Best place/price for Sheaffer replacement bladders?

[Pepin]

Sadly, many of the vintage pieces I got on ebay came to me without bladders even though sellers stated them to "flush and take up ink okay" albeit "not restored". However, I figure these would need new bladders someday so might as well restore them myself. I'd like to buy bladders in bulk so maybe a bladder specialist or pen repair shop that offers a full kit (many different bladder sizes) would be my best option? I only own Sheaffers so I don't know if other sizes would fit. Suggestions are welcome and much needed. Thank you all.

[OldGriz]

Sadly, many of the vintage pieces I got on ebay came to me without bladders even though sellers stated them to "flush and take up ink okay" albeit "not restored". However, I figure these would need new bladders someday so might as well restore them myself. I'd like to buy bladders in bulk so maybe a bladder specialist or pen repair shop that offers a full kit (many different bladder sizes) would be my best option? I only own Sheaffers so I don't know if other sizes would fit. Suggestions are welcome and much needed. Thank you all.

 

Pensacs.com

It is where most of the professional restorers buy their sacs... I will only buy from them

It is all they sell...

[Pepin]

Thanks OldGriz.

 

Sadly, many of the vintage pieces I got on ebay came to me without bladders even though sellers stated them to "flush and take up ink okay" albeit "not restored". However, I figure these would need new bladders someday so might as well restore them myself. I'd like to buy bladders in bulk so maybe a bladder specialist or pen repair shop that offers a full kit (many different bladder sizes) would be my best option? I only own Sheaffers so I don't know if other sizes would fit. Suggestions are welcome and much needed. Thank you all.

 

Pensacs.com

It is where most of the professional restorers buy their sacs... I will only buy from them

It is all they sell...

 

[cfclark]

Sadly, many of the vintage pieces I got on ebay came to me without bladders even though sellers stated them to "flush and take up ink okay" albeit "not restored". However, I figure these would need new bladders someday so might as well restore them myself. I'd like to buy bladders in bulk so maybe a bladder specialist or pen repair shop that offers a full kit (many different bladder sizes) would be my best option? I only own Sheaffers so I don't know if other sizes would fit. Suggestions are welcome and much needed. Thank you all.

 

There's this: The Pen Sac Company

 

Never used them myself, though.

[Pepin]

Are these folks an online establishment or do they have a brick and mortar facility I can visit? Also, what's their turn-around from the time of order form submission?

Edited January 22, 2009 by Pepin

[cfclark]

Are these folks an online establishment or do they have a brick and mortar facility I can visit? Also, what's their turn-around from the time of order form submission?

 

They have a website, but the ordering process is via printable .PDF, or you can call them, apparently. They've been around a while (since 1986, according to the website).

[cfclark]

There's this: The Pen Sac Company

 

Never used them myself, though.

 

What I mentioned is the same as what OldGriz mentioned, so you can take his word for it--website is pensacs.com, full name is The Pen Sac Company. Sorry for any confusion.

[Pepin]

I called them but there was no live personnel present to answer my questions.

 

There's this: The Pen Sac Company

 

Never used them myself, though.

 

What I mentioned is the same as what OldGriz mentioned, so you can take his word for it--website is pensacs.com, full name is The Pen Sac Company. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[DRP]

It looks to be somebody who does this as a sideline.

 

However, if Old Griz reports favorably on them, they are most likely a legitimate business.

[WillSW]

If you're looking for a standard shape, Tryphon also sells sacs. I've ordered from them a couple of times and it always arrives quickly and easily.

 

http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm

[Pepin]

Excellent find Will. Thanks.

 

If you're looking for a standard shape, Tryphon also sells sacs. I've ordered from them a couple of times and it always arrives quickly and easily.

 

http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm

 

[OldGriz]

Calling Pensac is usually a frustrating endeavor.... the owner is a medical doctor and generally does not get back to people well..

I always just send my order via email or USPS, depending on how fast I need it..

Delivery is always quick... if I email my order I generally have it in a week or less...

[vermiculus]

It looks to be somebody who does this as a sideline.

 

I would suggest that most sectors of the collectable pen market are sidlines! Apart from a few high-skill restorers, I think everyone has another career.

 

[OldGriz]

It looks to be somebody who does this as a sideline.

 

However, if Old Griz reports favorably on them, they are most likely a legitimate business.

 

With the exception of a few professional restorers and nibmeisters and online stores... I really don't believe many sellers do pens as a mainline source of income.

Remember, sacs are not exactly BIG BUSINESS. Yes restorers need them... and do buy a lot of them..

But look at the history of Pen Sac, it is on the website, and then look at the prices charged for the sacs...

A lot of money went into buying and transferring those machines and them reconditioning them and learning how to make the sacs properly....

I don't doubt by now that they are making a profit... but I doubt it is big money...

Back in the days when White Rubber Company was doing this business... ALL the pen manufacturers where buying their sacs from them....

Today, the major majority of pens sold are cartridge converters... this basically destroyed the pen sac business as a full time endeavor...

 

I for one am very glad that Pen Sac decided to recondition these machines, learn how to use them and is now giving us sacs as specified by the original pen manufactures...

Don't discount them just because it is a sideline business....

I do professional pen restoration.... it is a sideline business for me....

Sideline business does not necessarily mean not a good or legitimate business...

 

[Vintagepens]

For what it's worth, most of us who sell pen sacs are just reselling Pen Sac Company products. It's not big money, I can assure you (you can see the quantity discounts for yourself at the PSC website) -- it's really more of a customer service. Think of PSC as a manufacturer that will sell direct to the public -- not as a retailer. They'll fulfill orders, but don't count on handholding or much attention to nonessential correspondence. Many potential sac buyers, of course, only want a few at a time, want their orders acknowledged and shipped promptly, and may want to combine their order with something other than sacs. So the resellers offer them a useful service.

[cfclark]

Calling Pensac is usually a frustrating endeavor.... the owner is a medical doctor and generally does not get back to people well..

I always just send my order via email or USPS, depending on how fast I need it..

Delivery is always quick... if I email my order I generally have it in a week or less...

 

And there's "the rest of the story".

 

Is there anyone else manufacturing sacs right now? We'd be up the proverbial creek if we ever lost the only supplier.

 

[RevAaron]

For the kind of handholding David is talking about, I'd recommend Pendemonium. Tryphon sells them too, but communication can be a bit spotty and shipments can take a while to go out. Pendemonium has shipped quickly for me and they're flexible with shipping- they won't charge you $7 UPS or $5 priority mail for a single sac unless that's what you want.

 

By the sound of it though, you might need to do a little asking around in the Repair forum first, Pepin. There might be a few things you'll want to learn first.

 

I'd like to buy bladders in bulk so maybe a bladder specialist or pen repair shop that offers a full kit (many different bladder sizes) would be my best option? I only own Sheaffers so I don't know if other sizes would fit. Suggestions are welcome and much needed. Thank you all.

 

You can buy a sac assortment from Pendemonium, Pen Sac Co, Tryphon and lots of other places. You want to get one of those. There isn't a "Sheaffer size" and a "Parker size" of sac- different pen sizes take different sizes of sacs. If you're new to this and don't have a handful of pens with the same size sac needed just order the assortment/variety pack.

 

You'll also need shellac and talc, which you can get from Pendemonium or Tryphon as well. You would probably benefit from a copy of Frank Dubiel's book on pen repair if you've never replaced a sac before.

Edited January 23, 2009 by RevAaron

[Univer]

Hi,

 

Not sure whether this accords with anyone else's experience, but the last time I ordered from The Pen Sac Company I found that the email address on the site's "contact" page didn't elicit a response. The email address provided in the recorded phone message, however, worked just fine: pensacs@aol.com

 

If you want to pay via PayPal, you can email a list of the sacs you need and request a PayPal invoice for the total amount, inclusive of shipping.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon