11 replies to this topic

[Inkysloth]

Hi all,

Is there any way to slow the degradation of BHR?

I've noticed my CS200 is lightening in areas, and I really don't want to see it turn brown all over! The area covered by the cap is still really crisp and black, as is the cap.

Is there a way I can slow this process?

Best wishes

Robin

[Deb]

Keeping it dry and out of strong light will certainly help but short of keeping it in some sort of sealed environment, there isn't a lot more you can do. Black hard rubber is prone to fading and Conway Stewart black hard rubber is more prone than some others.

[Inkysloth]

I suspected there was little I could do.

I know it won't affect how the pen writes, but it's disappointing to see something fade like that.

[Procyon]

If the pen is smooth, you can often polish away the oxidized layer. I believe the CS200, however, is chased, so you couldn't do much polishing without weakening the chasing.

I seem to remember someone claiming that olive oil could prevent further oxidation. Might be kind of slippery to write with!

[Inkysloth]

If the pen is smooth, you can often polish away the oxidized layer. I believe the CS200, however, is chased, so you couldn't do much polishing without weakening the chasing.

I seem to remember someone claiming that olive oil could prevent further oxidation. Might be kind of slippery to write with!

It is indeed chased. It has reasonable barrel markings, too, but not amazingly deep. I wouldn't want to weaken them.

Olive oil?! I thought oil + rubber pens was a bad thing - or is it only the petrochemical oils that are a problem?

[Procyon]

Well, my memory may be wrong, and, in any case, I don't remember who said it. So whoever it was may not have known what they were talking about. As far as I know, the natural oils from your hand don't hurt the hard rubber pens. Light is the main enemy, I think.

[Inkysloth]

That's a relief - I was worried that it was my handling the pen that had made things worse.

[Roger W.]

That's a relief - I was worried that it was my handling the pen that had made things worse.

Handling the pen is fine. It is primarily UV light that breaks down to bonds in the rubber that releases the carbon black (rubber would not be black on its own - it needs carbon black). Water, in and of itself, does not hurt hard rubber but, what it does do is wash away the carbon black in broken bonds of rubber showing the oxidization that has occurred. As sections are thick and not exposed nearly so much to light it is generally safe to soak them in water when cleaning old vintage pens.


Roger W.

[Brian Gray]

I think that it would be very interesting to have a UV meter like this...
http://www.amazon.co...ywords=uv meter

....and find out how much UV is actually being emitted by in-house light sources. I realize that modern windows are supposed to have UV blockers in them. I'd like to know how effective that is. For instance, if your desk sees sunlight coming in through the window, is it truly blocking UV rays?

And with your pen...if you are a little paranoid about this, maybe keep the pen in a desk drawer when not in use.

[Wahl]

A friend of mine who has a problem with a Patrician in BHR has used silicone oil and it has helped.

He is now using a product which is used by automobile repairmen to clean rubber bumpers. Apparently it works, but I would worry about long term effects

Others swear by oven cleaners !

And, yes, by all means, the pen should be kept out of sunlight.

[Teej47]

My own experience would suggest that BHR benefits from usage. That is, the oils that transfer from hand to pen seem to diminish the appearance of oxidation. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part, but I believe my HR pens look better the more I use them. I also give 'em a wipe-down once in a while with a soft dry cloth.

I have a pen I treated with a little olive oil to see what it would do. It did seem to make the pen look a bit younger and it hasn't done anything bizarre yet after more than a year... so at the least it doesn't appear to cause any harm.

Tim

Edited by Teej47, 21 May 2013 - 07:42 PM.

[mhphoto]

I keep a few HR Watermans I keep on my desk coated with Renaissance wax to keep water off and UV rays from fading them any more.