MB 252 damaged snowflake

[perakesson]

Hi from Sweden!

 

My 252 has a slightly chipped and damaged snowflake.

Any suggestion how to improve?

My idea is simply a drop of white Humbrol Enamel.

 

best regards

 

[CS388]

I've never seen a 25x pen go like that, before.

I've had a few on which the thin black plastic surrounding the snowcap, breaks and reveals the white cap top, but yours seems to be a different construction?

If you could find a replacement cap top, that would be your best bet.

Meanwhile, I'd certainly try the Humbrol enamel. (Hope you have steady hands)

May be worth putting a dot on an unseen area, first (eg inside cap) to make sure it doesn't react.

 

Good luck

[Opooh]

Replacement top is indeed the better option.

[CS388]

On 9/21/2025 at 11:35 PM, Opooh said:

Replacement top is indeed the better option.

 

Indeed.

We all know that vintage parts are (usually) hard to find - but I wonder if these cap-tops are more plentiful?

The 25x series pens were notorious for cracked caps. It was almost a design fault.

I bought quite a few as parts pens (decades ago) due the cap-barrel being cracked open. The cap-tops were often intact.

I always admired the 25x pens - I still do and own a couple, now.

 

But, the cap tops were also fragile. The ones I'm more familiar with had a white (plastic?) core and the surrounding black was a thin veneer of resin, If such a cap had the same damage as perakesson's  picture, you'd be looking at white, not black. Unless it's a burn?

 

Hope you find a replacement.

They're great pens. 

[perakesson]

Now I fixed it with acrylic paint

 

[AceNinja]

On 9/21/2025 at 3:50 AM, perakesson said:

 

To me looking from this photo, it looks like a hardened gunk that can be wipe-off, no?

I can still almost see the 'leg' of the snow flake on the bottom left of the photo.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Fountainble on the com/Francis Goossens in Belgium, does wonders.

This beater pre '23 MB Safety pen was sent to him, and he restored the lost and ruined finial.

 

 

I wish I'd taken pictures of the true beater, medium-large '48-59 146. I'd hoped for some sort of just plain brass bands which were missing, for the cap, and straighten the cap out so I could open and close it....not coming back in such great shape. Had that beater not been part of a live auction lot, I'd never wasted a cent on it, despite a having a maxi-semi-flex nib.

I'd sent him a working 146 to put that nib on if the pen didn't make up to man-cave locked door only. 

Being a tad smaller a medium-large pen, it has much better balance than the Large 1970-now 146's. The nib is great, not the run of the mill springy nib of the post semi-flex era. 

 

[Opooh]

4 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

Fountainble on the com/Francis Goossens in Belgium, does wonders.

This beater pre '23 MB Safety pen was sent to him, and he restored the lost and ruined finial.

 

 

I wish I'd taken pictures of the true beater, medium-large '48-59 146. I'd hoped for some sort of just plain brass bands which were missing, for the cap, and straighten the cap out so I could open and close it....not coming back in such great shape. Had that beater not been part of a live auction lot, I'd never wasted a cent on it, despite a having a maxi-semi-flex nib.

I'd sent him a working 146 to put that nib on if the pen didn't make up to man-cave locked door only. 

Being a tad smaller a medium-large pen, it has much better balance than the Large 1970-now 146's. The nib is great, not the run of the mill springy nib of the post semi-flex era. 

 

I just visited Francis yesterday evening, one of my 139 is in need of major surgery. The barrel has to be replaced after some basejumping from the table. Hitting the ground with a crash just above the section ( A).

Anyway the barrel needs a replacement, as you can see just below the pistonknob there is a malformation and a concavity ( B ) , it makes the pen look ugly.

I will post pics after the operation by Francis.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You lucky dog you.

I talk to him on occasion...swapping old men's aches and operations. 

I'll be sending him another batch of pens, luckily mostly old pens needing gaskets.

 

Once Belgium belonged to France, which is why the world's greatest by far 'French fires' are made in Belgium.

I saw something on German TV, a Frenchman drove two and a half hours for some good french fries. A man with serous good taste.

 

They are fried twice in beef tallow and at different temperatures. ....of course, I've seen they are just fried twice at the same temperature; drained and let set before the second frying. I don't know which I got the week I was in Belgium.... I just chomped down. 

 

The reason why McDonalds, made it so big was frying their french fries in beef tallow....then due to political pressure, the went over to third class vegetable oil. 

[Opooh]

On 10/18/2025 at 12:29 PM, Bo Bo Olson said:

You lucky dog you.

I talk to him on occasion...swapping old men's aches and operations. 

I'll be sending him another batch of pens, luckily mostly old pens needing gaskets.

 

Once Belgium belonged to France, which is why the world's greatest by far 'French fires' are made in Belgium.

I saw something on German TV, a Frenchman drove two and a half hours for some good french fries. A man with serous good taste.

 

They are fried twice in beef tallow and at different temperatures. ....of course, I've seen they are just fried twice at the same temperature; drained and let set before the second frying. I don't know which I got the week I was in Belgium.... I just chomped down. 

 

The reason why McDonalds, made it so big was frying their french fries in beef tallow....then due to political pressure, the went over to third class vegetable oil. 

Yes, always nice to visit Francis. In addition to fountain pens, health issues and world problems are discussed. So that we have solved them again after hours of discussions.
We heard that the launch of the new Conid Maximalistica has been postponed again.
He also showed a new prototype of a Conid Kingsize Basic, only has the clip and logo as a garnish. Wonderful.
It always takes a lot of effort not to order one.

As for the fries intermezzo.
Belgium has never been part of France. Certain parts were stolen and others were sometimes occupied by France. 
Belgium is an artificial country separated from the Netherlands after an operetta revolution

The term French frieze comes from the American soldiers who first ate it in the Ypres region and thought they were in France.

We have a “ fritkoten culture “: the place where they are eaten, served in a pointed bag, with salt and one of the well-known sauces. Two of the three chip shops recognized as cultural heritage are located 10 km from my hometown, wonderful! Images see below.

The recipe:
- potato, Bintjes or similar (Agria, Quarta or Ditta in Germany)
-Ossewit or alternatively animal fat for frying

Recipe so you can bake your own fries.
-peel the potato gel and cut it into fries from 11 to 13 mm
- rinse abundantly in water and dab dry
- blanch for 4 to 6 minutes at 140-150 degrees Celsius
- drain and let cool for at least 30 minutes
-bake for 2 to 3 minutes at 180 degrees
- shake up and serve on paper towels in a bowl 
 So then you can bake those delicious golden yellow fries yourselfA real Fritkot.

[Bo Bo Olson]

So close, yet so far away. ... And even more complicated than I thought. 

 

It was once the country of Burgundian Netherlands. Every once in a while it popped up on the frame of what ever I was reading. I'm not used to thinking of it as  how big for the time and important those lowlands were. Some of the owners were so rich, they put on a party that is remembered 4-500 years later. 

 

I'm glad there are more Conid pens underway; even if they are way over my limit.