Restoring Fountain Pens

Q Can an early hard rubber fountain pen be restored? I just found my grandfather’s 1920s Waterman 52 pen. It’s a mess.

A Restoring a fountain pen takes patience, know-how and talent. I wondered if I could do it so I got instructions. The cap should be removed, and then the inside parts and the nib, the lever assembly, and the pressure bar. (Don’t try this if you don’t know what these parts look like.) According to experts, you can’t clean a hard rubber pen with water. It makes the rubber swell and parts will not fit back inside properly, so use mineral oil. Use metal polish to clean the metal trim. There is more. Get a new ink sac and clean the pressure bar with special equipment. Clean the nib. Put everything back together. Test it with ink to be sure it is ready to use or sell. You can find fountain pen information at the Pen Collectors of America, pencollectorsofamerica.com. Many pen repair services advertise online.