Pen resurfacing/refurbishment and cleaning?

[VolsVolsVols]

Sorry to post this here, but I could only find one pen forum which seemed as if it could fit the bill, and every link to that forum redirects to the homepage. I was hoping there was at least one "pen expert" on this site who could shine some light upon my issue. My Cartier Diabolo (linked as to note the specific composition) is one of my favorite pens, but it has unfortunately become rather dinged up over the past few years, to the point where I simply threw it in the bottom of a laptop case as a result of my disdain for using it, which really only served to compound the issue. I simply cannot stand the indents on the pen, and was wondering whether or not anything could be done about it. Has anyone heard of such a thing as a pen cleaning or restoring service? I'd imagine this type of request is quite rare as most people likely treat pens better, but that was unfortunately not the case with this particular instrument and I have learned from my error. It would just be a shame to see such a once-gorgeous pen go to waste because of a few nicks and bumps. Thanks!

 

[Pengranger]

From my experience, "dings" are normally referred to where there are minor indentations in metal. From the picture, your pen doesn't have much metal. If the surface of the acrylic is scuffed, I've heard that "jewellers rouge" can be used to help polish blemishes out.

Refurbishment of pens is normally often completed on the inner workings and nibs i.e. the bits that wear or deteriorate. Parts are normally replaced from brand new stock, or by stripping down damaged pens. I can't see there being much of a trade in damaged Cartier's, as opposed to Parker, Sheaffer etc.

I would expect that getting Cartier to look at could cost more than the original purchase price of the pen. There are "pen hospitals" around and I suggest you Google.

I would expect this would be an expensive exercise unless you carry out some polishing at home.

 

[ikebod]

You can e-mail Richard Binder at http://www.richardspens.com with a pic of the pen and description of the work you want done. He will get back to you with a quote. I purchased an OMAS 360 with some wear and tear on it and Richard did a fine restoration job, inside and out.

 

[VolsVolsVols]

Thank you for your responses. I was definitely diffident about contacting Cartier, since the pen needs a fair deal of "TLC" and they're certainly not in the habit of giving customers much of a break. I took a look into jewelers rouge, but I can't find anything about its effect on acrylic.

I'll probably e-mail Richard to see if there's anything he can do unless I find some sort of surefire polishing kit that would work on the black composite. Again, I appreciate the helpfulness!

 

[TCN]

I collect pens, mostly vintage, but I do have a Cartier Diabolo that I like quite a bit. I've also had Richard Binder work on a few old pens.

I concur with the advice you've received already, but wanted to add that if there are issues beyond minor scratches in the plastic barrel of the pen, then you really do need to send it to Cartier (or find parts on eBay). Even if the pen was gold or silver, Richard Binder would probably send it out to someone else for that kind of work.

 

[Steve Smith]

Old school pen repairmen often have buffing wheels which can be used to give pens back some of the original shine.

 

[Fishball]

It is not too diffcult to DIY, I use metal polish and marble wax to resurfacing my vintage pens, Parker Duofold, Mont Blanc etc.

 

[JayJay]

There are several places that restore pens but expect long waits.

 

[518aata]

+1 for Richard Binder. He salvaged a nib on a Mont Blanc that I had pretty much destroyed by dropping it, nib down, onto a hard floor. (Mont Blanc wouldn't repair it, but they graciously offered to sell me a new nib for $250.) It writes better than when it was new. Really.

Richard's charge was very reasonable. He took quite a while to get the pen back to me, but I didn't mind, as the pen was otherwise useless.

Speaking of restoration, I have an S.T. Dupont lacquer pen on which the finish has become dull. Any ideas about how to fix this?