what you are referring to? If so, the way to stop it is to avoid further exposure to sunlight and water. There are a few controversial ways to "restore" the original color and shine, and there have been threads about that on here from time to time. I put "restore" in quotes because they are controversial and I don't know of my own experience whether any of them work.

 

I also understood that this surface change is cosmetic and that the underlying structural integrity of the material is not affected. 

[Vladpu]

There is one method that I have used frequently.  It will fix mild to moderate browning but not absolute bleaching of ebonite.  

The magic factor is good ol' Formula 409, straight off the grocery store shelf (the standard one, not any of the new flavoured varieties).  You need to take apart the pens, so the "innards (sac, section, feed, nib) are not included.  DO NOT put a feed into this treatment.  So, all you do is fill a suitable container, e.g. a glass tumbler, that's tall enougn to cover the barrel, cap, etc.  Fill it with 409 straight from the bottle, no dilution.  Soak your offending pen overnight (at least - might take a day or 2).  If need be change out the 409 after 12 hr or so .... it will turn into a brown sludge.  When your pen looks nice and black again, remove, rinse i water, and let dry.  It will no longer be shiny, but rather a dull mat black.  NO WORRIES - enter the Simichrome.  Get a nice soft cloth 9maybe several, or at least a big one).  Apply a dollop of Simichrome to the cloth, and start gentle polishing.  For hours.  With care and patience you will restore a nice shiny black sheen to the ebonite.

[stardustny]

Ebonite does not structurally degrade underneath the surface like celluloid?

[Paul-in-SF]

I have not heard of that happening. Ebonite is vulcanized hard rubber, a very sturdy and durable substance.

 

Celluloid is a type of plastic. The older type of celluloid was sometimes unstable and the lighter, brighter colors were more likely to decay or crystallize than darker, solid colors. Once a celluloid pen starts to decay the best thing to do is to store it in open air and away from other celluloid pens. That may delay the inevitable catastrophic material breakdown (I have a Wahl-Eversharp Doric in what they called Gold/Silver Shell with crystallization that has not apparently progressed for a couple of years now). You can often recognize celluloid decay as a brighter and more translucent area than the rest of the pen. Here is the cap of my pen that I mentioned, it's a pretty good illustration:

[stardustny]

Did Montblanc ever make an ebonite pen?

[FredRydr]

On 7/29/2021 at 3:59 PM, stardustny said:

Did Montblanc ever make an ebonite pen?

Sure.  Look around: https://www.vintagemontblancpens.com

[sansenri]

On 7/29/2021 at 4:31 PM, stardustny said:

Is there a way to reverse or stop ebonite degradation, or do these vintage pens have a maximum shelf life?

 

On 7/29/2021 at 8:47 PM, stardustny said:

Ebonite does not structurally degrade underneath the surface like celluloid?

 

On 7/29/2021 at 9:59 PM, stardustny said:

Did Montblanc ever make an ebonite pen?

 

we are slightly struggling to understand your full question/concern...

Do you have a Montblanc, possibly in ebonite, that shows degradation?

 

Are you planning to buy one in degraded looking conditions?

 

We may provide better answers if we know the whole story...

 

 

[txomsy]

Mentioned by @HauntedMyst in a different thread,

 

  

8 hours ago, HauntedMyst said:

If you have any ebonite pens that are oxidizing, you can use Obsidian Pipe Stem treatment to help retard it.  Many high quality smoking pipe stems are made from ebonite.  Its less common to see oxidation in pens than it is with pipes because we don't put our mouths on out pens but it can still happen.  Obsidian Pipe Stem  It's a small bottle but it lasts forever.

 

 

From what I see, this is only a maintenance product to avoid degradation, it will not recover already browned (or greenish) ebonite/black hard rubber. It will, however, keep it black in the presence of continuous humidity (like a pipe stem in the mouth).

 

If you want to apply it to ebonite that has already started to degrade, you still need to polish it first. Some pipe smokers mention only a slight improvement (probably from the polishing associated to spreading the oil).

 

On the plus side -I suppose- it should be non-toxic as it is intended for something you bring to your mouth repeatedly... although considering its use (inhaling a toxic product), who knows? The linked page does not give composition information or safety notices.

 

From the page in Amazon.com I suppose that it is "obsidian oil" (whatever that is), but it also states "Obsidian also contains small amounts of organic quality UVA/UVB protection."

 

On pipe forums they mention that it is mostly mineral oil and that it provides little improvement over plain mineral oil (other than the added UV protection). And in both cases you need to keep reapplying it regularly to maintain the protection.

 

So there, if you have some mineral oil at hand, applied regularly, it may help preserve the looks of your ebonite/vulcanite/hard rubber pens.

 

[HauntedMyst]

On 2/27/2024 at 12:47 AM, txomsy said:

Mentioned by @HauntedMyst in a different thread,

 

  

 

From what I see, this is only a maintenance product to avoid degradation, it will not recover already browned (or greenish) ebonite/black hard rubber. It will, however, keep it black in the presence of continuous humidity (like a pipe stem in the mouth).

 

If you want to apply it to ebonite that has already started to degrade, you still need to polish it first. Some pipe smokers mention only a slight improvement (probably from the polishing associated to spreading the oil).

 

On the plus side -I suppose- it should be non-toxic as it is intended for something you bring to your mouth repeatedly... although considering its use (inhaling a toxic product), who knows? The linked page does not give composition information or safety notices.

 

From the page in Amazon.com I suppose that it is "obsidian oil" (whatever that is), but it also states "Obsidian also contains small amounts of organic quality UVA/UVB protection."

 

On pipe forums they mention that it is mostly mineral oil and that it provides little improvement over plain mineral oil (other than the added UV protection). And in both cases you need to keep reapplying it regularly to maintain the protection.

 

So there, if you have some mineral oil at hand, applied regularly, it may help preserve the looks of your ebonite/vulcanite/hard rubber pens.

 

 

 

Good thoughts but needs a couple of corrections.  There is no mineral oil at all in Obsidian.   It's specifically formulated for rubber.  It is food grade since people put pipe stems in their mouth.  I've been using it for over a decade on my pipes. FYI,  I don't have any ebonite pens but removing oxidaxtion and polishing one could be done on a home buffer with a little red rouge followed by caranuaba wax.  Practice on a pen you don't care about since youd be surprised at how easily the buffer can fling your pen!

[txomsy]

Most sincerely, thank you so very much for the advice and clarifications.

 

I understand there is no oil in obsidian, that is obviously a product name, I suppose that likely chosen to highlight it is mineral oil and that it would leave your ebonite item shiny like obsidian (just a guess).

 

Its application in pens is obviously trivial. What I wanted to stress is that it requires previous polishing.

 

This may sound like a minor point, but the typical case for brownish/greenish pen restoration is for late 19th, early 20th century black chased hard rubber pens with a superficially striated swirl pattern that largely contributes to their esthetic and attraction. Polishing these pens is something to be considered very carefully as the thin striations will suffer some wear and, eventually the esthetics will be affected: it is all too easy to over-polish them, and any additional polishing will further detract from the pen esthetics, possibly ruining it.

 

For example, and that's only me, I prefer to keep my safety Waterman 1/2 green but untouched rather than to polish it.

 

Carnauba oil has already been mentioned many times here at FPN, and -if I am not mistaken, which I most likely am- the general consensus has been that it should better be avoided or left for professionals to avoid damaging the looks of an otherwise very attractive pen.

 

Certainly, for plain surfaces (like pipe stems) that is not so much of a concern. But one should be aware of the special risks under special circumstances.

 

[Nethermark]

7 hours ago, HauntedMyst said:

I don't have any ebonite pens but removing oxidaxtion and polishing one could be done on a home buffer with a little red rouge followed by caranuaba wax

Buffing will remove any inscriptions or chasing, so I would not recommend that. Usage of carnauba wax has been discussed widely on the site. The general conclusion seems to be, that one should refrain from using wax. See for example Richard Binder on the subject