Adjusting flow in a Parker “51”

Mike Walton asks: Frank Dubiel, while noting that the shell of a Parker “51” must touch the nib, says that if it contacts the nib too tightly it will restrict ink flow. Is heating the shell and either pressing the nib against the shell or the shell against the nib a reliable means of increasing or decreasing in flow in a “51”?

First off, I have to disagree that Frank. I’ve seen innumerable “51”s whose hoods were very close to, but not in contact with, the nib, and in fact the hood on my “regular carry” pen doesn’t contact the top surface of the nib. That said, it’s certainly desirable that these parts touch, as the hood is part of the capillary system by which ink is brought to the nib tip.

Heating the hood is generally, I think, a bad idea. Most “51” hoods are acrylic, which will take a lot of heat without even hinting that they want to bend, but some are a polystyrene plastic, similar to the stuff used in the 61, and these won’t take nearly that much heat without going limp. Which is which? Unless you’re very experienced with the “51”, I wish you good luck guessing.

To adjust the flow in a “51” I use three techniques, all of which require that you remove the hood. The first is adjusting the tine spacing. (Please don't just grab the pen and force an X-acto knife or other metal-destroying object between the tines; you will damage the slit walls.) This almost always results in a need to realign the tines and smooth the tip, but it is often easy and effective. Sometimes the fit of the hood is too close to allow the tines to be adjusted, and in these cases I use a small rat-tail file to remove a very small amount of material from the inside of the hood where it lies adjacent to the nib. The last method, which I use primarily to restore flow on pens that quit from time to time, is to heat the feed and bend it very slightly toward the nib. The bend is in the vicinity of the breather tube’s vent hole near the back of the feed. Be carful here, as later feeds are plastic, not hard rubber, and don’t like this treatment at all!

Leaking Targa Nibs

Grady Walter asks: I have two Sheaffer Targa (slimline) pens. Both have developed mysterious leaks that appear to originate around the outside edge of the inlay portion of the nibs. Is there a way to eliminate this leak? Ink appears to build up around the underside of the nib more quickly when the pen is capped.

This is an unfortunate failing of Sheaffer’s otherwise wonderful Inlaid Nib^®. The first line of defense is Sheaffer’s own service department, where you may still be able to get exchanges for defective parts. Send an email to Sidney Brown (sidney.brown@bicworld.com) to see whether she can help you. If not, a possible remedy is to disassemble the pen and flow shellac between the nib and section shell. To get the shellac to flow easily, you’ll need to dilute it with denatured alcohol. Capillary action will draw the fluid into the space, and you can then dry it by placing the part under a lighted incandescent light bulb. I'm also investigating the use of a product that is intended for sealing cracks, but I don't yet have enough data to recommend its use.

Finding Replacement Pen Sacs

Milt Butler asks: I purchased several old ink pens that need to be refurbished. Many of the pens have ink sacs that are missing or are so hard that they break. Can you tell me where I could buy replacement ink sacs?

There are several good places to buy sacs. The two that have the best variety are the Pen Sac Company and Wood Bin Ltd, which are manufacturers; but many pen dealers also have sacs for sale. Here’s a short list of good sources, in alphabetical order:

Fountain Pen Hospital
10 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007-2218
USA
Phone: 212-964-0580
Toll-free: 1-800-253-PENS
Fax: 212-227-5916
Web site: http://www.fountainpenbhospital.com/
Email: fountainpenhospital@att.net

Pendemonium
Phone: 319-372-0881
Fax: 319-372-0882
Web site: http://www.pendemonium.com/
Email: \info@pendemonium.com

The Pen Sac Company
P. O. Box 4470
Carlsbad, CA 92018-4470
USA
Phone: 619-729-6894
Toll-free: 1-888-PENSACS
Fax: 619-931-5845
Web site: http://www.pensacs.com/
Email: PenSacs@aol.com

Wood Bin Ltd.
R.R. # 6, Simcoe
Ontario
Canada N3Y 4K5
Phone: 519-428-2555
Fax: 519-428-6311
Web site: http://www.simcom.on.ca/woodbin/
Email: woodbin@simcom.on.ca

I’ve written an article on sac replacement that you may find useful. There’s a copy of it on Pentace, but the copy on my own site is revised and inproved. Click to read the article.

Yet More on Waterman CF Converters!

I reported that Fahrney’s, in Washington, D.C., (http://www.fahrneyspens.com/) has Waterman CF converters. (They call these parts “Lady” converters.) From Nick Sweeney comes a note that Peter Twydle (http://ww.penmuseum.co.uk/) also has these converters. Peter is probably a better source for European collectors.