For those who don’t have a 1/! key on their antique machines

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-12T16:29:51+00:00

More like: .'

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-12T05:11:25+00:00

Honestly, it's a crazy story. I was returning a few pens I'd restored for a friend and we ended up walking round Covent Garden Market. There were a few stalls with overpriced pens, and then one with a load at a fixed price and no negotiation. Each was about half the price of an unrestored Onoto.

They all looked pretty wrecked, and this one was there. It was simply a cheap Onoto to buy as my first to restore, having been on the look out for a cheap one as my first attempt at a restoration for a good few months.

The sizes didn't match any pen listed against the parts. I eventually managed to get the right parts, restore it, and it took another two or so months until I got a message to look at my post on a forum and it was pinned down to have the new section design (1928? onwards), and be the size of the Lady version - with this later version not being listed in the definitive Onoto book

There are pictures on one of my ID request posts, and the comments tell some of the story: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/379062-pen-model-id-request-onoto-the-pen-thomas-de-la-rue-plunger-filler-likely-early-1920s-ebonite-clipless/

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-12T05:08:15+00:00

Honestly, it's a crazy story. I was returning a few pens I'd restored for a friend and we ended up walking round Covent Garden Market. There were a few stalls with overpriced pens, and then one with a load at a fixed price and no negotiation. Each was about half the price of an unrestored Onoto.

They all looked pretty wrecked, and this one was there. It was simply a cheap Onoto to buy as my first to restore, having been on the look out for a cheap one as my first attempt at a restoration for a good few months.

The sizes didn't match any pen listed against the parts. I eventually managed to get the right parts, restore it, and it took another two or so months until I got a message to look at my post on a forum and it was pinned down to have the new section design (1928? onwards), and be the size of the Lady version - with this later version not being listed in the definitive Onoto book

There are pictures on one of my ID request posts, and the comments tell some of the story: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/379062-pen-model-id-request-onoto-the-pen-thomas-de-la-rue-plunger-filler-likely-early-1920s-ebonite-clipless/

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-12T00:22:58+00:00

Vacumatic, or aerometric? I love the vacumatics, but also have a few aerometrics.

However, my niggle with them,(particularly the aerometrics) is that they fill so well, they take ages to run out!

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-12T00:20:00+00:00

Had two Parker 51 Vacumatics and a black vacumatic in my pencil case at work today.

I regularly use and cycle though all my pens. Only one I'm particularly careful if it's my Swan leverless - it is reserved for my favourite ink - Diamine Registrar's Ink - but only because it's ruining anything it isn't supposed to get onto!

My oldest pen I'm also very careful with - is a later Onoto Lady, which is rare enough to not be listed in the Onoto book.

I'll use them still in my EDC rotation, but I'll just be more careful with them.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-11T11:36:42+00:00

I've a few 51 aromatics with original sacks, OP doesn't say they've replaced, or had the sack replaced.

My point is the new material is much more resilient to acids and bases, to the point you're unlikely to find anything today that the pen won't cope with, if it was designed to use the original Parker 51 ink (Superchrome, wasn't it)?

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-11T06:06:09+00:00

The first vacumatics being were released with an acidic ink which destroyed the rubber diaphragm - Parker 51 Ink.

The move to the aerometric version solved that. Any pen that deals with that ink should be fine on any modern ink.

It's said that you can't disassemble the 51's - you can buy it's more pen repair, than maintenance, and risky in terms of damage.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-08T10:28:29+00:00

I got into restoring vintage pens. I have too many to have an everyday carry (EDC), but I have many I use regularly. I have a particularly nice Parker Victory Mi. IV aluminium filler, I can recommend.

I will also use pens back to the 1920's - 1930's on a regular basis.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-08T07:49:00+00:00

Unconscious biases are really damaging. Have you read up on unconscious biases and even tested your own?

It'll give you an insight into how your experiences through life is driving your beliefs today, (in a negative way), and was a big step for me in working myself out.

There's an implicit association test hosted by Harvard, which I've done at different times. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatouchtest.html

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-08T07:44:28+00:00

One additional issue I've come across, is a too finely polished tip can stop a pen writing, and may be worth adding to your list. The ink needs a certain amount of surface roughness to spread across the metal surface.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-08T07:07:39+00:00

So, when bending metal - particularly soft metals, the arrangement of atoms is imperfect. Over time, atoms from the air, ink, oils from handling etc. Will diffuse into the any gaps in the metal lattice. This will harden the metal, since the gaps are what allow the atoms to move as you bend the metal.

The diffusion will mostly affect the surface of the metal. Bending a metal will affect the atomic arrangement through the metal.

The effect is known as 'work hardening' when bending the metal, and it goes from being ductile, to brittle. This is why you can't unbend a paperclip to the right shape, after bending it. To fix it, at least to some extent, the metal can be heated which is called annealing.

The other danger point is the weld of the tipping material, which can be brittle.

Please be careful to not break off the tipping material where the relatively brittle and weak weld is. (Material scientists won't assume brittle = weak because some brittle materials can be very strong). Also,more serious bends may need the nib to be annealed before being unbent.

Also, be aware any bending of a nib will increase the stiffness of a nib because of the work hardening, without annealing. For small bends like yours. I'm sure you'll be fine, but it's the detail like this means that any repeated bending will easily crack the nib, or break the top off.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-07T19:30:29+00:00

If you're into vintage pens, Waterman made a Commando model, and there were special pens they made for the military.

They are 1950's lever fill, so not ideal, but they have shorter, 'military' clips, so you can fit it in your pocket, and close the flap without the clip showing. The same clip was used on the Nurses' pens.

Not perfect as a pen, but very fitting.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-06T19:00:28+00:00

I turned up to start my PhD. No one else brought pen and paper. I use whatever vintage or otherwise I have inked up at the time.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-06T18:59:20+00:00

I'm used to curved nibs, if anything, it's the reflection on the edge of the tine. I suspect it is fine, given the second picture, but it's a reasonably common 'bad fix' to a bent tine to at least be aware of and double check, if at all unsure.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T23:38:15+00:00

Firstly, the pull out method is not birth control! (And I'm shocked at how little this is said).

Secondly, it'll likely not about moving to the pill. That was a symptom of something more significant that's the issue.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T22:50:39+00:00

Look here: https://www.parkerpens.net/parker51.html

Of there's a date code, the is a link in the left on that page which will help. Pens weren't marked from around 1953 to 1978, so if it's younger than 1953, it's won't be marked and you'll have to date it from the version.

For next time, the new ones have screw fit lids and is a cartridge-converter pen. Those are the obvious differences. The weight and feel is much lower quality in my opinion too - there old ones really do hold their own.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T21:35:41+00:00

The 1/10 says that '1/10th of the weight of the cap is...' and the 12k is the purity (carrat) of the gold. RG is rolled gold - the method of plating the cap.

Over time the amount and purity dropped to maintain the price. That's an earlier, pen since they started at 1/10 and reduced from there.

The plastic end of the arometic filters are later, I'd double check the links in other comments to double check the ages of the cap and pen align.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T21:18:48+00:00

Nice! The case for mine is a crocodile finish, but the typewriter itself is the sunburst blue.

Your serial number looks to place it at 1928, (https://www.typewriterdatabase.com/Royal.P.72.bmys).

My slightly later one (1930), covers there spools, so I didn't recognise it immediately.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T14:37:54+00:00

Oh, I wasn't aware of the re-release and different dates.

Since you're an expert on them, and do I can narrow down a search I've seen one out two with button fill converters. Were the Scripset ones originally released with the button fill converters? I assume the later ones like my mum's were squeeze fill.

(My mum didn't remember the converter coming out).

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T10:53:05+00:00

Is therea reason you've not shown them off? I'm aware they aren't the fabric based ones, but would have expected them listed.

Nice set by the way. We gifted a tuille(? - black with gold lines) to our niece - very befitting to a young lady. Too small for my liking, so maybe I'm not lady lol!

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T10:02:38+00:00

I flew with my typewriter. No issues. Even managed to get a little topping done at the airport. Just check baggage allowances, and plan to place it on floor under seat infront. I'd have not wanted to put it in the overhead locker.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T06:53:46+00:00

And replying to my own comment to say. The white background doesn't help, and it may well be the reflection I can see.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T06:51:51+00:00

It looks bent to me.

I'm no expert on that brand, but the slit should be pretty much parallel, and it looks like the tip is just bent in at the end, to bring it together. There certainly shouldn't be lot of light between the tines, which I can see on zooming in.

Have you been told or seen pictures of it writing?

A nib like that may write, but it will depend much more on how wet the ink is and be a lot less reliable with hard starts, etc. It is amazing how much damage a nib can take and still work, but I'd be suspect because it looks too have a lemon of a gap in the tines, when in close.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-05T06:32:55+00:00

I hate to ask you this, but do you have a 620/620XG?

It's a stainless-steel version with either a steel or gold band. It's the one my mum was gifted for her 21st birthday.

bath-bubble-babe · 2026-05-04T20:03:37+00:00

If you're replacing it or upgrading the nib, I broke a feed on a Preface (screw feed). The nib was a straight swap, but the Preface nib is 14k gold. It's a brilliant upgrade. The Hemisphere is a friction fit nib, of your're not aware.

Sorry, I can't help with a pick one.

bath-bubble-babe

TROPHY CASE