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| The 20 series is the smallest
of Conklin's Crescent Filler pens. The 25P is the
"pocket" or short version of this series, and the 5 digit
probably indicates that it is a slim version, sort of like Waterman's 52
1/2V.
The first three pictures below show this 25P as it was when I got it. The cap and barrel were badly oxidized on one side, but still black on the other, plus there were a pair of black stripes, one around the cap and one around the barrel. I think this pen may have been displayed with elastic bands around it and left in one position for quite some time. The #2 Toledo nib was quite dirty, and the ink sac was completely hardened. A gentle application of heat helped to loosen the section from the barrel, and the old ink sac came out in one piece. I drove the nib/feed out of the section and treated them to the ultrasonic cleaner plus some extra cleaning. At some point in their past, someone has tried to do something to the nib/feed with pliers, and there are some permanent marks right on the wings of the nib and on the edges of the feed, but these seem to have no impact on their functionality. |
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I decided that this pen was an ideal
candidte for re-blackening. I am aware that this is a
controversial process in the fountain pen collector community, but this
pen had not aged gracefully and its color was a pretty awful shade of
brown/green, and very uneven.
I used Pensbury Manor Potion #9, following the directions carefully. First, I cleaned the barrel, cap, and crescent lock with a 50/50 solution of household ammonia and water, then rinsed thoroughly and allowed it to dry overnight. I then applied Potion #9 with an artist's brush and let it sit overnight. I buffed it with a lint free cloth and reassembled the now-black pen. The pix below show the result. I like it! |
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So far as I can tell, there was no
immediate impact to the chasing or the imprint. The pen writes
nicely with a somewhat flexy nib.
I count this as a successful rescue. |
