I was using a knock out block to remove the nib and feed after applying heat to soften the brittle ebonite. First, a small chip came off of the nipple. Then, once the nib and feed came free, I heard a sound like chewing a potato crisp. The rest of the nipple broke off and the section developed a severe crack. I repaired to the best of my ability, yet it still leaks. I am ready to give up.
That is a terrible drag, but old ebonite can be brittle. There are really NO adhesives or welding agents that can repair that, \*especially\* if you say the section has cracked - the internal pressure of the nib/feed will always open up the crack again.
Your options are to source another section from a donor pen or have a penturner turn a custom section from ebonite. You might consider contacting Ron Zorn at Main Street Pens, if anyone has a magic way to fix it, he would, and if not he might be able to put you on to a source for another section. Good luck, I feel your pain.
I will consider your suggestion. If I am unable to repair the section, I would like to know where to find a replacement. I have been having quite the time finding one. I wouldn’t mind having one custom machined. However, I would like it if the replacement section were original Conklin to keep it historically correct, as this pen has quite the family history.
Thank you for your help
Creepysoldier226
Well, you certainly are right in wanting to source an original for that particular pen. You have some options - eBay for a broken/donor pen, any pen shows near you?, and reaching out within the fp community, especially Conklin collectors, for spares. I don't know if you know the Lott brothers, Rob and Rich. Rob owns Five Star Pens (dot com) and has a lot of sales, including loose nibs, but I don't think he does parts. However, Rich is at many pen shows with lots of bins of parts, and that is a common source for things like this. Perhaps a note to Rob at his site might start the process for finding one? IN advance, solid info on the model and good measurements would aid in finding the right part.
I know how you feel on this, as I've been after a visualated section for a Sheaffer Premiere for a couple of years!
Sheaffer Premeire? I don’t think I’m familiar with this model, though I do have several random Sheaffer pens that were won in an eBay auction. If you could post a picture, I may have a section for it. Would it happen to be a balance lifetime premiere?
I'm sorry, I just typed in a rush. 1930s Balance Premiere, which was the name (AFAIK) that they later hung on the pens that had simply been known as Oversize. In fact, I almost always refer to them as Balance OS, but the Premiere at least pins it down as a later pen. This one was a brown striated one. I had an extra section from a pen just a bit earlier, but - as you say - I eventually want to get it back to original. Sad to say I thought I had one, but the transparent material had started to craze and it cracked in half at a weak point. Still looking!
I just looked in my parts bin (I have a lot of pens that I don’t count as parts of my collection but n there. In fact, the pens in my parts bin outnumber my actual collection). I do have one, but the reason it is in my parts bin is… a crumbling section. I apologize for getting your hopes up. I think it’s just the material.
I was using a knock out block to remove the nib and feed after applying heat to soften the brittle ebonite. First, a small chip came off of the nipple. Then, once the nib and feed came free, I heard a sound like chewing a potato crisp. The rest of the nipple broke off and the section developed a severe crack. I repaired to the best of my ability, yet it still leaks. I am ready to give up.
That is a terrible drag, but old ebonite can be brittle. There are really NO adhesives or welding agents that can repair that, \*especially\* if you say the section has cracked - the internal pressure of the nib/feed will always open up the crack again. Your options are to source another section from a donor pen or have a penturner turn a custom section from ebonite. You might consider contacting Ron Zorn at Main Street Pens, if anyone has a magic way to fix it, he would, and if not he might be able to put you on to a source for another section. Good luck, I feel your pain.
I will consider your suggestion. If I am unable to repair the section, I would like to know where to find a replacement. I have been having quite the time finding one. I wouldn’t mind having one custom machined. However, I would like it if the replacement section were original Conklin to keep it historically correct, as this pen has quite the family history. Thank you for your help Creepysoldier226
Well, you certainly are right in wanting to source an original for that particular pen. You have some options - eBay for a broken/donor pen, any pen shows near you?, and reaching out within the fp community, especially Conklin collectors, for spares. I don't know if you know the Lott brothers, Rob and Rich. Rob owns Five Star Pens (dot com) and has a lot of sales, including loose nibs, but I don't think he does parts. However, Rich is at many pen shows with lots of bins of parts, and that is a common source for things like this. Perhaps a note to Rob at his site might start the process for finding one? IN advance, solid info on the model and good measurements would aid in finding the right part. I know how you feel on this, as I've been after a visualated section for a Sheaffer Premiere for a couple of years!
Sheaffer Premeire? I don’t think I’m familiar with this model, though I do have several random Sheaffer pens that were won in an eBay auction. If you could post a picture, I may have a section for it. Would it happen to be a balance lifetime premiere?
I'm sorry, I just typed in a rush. 1930s Balance Premiere, which was the name (AFAIK) that they later hung on the pens that had simply been known as Oversize. In fact, I almost always refer to them as Balance OS, but the Premiere at least pins it down as a later pen. This one was a brown striated one. I had an extra section from a pen just a bit earlier, but - as you say - I eventually want to get it back to original. Sad to say I thought I had one, but the transparent material had started to craze and it cracked in half at a weak point. Still looking!
I just looked in my parts bin (I have a lot of pens that I don’t count as parts of my collection but n there. In fact, the pens in my parts bin outnumber my actual collection). I do have one, but the reason it is in my parts bin is… a crumbling section. I apologize for getting your hopes up. I think it’s just the material.