Is if safe to post the cap on my vintage pen? Some vintage pens are pretty robust. It depends on the material and design of the pen. Some cap lips are very thin and delicate, and posting it can make it more prone to cracks and breaks. Other caps have reinforced cap lips with cap bands and those can handle posting a little better. If you’re unsure, it’s best to not post, or post very …
Currently Inked – August 19, 2017 Namiki Yukari – FA – Sailor Jentle Sky High Namiki Yukari – Medium – Diamine Soft Mint Montblanc Moon Pearl – Montblanc Music – Montblanc Dandy Turquoise
This 1932 Pullman is a Pullman #2 BF in Octagonal Double-laminated gold-filled. Clip signed “Patent” and “Pullman.” Center of cap in “Checkerboard” pattern, the rest of the pen in “Barley” pattern. Nib signed “Pullman 14 CTS F” (fine, extra-flexible). Very high quality and very rare! Opens and closes by pushing up & pulling down the barrel, which opens and closes the hinged crown on the non-removable cap. Knurled blind-cap. Few were made, fewer survived as folks …
I need a pen that will last me through a lot of long writing sessions. What’s the best one? Eyedropper-filled pens usually have a large ink capacity, relative to cartridge/converter fillers. Some piston-fillers hold a lot of ink, and a lot of vacuum-fillers (i.e. Parker, Conid) have a great ink capacity that can last quite awhile. If you must refill on the go, eye droppers might be the most tricky, and vacuum-fillers are fairly easy …
This 1920 Mabie Todd is a “Jackdaw” Toledo lever-filler in Damascened-inlay overlay on Woodgrain Hard Rubber. Damascening is the art of hand inlaying different metals into one another, typically, 24K gold or fine silver hammered into a darkly oxidized steel background, to produce intricate patterns and designs. The English term comes from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk. Often called “Toledo” because much of the art comes from Toledo, Spain, a …
What do I do about a crack in the threads of my vintage Waterman pen? Vintage pens (and modern pens) can develop cracks in their lifetime of use. With a vintage pen, It depends where the crack is and how large it is. Assuming it’s on the thread of the section, you may be able to glue it closed and that might help it last a little longer. It may also be possible to have it …
This 1900 Aikin Lambert is the “Poinsettia” #2 eyedropper-fill straight-sided in repousse gold-filled “Poinsettia on hand hammered background” pattern (very rare). Aiken Lambert was a NYC based manufacturer founded in 1864. They started making pens in the late 1880s, all high quality. They supplied gold nibs to Waterman who, in 1915 acquired the company to ensure their continued supply. A wonderful example, with an unengraved barrel indicia and no brassing evident anywhere. Extra-fine, semi-flexible nib. Tiny …
The gold color seems to be wearing off the ring on the cap of my vintage pen. Can I polish it to bring it back? This is called brassing. It’s not tarnished but is actually the gold plating wearing off, as you notice, and showing the brass underneath. It cannot really be fixed easily unless you want to have the part replaced or restored by a professional.
This 1928 Security #5 is Twist-fill in Red Mottled Hard Rubber. Inside the light yellow Bakelite cap-top is the check protector with it’s rotating blades used to perforate the check so it could not be altered. GFT, including the spring loaded clip. Medium, extra-flexible nib. New-old-stock. Mint. Shown with cap on top of cap removed so you can see the check protector mechanism. Item #148 in Catalog #82
How did my vintage pen get clogged?? A pen’s feed can get clogged either by using the wrong type of ink (such as India ink, where the particles clog the channels) or by not cleaning your fountain pen and letting the (fountain pen) ink dry out. A good cleaning is the best next step!
