Ink “uptake” is the term we use to describe how much ink is drawn into a pen’s reservoir when you fill it. While knowing the ink capacity of a pen is good, for a repair person, knowing it’s uptake is better. A pen with a capacity of 0.75 milliliter (mL) should draw in about that […]
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A New Thing: Tool Day
We are happy to announce a new feature for our languishing blog. We are often asked for recommendations as to what the best tools are for repairing pens. Many are available and, the internet being what it is, hacks and opinions are everywhere. So, we will try to regularly feature a tool recommendation from our […]
Scriptus 2023
Our table, six years ago. Much has changed, but not the crowd! Scriptus, Toronto’s pen & writing show, is almost here! After a lapse of several years, we are happy to be attending again. We will be at table #19, in the middle (“prologue” room). We will be doing on-site repairs only this year. From […]
Talc and Asbestos
For over a century talc has been used as a standard dry lubricant for rubber fountain pen sacs. The slippery mineral dust helps to protect the sac from friction damage when it is depressed by a pressure bar. This lubrication is also essential for Parker Vacumatics and other pens where a sac is folded in […]
What’s Wrong With My Parker Pencil?
When it comes to congenital defects, time always tells. This past week we have had four Parker pencils on the bench, and each had the same problem. And that problem was the result of a design flaw that would only reveal itself over time. The Design From the time Sampson Mordan first patented the propelling […]
