Soviet Era Fountain Pen Restoration
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2021
- I recently received a Soviet Era Soyuz Fountain Pen with a 14K Gold nib. Pen was in great condition but needed a bit of a cleaning to have the pen restored, functional and ready to use.
I am very happy with how it works & performs.
If you have any info about the pen to share, please do so in the comments.
Ebay seller I bought from
ebay.ca/usr/kvitge6
RUclips channel I learned about the left hand threads.
• Soyuz 88 and 65 Founta...
I had to use a fountain pen in middle school growing up in the USSR and this is probably why I developed this hobby later in life. I can tell you, I’ve never seen this design, which means it was a rare pen back then.
Oh wow thanks for the info. I'm pretty happy with it, didn't know it was rare!
@@Doodlebud I sent a picture of this pen to my friend from St.Petersburg and he confirmed it was the pen that his father who was a professor got as a present at work decades ago. It was common to give special presents for, say, working for 20 years at the same department back then. My friend told me about a Russian pen with a golden nib a while ago and I've tried to figure it out what it was to no avail. He originally said the pen was made in USSR and looked similar to my vintage Parker 51, also it had a golden nib but we couldn't pin point it the model. Now we have an answer))
Oh wow thats really cool. I just liked the look of it, thought it would be neat to have a pen from the USSR and it was a very reasonable price. Looks like I'll be hanging on to this one! Would go perfectly with the KL-1 slide rule, but I gave that away as a gift.
Вы не правы, это очень распространенная ручка.
Привет. Это великолепный экземпляр. И надо сказать она не была дешевой в своё время, стоило хороших денег. Я очень рад видеть эту ручку на вашем канале, ведь именно такой ручкой писал мой папа - он военный врач. До сих пор дома она где-то лежит. Спасибо вас за обзор.
This was really cool to see! As a Soviet watch collector, I'm very familiar with the painfully slow shipping from that part of the world 😂
In Russia, parcels wait for you!
I bought a watch from the 60s that was a tribute to Yuri Gagarin. Handsome watch, but poorly built even compared to other watches of that time period.
lovely pen !!!! reminds me of the montblanc and the vintage Pilot E95
Very nice pen. It does look like a Montblanc 22 or 221.
I new a guy who was a Vietnam era vet stationed in Germany, When he got out he appropriated a box of the cheap" US Government" ball point pens. He went and toured the former soviet union, (It was possible just not legal) he said he could trade just about anything for those pens. Ball points were impossible to get. He had a hat full of pins he had traded for the pens.
I came upon an almost identical pen yesterday, but without the CCCP and slightly different lettering in the logo. The internals are almost the same, although the nib and feed unit are different. Did the cleaning today, with a lot of soaking and ultrasonic cleaning. Worked very well, the pen is now writing very nicely. Thanks for this video that got me started!
Cool find, good to hear my vid helped you get it sorted out and working well. I haven't busted that one out in a while, I just may have to do that!
Thank you, sir. Left-handed worked! Got my little pen from the Ukraine writing like it should. Nice!
Good stuff!
Most excellent review indeed! Anyone who's interested in making "fountain pen reviews," should follow this gentleman's style! Oh, and LOVE the pen - now I gotta research more on Soviet/Russian fountain pens. Thanks to this fellow for sharing a VERY enjoyable experience with the rest of us! ✒
Cool pen. Well done.
I have a vintage Soyuz 65 with a captive twist converter, it's teal with a gold plated cap. The twist converter is really stiff too. I didn't know it was left hand thread.
The hooded nib writes beautifully, fine bouncy and gold I think.
Looks like a Parker 51 with Soviet Improvements, dear comrade.
This video is really useful to me.
Thank you so much.
Oh nice I've seen those ones too. This one grabbed my eye a little more. But am overall very happy with the pen and the nib. Good to hear that yours is working well too 👍
Nice cleaning job. It serves as an example and motivator to the rest of us.
The pen was in great condition, a little TLC & it's a great writer
Thanks for bring a great video for us🙌👍
Glad you enjoyed it. Got lucky the pen was in such great condition and just needed some basic cleaning.
Fun to see this. I still have a few accordion fillers from this brand, and I have not figured those out!
Never even heard of an accordion filler. Neat pen to use. It writes really well, has such a consistent line to it.
If you come across any other soviet goodies that you need to take apart, before going heavy on the torque check for left hand thread. I find left hand thread common enough to check for on soviet stuff, not common as in it's everywhere but it pops up enough to stick in the back of my mind.
This one was left handed, that's how I took it apart
Really enjoyed this video and would enjoy any future restoration videos you do. Quality restoration videos seem to be rare.
I'll do my best to record any work I do on my pens
Excellent video. The pen is in great shape indeed. It's always useful to clean thoroughly before using it. 😊
Was very pleased with this one
I have a 1980 Soyuz pen with a hooded nib (from 1980 olympics in Moscow). Malachite, gold nib, captive converter. I can get a completely full fill on a first try, but the ink flow is terrible. I wish i could make it wetter, but i can't get the hood off. It is a beautiful looking pen that i want to get writing better.
With some pens they use shellac to fix the hooded section in place. A soak in warm soapy water can help soften things up. Also see if it's left hand threads like it is on mine.
I might use silicon for a couple of stiff piston fillers I’ve got having seen this video. Very good tip. Lovely video nice looking pen. Looks nice to write with.
A little great goes a long way. Moving parts need a little service too. Its a super fun pen to write with, really enjoyable.
Watching your video made me decide that I'd like to try this, too. I just ordered a similar pen from the seller you got yours from. When it arrives, I'll definitely be following what you did in this video. Even if my experience doesn't turn out the same, I'm still excited about owning it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh hey thats cool to hear. This one just really caught my eye and imagination. Cool little pen to hang on to, hope yours works out well!
Mine arrived today and it was in really great shape and only needed one pass through the ultrasonic cleaner - whoever used it before knew how to clean and store fountain pens. Your video was super helpful in getting it apart and together again. Thanks!
Welcome Comrade 😎
So cool. 👍🏽
спасибо товарищ. Большое видео!
Из России тушью!
Thank God you have no Russian inks. I managed to damage my Soyuz pen with modern Raduga ink. It left stains. On gold. Though it's color is superb the chemistry is... Alchemic.
But your video gave me an idea how to fix the pen that's been laying in my drawer for years. I am very grateful for that! Thank you!
Good to hear you were able to fix it. Staining gold is no easy task! I will make sure to avoid any Russian inks and stick to the pens.
C (Cоюз) - Union (U) . CCCP - USSR - Знак качества - Quality mark .
Thanks for the info!
@@Doodlebud не за что - No at all , нет проблем - no problem .
Nice job, Doodlebud! I've just bought a Soyuz pocket fountain pen, which is on its way to me. I don't really know what condition it will be in, so I'm looking for good repair/cleaning videos. I think what I've learned here will be useful.
Hope the pen works out well for you 👍
Это модель ручки "АР-95" Ленинградского завода "Союз". Ручка не редкая, а очень распространенная. Сейчас её легко можно купить даже новую. Есть несколько разных колпачков и расцветок этой модели ручки.А вот эта жижа, что была в ручек. Её с завода там не было. Залил её в ручку продавец. Оригинальная смазка сухая.
After watching this video I went and found one and purchased it. it was not particularly easy.. it looks to me like you have an earlier revision than mine as some small details are different like the cap finial on mine is recessed into the top of the cap and the nib/ feed collar is different too. Mine is not as pristine as yours but is certainly a great writer after I serviced it! For others looking for one mine was £60 with shipping included for free. Happy hunting.
Good to hear you found one that you're enjoying. Its a great little writer!
Thanks for this! I have three of these and was wondering how to open them up to grease the pistons. I had already broken one of the rods. Now I have some hope!
Hope it works out for you! Once I got it working it's a really great writer 😊
@@Doodlebud Eh, when I was putting the nib back into the collar the feed broke. I just sent away for an inexpensive similar Soyuz model with a steel nib. From the pictures it looks like the same feed, so I'll just use that. Since I doubt any pen repairer has a similar feed to sell. Bummer, because the nib and feed were pretty clean, I didn't even need to pull them to clean them.
I really like the way that nib writes. Is there a modern pen you can think of that is similar? Seems like it puts down a really clean, sharp, and fine line. Great for taking notes.
Nice review and cool project, thanks! I would like to see more videos of this type, if you find some other interesting pens.
Yeah it's very crisp & consistent. Haven't messed with the nib as I really like how it writes & is different from other pens I have so want to keep it that way. I would compare it to a Japanese nib, say a pilot or something like that, but still a bit unique. I have another odd pen I found that I'll be doing a video on soon
Montblanc 24 was clearly inspired by this pen ;)
Uhhhhhh.... Other way around possibly 🤔
Да, мы тоже смотрим этот канал. Смотрим.
That is pretty! I'd love to be the owner of another like that.
Keep your eyes peeled on ebay to see if another appears
Their out there they just don't seem all too common, I managed to find one.
Haha, this brings back childhood memories... :)
Another great video, thanks very much. Please could you make a short video about the ultrasonic cleaner? We hear about them a lot, but a lot of pen fans like myself have never experienced one. Take care, David.
Way ahead of you 😉
ruclips.net/video/HFTMviu_3mU/видео.html
@@Doodlebud Thanks very much.
Great looking pen - looks just like the M22 but built completely differently - maybe reverse engineered? Or Montblanc made for Soviets? Interesting 👍
Too much Tom Clancy novels my friend🤣. Nice pen, a Montblanc Homage-tastic example.
Thank you for the video.
Don't burst my bubble! 😠This pen was totally used in some kinda Soviet spy stuff!
@@Doodlebud 🤣
@@Doodlebud Maybe I should write a cold wear spy novel. LOL
@@Doodlebud totally. The Gold nib means it was given as a gift to some super spy. Have you figured out how to work the mini laser?
For being made in the USSR the build quality seems nicer then I would have expected.
It not half bad. The one I got from North Korea however.... it's what you'd expect
ruclips.net/video/_9zW5_GWYIQ/видео.html
@@Doodlebud lol, I’m literally watching that one right now… you spoiled the ending. I’m new to fountain pens and your content is very informative/enjoyable. Thanks for making videos.
Almost an exact replica of the MB 72 in the looks department. The internals are of course different.
Oh wow never even heard of the model 72! This is a cool little pen & looks great. But can definitely feel the differences in materials, fit & finish
Did you end up opening up the tines a little or micro-meshing? Great video and channel!
Not yet. Been pretty happy with pen and the way it writes. Wet enough for now & works well on lesser grade paper. If I want a real juicy pen I have some others to grab. Will also let it break in for a few months to see how it writes. Im slow to hit nibs with polishing as sometimes minor feedback/toothiness is gone after some initial usage
That “goo” looked like cosmoline.
Picked up a Parker 21 at a garage sale. Do you know what the differences are between the 21 and the 51? They seem to be about the same except for the nib material. I've become more interested in Parker lately since they started close to where I live. The Soviet pen looks so much like the Parker.
I'm definitely not the guy to ask about the 21 VS 51. But I did a quick google & there is a wealth of info. They seem to be very similar to each other
Biggest concern with the 21 is the plastic. The 21s are made with a brittle plastic that has not been aging well. The 51s are Lucite, which is a much more stable material. I believe also the 21 caps are friction fit, not using the more sophisticated clutch rings that (most of) the 51s have. This accelerates wear on the plastic section.
@@LeeBusch thanks for sharing, useful info 👍
@@LeeBusch Now I don't feel so bad fpoor spending $5 for one
@@RONSPOTZ LOL. Good deal!
So this video made me go and scavenge eBay for one - found an exact one as you have but in red NOS, unused. Now I am waiting :)... with my fingers crossed hoping will all be OK.
If is bad, I'll just use you as an escape goat and blame it on you :D :P.
Hope you get a good one. Jsut used mine today on an appointment with a client!
@@Doodlebud I got it today. Had to clean whatever grease / glue they used - took 5 cycles in the Ultrasonic to remove that gunk (had to use Simple green too to get it out)... did a nice polish on the barrel, section and nib, and now in looks and feel it actually rivals my Montblanc 320... this thing is gorgeous in red!
I'm glad I got to watch your video and pushed me to get one :). All you lol :D.
Why are ebonite feeds always solid/unridged (even in the USSR!) while plastic feeds are always finned (or whatever the term is) underneath?
Tbc I meant unridged underneath - I see this one is ridged on top
Not 100% sure. That does seem to be more common in vintage pens. I do have new pens with ebonite feeds that have slits underneath. But there are some new ones that are smooth as well, and are always ebonite. My random guess would be that due to better ink flow, and if the feed has a better ink channel on the top, ribs/slits on the bottom side aren't required.
Many years ago, but about 5-10 years after the fall of the Berlin wall, I dated a girl from the former USSR.
After hearing the stories of that era from her (Gorbechev and the fall), I could SO see her using this pen in her office in the Kremlin. (She did secretarial work for some of the administration, and was a computer science major in school there.)
Fountain pens are just easier to maintain from a collectivist POV. (Build the pen once, build vats of ink lots.) Mass production really requires incentives that people in that society just did NOT have.
Beyond rhetoric and politickin', the people in that country were in a bad way when the system finally collapsed.
Great find! And thanks! I hadn't thought about Tatiana in years. Great person, but you know how that stuff goes.
Ерунда! Вы ничего не поняли и ничего не знаете про СССР и наше общество.
I would have thought it could have been used by Checkov.
Oh wait that is from the future - never mind.
Or maybe was passed on to Ivan Drago & he used it to sign the contract to fight Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV. "If he dies, he dies"
Maybe Valery Legásov used one of these.. 🙂
It does glow in the dark soooo.....
@@Doodlebud 😄😄
@@Doodlebud Yes, radioactivity.. 💣☢️☣️
Available? Price?
I left info in the description of where I bought the pen. You might have to search around the internet for other ones. With odd ball vintage pens its always a hunt to find a good pen at a good price. Mine was ~$80 CAD
golden nib or not?
583
I serve the Soviet Union
😳
Lol is not "ci ci ci pi" but "es es es ar" 😁
I miss a CCCP seal of aprooval :- 1
Они были на некоторых колпачках. Знак качества.
Avtoruchka, CCCP.
Thanks 👍
"good old USSR somewhere in the 1970's" (at time stamp 12:09/17:02). Really? - Are you sure? _ Do you wish to elaborate on the "good old USSR"? What are we missing?
Please tell me how much you paid for the pen?
I can't remember, it was a little while back now
@@Doodlebud Understand. Thanks for the answer.