Crack Repair
This Parker Duofold Senior Mandarin had a cracked cap lip. New material was fused to the cap so that the repair was invisible. The clip and cap band were cleaned and replated, plus the black hard rubber top cap was restored.
BEFORE
AFTER
Crack Repairs
cap lip crack repairs starting at $40
cracked barrel threads repairs starting at $80
Many collectors try to fix cracks themselves with white household glue, cement for plastic models, or the famous ‘super glue’.
In my experience, these repairs do not last because these glues does not fuse with celluloid or ebonite. For example, when ‘super glue’ dries, the residue is acrylic, which is a fundamentally different material than celluloid or ebonite.
Also, these glues often leave unsightly buildup or smears on the surface around the crack. I have seen filling mechanisms clogged by glue, caps that won’t thread properly, and parts just plain ruined by glue that can’t be removed.
My message is obvious. If you refrain from trying to glue cracks, it greatly increases the chances that I can fix them properly.
I chemically weld lip cracks in celluloid. The material is fused to itself, and the crack disappears in nearly every case. It doesn’t look glued together (even under magnification). The crack is simply gone.
For hard rubber, I use a custom adhesive that is specifically formulated for this material. It also produces outstanding results with the crack disappearing in nearly every case.
For a cracked barrel thread, I can make a sleeve to fit inside the barrel, then fuse the cracked barrel back together with the sleeve in place. The grip section (that holds the nib) is turned down to fit inside the barrel, and the result is a joint stronger than the pen originally had.
“I have an Aurora Novum oversized fountain pen from Italy in an unusual blue and bronze celluloid. When I bought it, the cap lip was badly damaged on one side …. cracked and a bit ‘melted’ at the edge by a previous ‘repair’ …. plus, the gold cap bands were badly damaged, too. I usually avoid buying pens that need ‘major surgery’ but this one was rare and beautiful. Rick has repaired dozens of pens for me, so I bought it hoping that he could bring it back to its former glory.
I showed the Novum to Rick at a pen show and asked if it was beyond repair. He told me it could be done, but said it would be expensive. He showed me a repaired Parker Duofold cap in Pearl & Black celluloid. The cap lip had been cracked in 2 places, and a piece about the width of a match stick had come out. Rick had welded in a celluloid patch that was incredible. The pattern in the patch matched the surrounding material. When I looked at it under 4X magnification, I couldn’t see where it had been repaired. The patch was indistinguishable from the rest.
When I got my Aurora Novum back, I saw that he had done the same ‘magic’ on it. The marbled pattern in the celluloid was perfect, and the repair was invisible.
It was expensive ($275) but Rick’s artistry increased the value of the pen by at least twice the cost of the repair.”
Jack Leone
Batavia, OH