Pen restoration and repairs..

I have recently received a few enquiries about undertaking repair and/or restoration work on pens.

This work can sometimes be straightforward - a good soak and clean can work wonders for the functionality of a fountain pen new and old. However, sometimes that just won’t solve the problem, and at that point the help of a specialist is required.

Many years ago, 2020 to be precise (I have the certificate to prove it!) I attended the Writing Equipment Society restoration course. It was brilliant and I highly recommend it. It helped me understand the intricacies of pen restoration and repair work, and then gave me more confidence when buying vintage pens. It also gave me a set of skills to restore my own pens, although you do not become an expert overnight and much practice is needed!

As I have enough pens in my collection to take at least 1 lifetime to restore, I do not take on work for others. However, I am pleased to introduce my friend Graham Light, who undertook the WES course at the same time as I did.

Aside from being a thoroughly nice chap, Graham also has an eye for detail, the necessary dexterity and skills to restore and repair pens and being semi-retired from his photography business (his excellent photos have appeared in a WES journal) he has time on his hands.

Graham does not take on nib work, other than perhaps a minor tine adjustment in the course of the overhaul of a pen, nor does he take on complex repairs of the type that might require a lathe such as cork seal replacement or safety pen restoration, or putting snapped parts back together (he may have a replacement part though),  but most other jobs are well within his skillset.

Graham does work on my pens when I have neither the time or the inclination or the skills, and also does work from referrals from the shop that sells some of his pens (G H Knight, Stationers, Cirencester). I am grateful that he has agreed for me to put up this blog post so that my own customers and pen network might be able to utilise his pen repair talent.

For clarity, I do not get a commission for any referrals and I am not involved other than the introduction. I do get a slightly reduced rate on repairs, but I am a repeat customer.

If you’d like your pen restored/repaired, drop me a note via the contact button with details of your pen and what needs to be done, and I’ll be happy to introduce you to Graham. Typically, his prices start around £30 for sac replacement and minor work.