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Fountain Pen Repair and Restoration Rates  

 The standard restoration includes disassembly, cleaning, resacing or other appropriate rebuilding of the filling system,
light buffing to remove surface scratches, and minor nib and flow adjustments.
Replacement parts are not included, and will be charged separately. We will discuss the parts needed if they exceed $15.
Each pen is filled and written with before being sent back.  No exceptions.

~Prices do not include return shipping~
Prices in effect for pens received on or after Dec. 1, 2021

Partial services are available as noted.  If a needed service is not listed please ask!  

We do not repair rollerballs, ballpoints, or pencils.


We've been inundated with repairs in the last month, and our turn around time is over well 16 weeks.

To give Ron a chance to catch up,
OUR QUE IS CLOSED UNTIL MAY 15, 2024



Service  Price
Rollerball, ballpoint or pencil repair - not available.          We really do work on just fountain pens. ----
Full Restoration: Typical "Sac" Pen (lever fill/button fill Sheaffers, Waterman, Wahl, Parker, Esterbrook, etc.)  
     Silicone sacs which are ink resistant can be installed if  requested.   Note that pens must be stored NIB UP if installed.     Additional charge $5
$50
Full Restoration: Wahl Coronet starting at
 $100
Full Restoration:   Snorkel and PFM  (includes replacement of the sac, O-ring and point holder gasket)  Snorkels are restored using synthetic rubber point holder gaskets,  buna-N 0-rings. starting at
$65
Full Restoration: Touch Down pens (includes replacement of 0-ring and point holder gasket)  PFM pens are restored using synthetic rubber point holder gaskets and buna-N 0-rings. $60
Full Restoration:  Parker 51  $55
Full Restoration: Parker Vacumatic $55
Full Restoration: Waterman Inkview   $65
Full Restoration:  Sheaffer  and Wahl Vacuum fillers   Replacing the packing material with a Viton 0-ring, and fitting the plunger with a specially selected synthetic rubber.  The section threads are sealed using a sealant made to Sheaffers specifications.  If the plunger rod on either model has to be replaced, add $15, if  a Wahl Personal point seal has to be replaced, add $20. $60
Custom replacement filler rods for  Sheaffer and Wahl Vacuum fillers   This price is provided only when pens sent  in for restoration.  If the stainless steel piston rod is pitted or corroded, or the celluloid covered rods damaged, a new stainless steel replacement rod  can be made to the original dimensions for your pen.     $15
Replace Packing unit in Waterman and related retractable safety pens $65
Service of  Pelikan and other piston filler pens, replacing seals when needed or appropriate.   Cork seal replacement is included when they were used in the pen.  Because I have to buy rubber or plastic/synthetic seals, the cost for the seal will be a separate charge, and will depend on my cost, which varies by manufacturer and pen. $65
Several Services are available à la carte as listed below.
Buff Pen: external polish, etc. $20
Nib Adjustments: Tine alignment, straightening, smoothing, improvement of ink flow $45 and up
Nib/Nib assembly cleaning $35 and up
Custom nib grinding $45 and up
Waterman Hundred Year Pen barrel ends:  Remanufacture $90 and up
Pelikan  100 size and up:  Section/barrel repair - reattach broken off section $85 and up
Secure Cap bands  without the use of adhesives $35
Remove dents from Parker 51 caps  - may be combined with refrosting at a discounted rate $50 and up
Refrost Parker caps - both Vacumatic style scratch buff and matte finishes for  Parker 51, VP and 61. $50
Lathe work - repairs requiring lathe work will be billed out on a time and materials basis.  Minimum charge is $45 $85/hr
Repair/replace Namiki Vanishing point barrel threads (the barrel is the end with the button) $75
Replating - gold and rhodium trim, replating two tone nibs or rhodium plated nibs.  Prices vary depending on what is to be replated.  Write for details. $55 and up
Arrival in the mail of your restored-by-Main-Street-Pens fountain pen Priceless!

If additional parts or work are needed, additional charges may apply. 
Minimum bench fee is $30


Who works on my pen, and how long do repairs take?
L

Only one person will work on your pen - Ron!  Pens generally are repaired in the order in which they are received.   Some repairs, such as plastic repairs or Sheaffer Vacuum fillers are more involved, and take a little more time.   Your pen, and every pen, is given exactly as much time as it takes to repair the pen properly.   I like the line in the movie  Princess Bride  that goes,  "You rush a miracle man, you get bad miracles."  The same goes for pen repair.  Rush pen repairs, and you get bad repairs. That may mean that it takes a little longer, but we think it's worth the wait.    Right now turn around  is estimated to be  at least 16 weeks.  Note that this is only an estimate.  Actual time will depend on the difficulty of the repairs on your pen, and the pens in the que ahead of them.

A Word about Plastic Repair...

The repair of plastic and celluloid is not an exact science.  In fact, it’s more of an art.  We tell clients that the time needed for the repair of cracks and other related flaws in pens is open ended. 

Keep in mind that in some cases we’re working with plastics that are over 80 years old.  There were variations in the formula for the materials supplied from one company to another, and even from one batch to the next.  In general we know what the material is and how it responds, but it’s impossible to predict precisely how the material will react every time.  In some cases the plastic has decayed to the point where it is very brittle, making it even more difficult to work, and requiring extra steps.  

The solvents used need time to completely evaporate out of the repaired area between steps.  There can be many steps with some pens; filling the crack, and then blending of the repair into the surrounding area a part of each step.  Data from some companies indicates that full strength in a solvent weld is not achieved until a full week has passed, and in that time period the material will shrink to some extent.   Extra layers to fill a defect are then required.

What all of this means is that sometimes the repair can be accomplished in a couple of days, sometimes it takes several weeks.   I want you to be pleased with the repair, and you do too!  Thanks for your patience while I try to do the best repair possible on your pen.

How do we ship?

Our preferred method of shipping is through the US Postal Service.  We've found it to be quite reliable, and relatively inexpensive.  To destinations in the US, we ship priority mail with insurance and signature confirmation.  To addresses outside of the US we ship Priority Mail International with full insurance (preferred), or First Class Registered mail.    We have found the cost of services like FedEx or UPS to be very expensive, and when offered,  most of our clients decline.

All pens are wrapped in bubble wrap, and are shipped in a cardboard box.
© 2007- 2023 Ron Zorn

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