ABOUT OUR RESTORATIONS

Every pen you see in one of our listings is the actual pen you will receive.  No stock photos are used in any of our product listings.

Every pen has been completely disassembled and ultrasonically cleaned.  The nib has been delicately polished inside and out with a rouge cloth, using a tiny amount of Simichrome Polish if necessary.  The nib slit has been carefully chased with an appropriately sized brass and plastic shim to remove any debris and the tines have been adjusted for proper ink flow and alignment using a 10x loupe.  The feed channels, if any, have also been carefully cleaned to ensure proper flow.

The ink collector (the clear part with fins) has been cleaned using methods appropriate for its condition, including an ultrasonic bath in ammonia-based pen flush.  Difficult stains are removed by hand using Koh-I-Noor Rapido-Eze pen cleaner.  Many of these ink collectors cannot be cleaned to a perfectly clear state.  This does not affect their functionality in any way.

The breather tube has been examined and cleaned of debris, both inside and out, and replaced if necessary.  The connector (the black part between the ink collector and sac guard on aerometric pens) has been carefully inspected and the threads chased by hand to remove any residual adhesive, ensuring an exact fit upon reassembly.

The metal sac guard (on pens that have one) has been hand-polished using a rouge cloth.  The ink sac has been examined for defects, tested for leaks, and replaced if necessary.  Many of these sacs literally last for decades and a large number of restorers do not routinely replace them.  If a sac is not a least semi-transparent and in excellent shape I will replace it without hesitation.  The outside of the ink sac is then coated in 100% pure pharmaceutical grade talc to reduce friction with the sac guard.

Every vacumatic diaphragm is replaced as a matter of routine.  Vacumatic pellet cups are replaced when necessary, which is not often.

The cap and clip have been examined, cleaned, and polished using a combination of methods and materials appropriate to the cap type (metal, cellulose, RHR, or Lucite) and condition.  The clutch ring (on pens that have them) has been removed and hand polished.  O-rings and other gaskets, when present, have been carefully checked for fit and function and replaced when necessary.

The hood/shell/section, barrel, and blind cap (on pens that have them) have been inspected and methodically hand-polished using a combination of materials depending on the pen’s original condition and composition.

All parts of the pen have been properly reassembled and checked for fit and functionality, including proper alignment of the section, nib, feed, collector and hood.  The pen has been write-tested and adjusted as necessary for a lifetime of enjoyment.

After write-testing and adjustment, the pen has been fully cleaned and rinsed with luke-warm water.  With fountain pens, particularly vintage Parker 51s (both aerometrics and vacumatics), Parker Vacumatics, and Parker Duofolds, residual traces of ink may remain in the pen upon arrival.  This is completely normal after restoring and write-testing a pen and does not affect the pen’s functionality.  Given how these vintage pens are reassembled, it is impossible after write-testing to again fully disassemble them and remove every last trace of ink.  The pen may in fact be damp upon arrival to you.  Just rest assured and be comfortable that this is a natural side effect of write-testing and adjusting a vintage fountain pen after a complete restoration and service.

The pen will be packed inside a crush-proof PVC tube (or its own case when present) and shipped in a fully-padded flat rate US Postal Service box straight to your door!