8 replies to this topic

[RickB]

Hello everyone.  So this weekend constituted my sixth visit to the DC Pen Supershow which makes it my fifth year since a very bad person showed me a vintage fountain pen. As I said to him this year, it's all your fault.

 

But to the point:  I'm still very much new to all of this.  I had come in search of sections to try my hand at resaccing some Parkette Deluxe pens, and more than one person when I flipped open my portfolio instead wanted to talk about THIS pen.  In fact it could very well be the very same pen which has found its way to me:

 

http://www.fountainp...tate-sale-find/

 

I had brought that one along to have someone check out the nib because to my inexpert eye everything else seemed to be in good condition and intact, and I do like writing with the older more flexible nibs.  And yes, several people were kind enough to look and tell me that the nib had probably had some attempts at repair and at a minimum needed retipping and some straightening.  But then more than one person offered that it should be left exactly as is as more of an artifact.

 

So my philosophical question is - SHOULD I have this turned over to return the nib to more writeable state, given that as an eyedropper not many people would likely spend much time writing with it and so it's more about attempting to return it to something resembling its initial glory, or after 110 years or so does it "deserve a rest."

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

[John Danza]

Hi Rick,

 

Being a collector of old Parkers, I write with eyedropper pens all the time. My opinion is that you can have the nib restored without hurting the value of the pen. Send it to someone that will restore it to its original configuration. It'll be fun to write with it.

[Jerry Adair]

John is spot on. I have a pretty uncommon Parker 023 (the famous lawsuit pen when Waterman threatened Parker wit a suit over the tapered cap and barrel)
The very odd nib was a bit kerflocta so I had Tim Girdler correct the issues at the Chicago Pen Show. Love it and dont regret the fix
Jerry

[John Danza]

Here's a photo of an original nib in a RMHR Parker #1, like yours Rick. I don't have any closer photos, so hopefully this will help on getting the configuration correct. I would think Greg Minuskin can get it don't for you.

 

 

[RickB]

Thanks everyone for the time.  I feel much better about following my original inclinations.

 

Thanks also John for the picture.  The pen does appear virtually identical.  The nib is of the same general proportion although it may be a bit shorter end to end from the section, and the imprint is simply "Parker Lucky Curve" without the "Pen".

[RickB]

And here is what came back in the mail from Greg M today.  By his account, a delicate and risky operation but ultimately successful.  I am no calligrapher, but I've done my best to show off a little.

 

I also note the section here is tapered vs what is shown above. Now that the nib has come through, I'll see if I can't spend some time further polishing the exterior.

 

[Madame Stylo]

Great looking old survivor!  BTW did you ever track down some silicone grease?  I buy mine from my local dive shop (as in SCUBA diving).

Edited by Madame Stylo, 05 October 2014 - 11:43 PM.

[RickB]

No, I hadn't come to that yet.  Although now that you mention it - it occurs to me that you can get small packets of it in hardware stores for plumbing fixtures too.  I don't know if chemically that is the same composition or not as what you are describing.  But logically it would make sense that they would be.

[John Danza]

No, I hadn't come to that yet.  Although now that you mention it - it occurs to me that you can get small packets of it in hardware stores for plumbing fixtures too.  I don't know if chemically that is the same composition or not as what you are describing.  But logically it would make sense that they would be.

 

Make sure it says "100% silicone". If it doesn't, don't use it.