Many pen collectors dabble in repair as well. Before you get in too deep, take a look at some of the articles in the Repair FAQ area, in particular Pen Repair Don'ts .
For Vacumatic tools , far and away the best are the steel units sold by FPH in New York City (800-253-PENS), around $40. These tools incorporate a grip-operated closing lever which enables precise control over how much pressure is applied. Screw-clamp type Vac tools are also widely sold, but are a poor substitute.
Best inner cap puller is the machinist's masterpiece sold by Peter Amis (contact at The Pen Sac Co. , below), around $250. A similarly sophisticated model is now available from Sherrell Tyree and Joel Hamilton . A cheaper but decidedly cruder alternative is offered by FPH in three sizes, at around $40 each. Many pen mechanics use taps instead, which are less likely to cause the inner cap to expand and bind.
The main source for sacs is the Pen Sac Co . (Box 4470, Carlsbad, CA 92018; 1-888-PENSACS). Their operation was founded as a hobbyist venture, buying out the tooling and equipment of the White Rubber Company's defunct sacmaking department. Recently they have been joined by another hobbyist sacmaking enterprise, based in Canada, Wood Bin , whose website includes full contact and ordering information. Wood Bin now also offers sacs made of silicone.
A various selection of parts and tools is available through Jim and Jane Marshall's Pen & Pencil Gallery in England.
Nib smoothing disks: One can get coarse grades of abrasives (5000-10,000 grit) at a hobby shop, or one can use a fine Arkansas stone. Too often, however, once a nib has been so treated, there is a residual drag -- something finer is needed, and sometimes is all that is needed. That something we stumbled across a number of years ago: paper-thin mylar disks coated with ultrafine abrasive, either industrial diamond (best) or silicon carbine (more economical). They are durable, usable wet or dry, and can leave a properly shaped nib gliding across the paper like ice on ice. Click herefor information and purchase.
O-Rings and other seals for Touchdown, Snorkel, PFM, and plunger-filling pens: Click here for information and purchase.
Silicone grease is essential for lubricating rubber and cork seals on piston, plunger, and pneumatic filling systems. Avoid grease that is only silicone-bearing, as anything petroleum-based will degrade plastics and attack rubber -- use only grease that is 100% silicone, obtainable from shops that specialize in SCUBA equipment and other diving supplies.
Those flat cardboard boxes with the inserts, with slots for twelve pens? They are available once again, at around $5 each. Gary Lehrer's the source. He also sells economical glass-topped versions that hold 12 or 24 pens.
Reproduction pen trays and display cases with either Parker Lucky Curve or Waterman Ideal labels are made by Peter Miller. They can be ordered through FPH in New York (see above).
Copyright © 1997-2008 David Nishimura. All rights reserved