I was looking for a way to post my before picture as well, but couldn’t figure it out. The metal was dull and dirty, the rubber pen sac was cracked and hardened and, the pen was full of dried ink. I disassembled the pen, soaked it, polished the parts and fitted a new ink sac. I think it is a Whal Machine Turned pen from the 1920s.
When I write with it, the first few centimeters have no ink, then it flows. I gather this can be fixed, but I don’t want to press my luck with reshaping the nib and potentially breaking it.
I found a stash of old pens when cleaning out a relative’s house. So, maybe I’ll be able to share more of the ones I’m able to revive.
@0xabad1dea @DadFather @penfount Oh man, you are really making me want to get my dad's pens out. He was a chemistry student in the 60s and swore that an ink pen is the best way to write chemical formulas and diagrams.
Go for it. I’m finding that the ones with a lever on the side are the simplest, mechanically. I found info and supplies at https://vintagepensacsandparts.com/ and Grandmia Pens on YouTube shows the innards of lots of models.
@DadFather Thanks!