Restoring Vintage Fountain Pens - Watch 2 pens being restored

You should invest in an ultrasonic cleaner you can get them for reasonably cheap off of Amazon and they work wonders particularly for the insides of the housing and Those hard-to-reach places I am young compared to most of you guys ( mid 30’s) but I am pretty good at restoring things I have been restoring old motorcycles most of my life and have recently got into fountain pens and have restored a few to good avail

What was the tool called that you used to hold open the sack for gluing? The sack in my Esterbrook just ripped in half while we were opening it to clean the nibs. Some dingus glued the lever to the side of the sack :( . This seems like a VERY EASY fix. I just don't know what those are called? 3 dollars in materials and what ever the cost of that tool is. Very cheap fix compared to buying a new pen.

That was a lot of fun!!!

Thank you, for sharing your knowledge.

Thanks for this upload! I have my grandpa's Parkette (this exact one) so I'm going to give restoration on it a shot

What is the name of the type of plier you use to stretch the sack open?

Thank you for such an informative video!

i want to restore a vintage pen for my partner for christmas this year, so this is very helpful! maybe i should start trying to work on it now...

Thanks, today I got two pens.where do I buy the bladder.

Is there a video to restore a hunter Wagner

What wax were you using Chris? That Parker looks stunning after you cleaned it up!

Cool

Thank You for this video, I just got my first vintage fountain pen and am glad for your video to see how to do it. Thanks!

Where can I find the sac tool you use to expand the sac to get over the section nipple?

Absolutely fascinating content Chris, loved every moment. it's great to watch somebody who knows his/her craft at work, Thankyou. Cheers, Rob...

I broke the collector is there way to fix it or how do I just the collector of a specific pen

Something that I'm about to tackle (as soon as all the supplies arrive.) Not hugely difficult, but replacing the ink sac in an Esterbrook LJ and Osmiroid 65 (the only thing that either one needs.) Very informative and useful video! Thanks!

What a great video! I have a Parkette identical to the one you restored, but with both cap rings intact--a hi school graduation gift to my mother (1940) and engraved with her name. I was able to follow your directions to remove the old bladder and restore the appearance of the resin, but will probably seek out someone to replace the bladder. Now to get my own 8th grade graduation Esterbrook prepped, too. I used both of these pens throughout high school and college (2 pens so I didn't have to haul around a bottle of ink). Thank you so much for such clear and complete instructions. I really enjoyed watching

Good hearing your voice.

Dr. Rap, we have a singer! Both operations were successful! Well done Doctor!

Chris, can you a bit more about “outgassing” of ink sacs and the coloration change to pen barrels as a result? I’m brand new to this restoration thing!

I have been wondering, when does a pen become a writing instrument🤔 I know that Mont Blanc sell only writing instruments.beautiful job on the pens.

I diy’ed your red suction bulb using a squeaker from a dog toy, it works great! Thanks for the video.

Anybody know about "improvo" pens made in USA

Really interesting as usual, thank you so much. I'd now feel a little more confident fitting a replacement sac. I'd still need some tools and of course some spare sacs but eBay is doubtless my friend for those. The nearest I've come to these is disassembly and reassembly of two Duofold AF button fillers. It's quite fiddly getting the button out and then threading the pressure bar into it at reassembly stage without pinching the sac. It's not something I'd want to do often but it's a scandal to not put decent vintage gold nibs to use. There's something vaguely charming about giving a tired old pen relic a new lease of life.

Thx for sharing.

Thank you! I am restoring a Waterman 92V that I picked up long ago. Where are you buying restoration parts these days? I want to buy parts from a reputable person.

whao! I JUST won a tiny little vintage FP on ebay! it's a lever fill. 14kt gold nib. small probably a size 4. silvery gray marbled resin(?) with a bit of red veining. no branding of any kind. it just seems to be missing the ink sac. im gonna order one and see if i can get her flowing. what a fun mystery! great helpful video!!!

HI, i have Caran D'Ache Silver-Plated, Rhodium-Coated LÉMAN EBONY BLACK Fountain Pen, pen was falling on glass and strached untill brass. I see metal, how can I repare this? Do I need a lacquer and which type because I cant just polish this spot? In description says "Round brass body and cap lacquered in deep black" Thank you Jovan

Thank You so much for this valuable video. I completely enjoyed every minute!

thank you

Do you have a list of suppliers? I need wax and polishing pads. Thanks!

A very informative video, thank you for sharing

What is the small polishing pad?

very cool very informative. you helped me restore my 40's 50's arnold to a writer with this video. Thank you

I have had possession of pens such as this. It is a good thing.
RE: your camera work. I've also made many movies/videos of varying sorts... as much as I enjoyed your fingers and clothes and papers as you worked on the pens... I'd have preferred to see what is going on with the pen parts themselves as you do your thing. This is not a put-down by any means. You are a craftsman I can admire. But I like to think we can all get better.... so.... Thank you for your info and the good video on the whole. You seem to have a good mind and skills on the whole.

Great video, thank you for it! I’m trying to follow your steps on hold pen from my family, but I cannot take the front part out, even after several days of water soaking. Any idea how can I overcome that? Thank you in advance

I have inherited a vintage Esterbrook. I plan to clean and restore it to use. Your video is excellent, but I question the use of Elmer's white glue or wood glue for sealing or securing a new sac/bladder, since Elmer's and most wood glues are water-soluble. I believe that 3M makes an automotive weatherstrip adhesive designed for securing rubber to metal, paint or plastic substrates, but I'm not sure if any excess can be cleaned up with a mild solvent safe for use on plastics and phenolic materials. I might investigate something along those lines as I would hate to have a leak of any kind of ink.
Thanks again for the detailed and well-produced video and the links to current suppliers.

Elmer's School Glue?!? Why bother? That glue will dissolve in contact with water or ink.
Shellac won't dissolve if it is exposed to water or ink, so no leak at the section/feed junction.

Oh yeah! Be careful with ammonia around celluloid. They don't play well together, at all, at all. Ammonia MAY cause celluloid to start outgassing. Once THAT starts, it cannot be stopped.

Great vid, very enjoyable. Thank you!

What is the rubber band?

Can you spell the name of the little blue cloth you use to apply the renaissance wax please?

Groom yer nails, for crying out loud, before you hold them up to a camera, or do you want viewers to vomit at the sight of those fungus-ridden claws?🙏🏼🤮❌

Elmer's glue! Nice to know I don't need to shell out for shellac that I wouldn't use for anything else. I've never restored a pen, but I've got an old Sheaffer touchdown desk pen that would seem to just need a new sac and o-ring to be in working order

Thanks for video. Where do you get polishing cloths?.

Are u familiar with the type that has the pump on the end of the pen? It's a Parker.

Thank you for taking your time to make this tutorial.

Bravo Renaissance Wax!!! Excellent choice.

Great video, i was interested to see how to separate the barrel from the nib section ,as my waterman 512 v was shellacd on . Thanks for sharing this 😊

Why the downvotes?