Good Bye

April 16, 1889- December 25, 1977

Good Riddance August and September- and Several Other Months

I wrote this post at the end of the September when things in my life were a bit different.  Now they are a little better, I have found a different job that pays better and offers better hours, but still I'm not where I would like to be in life.  After have been sitting in my drafts for a couple of months it's time to post it.


No new posts in August?  Yes, August was a horrible month, a veritable circle jerk of stress and bad news.  It all started on the 14th of August when I came close to having a nervous breakdown at work and went home ill after only being there for only three hours.  Since then life has been full of continuous ups and downs, but hasn't been what I would consider pleasant.  For every good day there is a bad one and the work related stress shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.  Right now I'm just going to come out and say I pretty much hate everything about my job, sure there are a few things that I like but the negatives outweigh the positives.  Twelve hour shift nights and threats of working all weekend or mandatory overtime for little pay are not at all what I'm looking for in life- if I can even say I have a life as all I do is work and sleep.  It is frustrating because I do hold a four year university degree yet I cannot find work that I am qualified for, at the moment I'm vastly underemployed.  I know that maybe someday, if I can stick it out where I am now I might be able to get into the position I would like to be in because the job is in the field I went to school for, but I hate what I'm doing now and I really don't care all that much for my coworkers, who love what they are doing and all the overtime.  It does not help when I get the feeling they are trying to cohearse me into working the extra hours (which at the moment are not mandatory) because they love what they do and they live to work and think I should be just like them (and I want to be nothing like most of them).

I've also come to the realization that factory work is rather frightening and demeaning.  It's almost like being back in high school where there are people always watching you, waiting for you to slip up just so they can punish you for some minor infraction.  You show up a minute late it counts against you even if you have car trouble, you get sick and call in or have to go home you're in more trouble.  Do either more than three times in a single month and you get written up.  Better forget about personal days, you don't get those and oh yes, if it's busy you might have to work on a holiday (sure you get paid extra, but is is really worth it?).   If you sign up for vacation, receive it and then mandatory overtime comes up you work it or get fired (you're completely replaceable, they'll have a temp taking your place in less than an hour). You cannot leave the premises at break so it's soggy microwaved food or endless sandwiches, just writing this makes me gag.  To add to all of this, it is also noisy and dirty, the dust sets off my allergies shortly after clocking in.  As you read this you might be thinking I'm writing about a factory in some developing country, but I'm not, this is happening in US where already a hundred years before workers were trying to abolish these labor practices.

I know I could leave, but where I would go I don't know.  Going to another factory would more than likely mean more of the same, retail or working in any kind of shop is out of the question.  All of the good jobs require years of experience regardless of education, or there is little turn over, or are too far away (I can't afford to move to another city right now and I am not at all an apartment dweller anyway and renting is like throwing money away, foolish if you ask me).

Eversharp Skyline Plastic Repairs

Disclaimer: Proceed at your own risk, I will not be held responsible to any damage you do to your pens.  Use common sense, if you don't feel competent enough to do these repairs don't do them.  Please send your pen off to a repair person.  Please keep in mind that sixty year old materials may be brittle due to age and sometimes a pen will just break even if you follow all the directions carefully.  Everyone who has repaired many pens can vouch for me.

It's time this information is spilled and widely available to those who do their own repairs.  Since nobody really let me know I could fix my Skyline this way I feel it's my duty to make it available.

I feel certain I can say that anyone or most who have encountered an Eversharp Skyline made of polystyrene or with parts made of the material (all of these pens have some polystyrene parts) has found these parts to be either warped, discolored or cracked.  Or if one hasn't had the fortune of coming to be in possession of one of these pens they certainly have heard of others having these issues with their pens.  Whatever way you look at it Eversharp Skyline plastics are fussy and prone to age related problems, but it should not stop one from wanting to own or using one of these pens.

Standard Eversharp Skyline with honey colored striated celluloid cap and army brown polystyrene barrel discolored to a darker shade of brown like oil or dark chocolate

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of repairing cracks in Skyline plastic I think it's worth taking a look at the history of this fountain pen and its designer, anyway some of this history is partially to blame for the  issues one encounters with these pens today.  Released in 1941 and remaining in production until 1950 the Eversharp Skyline took advantage of a newly developed plastic in its construction, the aforementioned polystyrene.  Being like any newly developed technology no one is exactly sure how well it is going to work or how well it will hold up in the long run.  Despite that the designers at Eversharp found that polystyrene was less labor intensive to form into pen parts than the celluloid and hard rubber previously used.  It could be injection moulded instead of having to be formed by hand on a lathe, which allowed the parts to be produced quickly and more cheaply.  Another point worth mentioning is that these pens were produced during the years which America was at war.  All across the nation the producers of civilian products, like pens cut production and the amount and quality of materials used, for the best had to go to the government for the war effort.  It would not be surprising if Eversharp used a lower grade plastic for their pens during these years so they could keep producing them and today they are a very commonly found pen if that says something.

Same pen without cap, note that the section and barrel match

Another note of interest is that the Eversharp hired famed industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss to design the Skyline.  Those with any design knowledge (I know this because once upon a time I thought was going to be a graphic designer and spent a year studying design) or even an interest in the time period should know that Dreyfuss also designed 500 desk telephone (what most people think of when you think of a 'real' phone that's wired into the wall), the Princess Telephone and the Trimline Phone (I still have one of these with a dial that's still in service) and many other common place household items.  Also he designed the streamlined shell that was placed over the NYC Hudson locomotives that pulled the 20th Century Limited.  This was what first came to mind when I discovered that Dreyfuss was responsible for designing the Skyline pen, the cap of the pen and the front and top line of the locomotive are nearly identical.  When I was little my grandfather had a model of the the 20th Century Limited and it was always more intriguing than the other model locomotives because of its sleek shape and light grey/blue livery and is something that's been burned in my memory ever since.

Dreyfuss'  NYC Hudson courtesy or Wikipedia

Now on to the repair information:  When I found my Eversharp Skyline in the wild it was in very good shape (save for discoloration and plating loss on the lever- another common problem with Skylines) and the sac even seemed like it was still good, I could lift the lever and the sac depressed.  To be sure I filled the pen with water and let it sit overnight to make sure there were no leaks.  Of course there was and this is where my problems began.  That afternoon I was determined to replace the sac and have the pen back in working order by that evening, it shouldn't be that difficult right?  It's just a simple lever filler and the plastic doesn't seem to have shrunk at all.  How wrong was I!  I proceeded by soaking the nib and section to remove old ink that could be cementing the section into the barrel and when it seemed clean as it was going to get I heated the section with a hair dryer- just standard procedure.  Then when I went to remove the section I heard something pop and with my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach I noticed a small crack in the barrel threads, now I had done it! @#$%!!!

Wondering what could be done I ran off to the internet and began doing a number of searches, which of course yielded nothing and I asked questions on the fountain pen forums which only lead to the answer of find a new barrel or a parts pen.  For some that may seem an okay proposition, but finding the right pen in the right color for the right price can be daunting and take months, anyway the damage on my pen barrel wasn't that bad.  Super glue and like adhesives are almost always out of the question for pen repairs and most of the time do more hurt and good.  Shellac can be used, but if I ever had to get the pen apart for any reason in the future the whole barrel would probably break into multiple pieces.  So, it was back to doing searches, which eventually led to some obscure web page or blog that I cannot recall the name of (this was over two years ago now), but the proprietor of the page claimed to have successfully repaired cracked polystyrene Eversharp Skylines with Tenax 7-R.  Knowing I had nothing to lose I went to the local hobby shop later in the week and bought a bottle of the stuff.  Putting two and two together and after reading the label on the Tenax bottle recalled to mind helping my kid brother when he was about 9-10 years old put together model planes and cars.  The plastic the models were made of was the same stuff as the Skyline barrel or something very similar.

Bottle of Tenax R-7 Space Age Plastic Welder.  It's not a glue, it's a solvent

To say the least it worked and worked very well.  I began by cleaning the crack in the barrel to be sure there was no ink residue or skin oils on the spot that was to be welded, I used dish soap for this, although diluted ammonia in water would work too.  After the spot was dry I simply held the crack closed with my fingers and with a tooth pick dripped the Tenax 7-R onto the crack inside and carefully on the outside.  It evaporates very quickly and you have to work fast, but also you only need a very small amount.  Follow the directions on the bottle.  For larger damage I would suggest using a syringe with a fine needle and maybe a small C-clamp padded with tape or rubber hose to hold parts together.  One small word of warning is Tenax will cause a small amount of discoloration to the plastic (it doesn't bother me because I used my pen, it's not a museum piece), while not that noticeable some may not like the look of it and it does become more apparent under certain lighting.  Other than that I have nothing but good to say about Tenax 7-R, I can hardly tell where the crack was in my pen barrel and the repair has been holding for what will be three years in early January this coming year.

Pen barrel was cracked in the threads right here.  Although the photo doesn't show the discoloration there is a small amount and the crack is not visible save for some small interruptions in the threads, which does not affect their function

To put the pen back together I followed slightly different procedures than I usually do.  First I put the section in the freezer to make it shrink smaller (knowing what I know now I don't suggest doing this because extreme cold can make plastic brittle, the fridge or a cool window sill in the winter it sufficient) and then applied really gentle heat to the section to expand it just a bit- just until it was warm to the touch.  The pen slipped easily back together with no further problems, although I wish I had not replaced the breather tube before shellacking the sac on because it has since come loose and is rattling around in the pen and getting in the way of the lever.  Since the Skyline is just a lever filler is does not need the breather tube.

Following directions on bottle will lead to best results

Thanks for reading.

Please feel free to ask questions.

New Posts Coming Soon

I just wanted to let everyone know I have not abandoned my blog.  With work and life in general it can be hard to find the extra time and ambition to keep on making regular posts.

Check back soon for a post on Eversharp Skyline plastics and repair.

Chortophaga Viridifasciata

What is it?  Want to know more?  There is more below the break.

Happy Birthday Charlie

Today would have been Charlie Chaplin's 124th birthday were he still here.  If I'm remembering right his actual birthday fell on a Tuesday, just like mine.  In wanting to keep this a simple tribute here are a few pictures.  After working the crazy hours I've been, I don't have much left to say.

Early 1920s

Older and looking very introspective.  From Discovering Chaplin Please take the time to check out this blog.

Some random silliness: My Charlie doll hanging out with some lady friends.

Give Them Now...

... And you'll receive thanks for (many, many, many) years to come.

A very prophetic ad for Parker Duofolds.  There are still loads of these pens around today and all they need is a new sac to be in working order again.  I've heard stories of people inheriting these pens from grandparents, great grandparents, a great aunt or uncle (unfortunately I'm not that lucky) and they are usually glad to have them and sometimes want to know more about them if they are new to the world of fountain pens.

1920s Duofold ad probably from National Geographic

I've had this ad for a few years now, I found it while digging through a bunch of other random ads at a local antique shop and the classic Parker logo jumped out at me.  I know there are some people out there who disapprove of tearing apart old magazines for ads and photos but I'm certain this is from National Geographic- you know most thrift stores have boxes of them for free when you come in because people hoarded so many of them they have little or no value.  The ad copy is all very true, no false advertising to be found here, well the non-breakable barrels part is a bit of a stretch, dropping most any nice pen on a hard surface will damage it and the Mandarin Yellow Duofolds crack if you look at them funny.  A very pricey pen at the time, but the Duofold was Parker's top of the line pen and still is today in some respects, although the prices now exceed what the listed were when inflation is taken into account.  It's really something how much care and thought used to go into print advertising, today you just get some generic photograph of the product, a few words and maybe a photo some generic-looking girl who has undergone a silicone beef up that society at large has deemed appealing (I think everyone can picture the type I'm taking about).

I also wanted to just stop in and show everyone I'm not dead.  In fact I've been really busy and haven't had much of any interest to blog about.  But I am pleased to write I'm now hired full time at a local branch of a nation wide printing company (thankfully not the one that is associated with a mailing company and has store fronts in strip malls, this is the real deal only interested in skilled labor and paying good wages), I work forty-eight hours a week Monday through Thursday so that doesn't leave me much free time during the week.  Despite this I'm going to try to make an effort to post more often.  Anyway what good is a blog if it just sits there with the same old posts for weeks on end?