The
Pensmith™
Swan Restoration |
![]() We received this rather sad looking Swan in a batch of vintage pens recently bought. We've much admired the model for many years as in its original state, the Swan 140/52 was an attractive and functional pen. Its sad tale of woe on receipt included multiple ink stains, stained barrel and cap, twisted nib, broken feed, heavily brassed clip and lever and cap rings which were perishing with oxidisation and badly twisted, not to mention an ink sac which had hardened like rock in the barrel. But, as we had a special fascination for this model Swan, it was worth a little "special attention". |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() The cap clip required careful removal in order to straighten and re-plate it. It was also necessary to remove, clean and re-plate the rather tired lever which had rusted to its celluloid insert slot. |
And then ....
|
![]() |
![]() A new feed was fabricated and the nib straightened to new condition. |
![]() Ink staining and a light level of celluloid staining was removed from the cap. |
![]() The original rings and clip complement the somewhat cleaner cap. |
![]() It is now in acceptable (but not perfect) condition for a vintage pen. It was impossible to remove the staining to the celluloid of the barrel which was caused by a combination of rusting lever bar and lever mechanism and traditional ink spoilage due to an ink sac which failed decades ago. And, it writes very well! |