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How to Disassemble and Reassemble Japanese Pocket Pens

(This page published November 1, 2020)

Reference Info Index | Glossopedia  ]


master_pocket_pen sailor_23k_blu
pilot_lady Pilot Volex

As a general rule, disassembling a pen just to clean it, when you are changing inks or taking the pen out of rotation, is ill advised. Taking any pen apart can lead to misalignment of the nib, damage, or the loss of parts that fall into the sink or down to the floor and, obeying the Law of Selective Gravitation, roll or bounce into places from which extricating them can be difficult at best and sometimes impossible. (Kitchen and bathroom sink drains fall into the latter category.)

Note
Note
This article is not a general repair guide. It is limited to disassembly and reassembly only. For repairs beyond the scope of this article, you will need to refer to other sources.

Sometimes, however, such as when you buy a used pen on an auction site and the pen arrives with its interior covered in dried ink and its nib ink-locked in place, there is reason to disassemble it and clean it thoroughly. This situation is most commonly encountered with pens sold on eBay with disclaimers such as “not working, I don’t know anything about pens” or on Japanese sites as “junk,” which means the same thing in fewer words. Disassembly techniques for most ordinary Western pens are fairly well known, but the techniques for Japanese pocket (long/short) pens are often different. This article explains how to work with Japanese pocket pens of the most common types, as illustrated above. Some of the techniques described here are also appropriate for full-length pens with nibs in the same or similar styles.

Tools Required

Materials Required for Pin Spanners (1 Set for Each Spanner)

Supplies Required

Some of the items in the lists above are specifically for cleaning dirty pens. If for some reason you are disassembling a clean pen — a practice which, as noted earlier, is not generally advised — you will not necessarily need these things.

Types of Pocket Pens, Classed by Feed Installation Design

There are two broad classes of Japanese pocket pens, with several subclasses, as listed here:

  1. Feed installed from the front

    There are no subclasses of this type. In all cases, the nib is installed with the feed in much the same manner as with most ordinary modern open-nib pens. The Master pen shown here is typical of this class, which is found in pens made by many lesser manufacturers.

    master_pocket_pen
  2. Feed installed through the back

    There are several subclasses to this type:

    • Semi-hooded nib. Nib clips onto feed and is removed/installed with it. The Sailor pen shown here is typical of this subclass, which is found in the better pens of many manufacturers.

      sailor_23k_blu
    • Open nib (Platinum). Nib protrudes from the flat end of the shell, which has a trim ring. Despite appearances, the nib cannot be removed from the front. The nib clips onto the feed and is removed/installed with it. The pen shown here illustrates this subclass.

      plat_grooved
    • Semi-open or inset nib (Pilot). Nib is removed/installed from the front, separately from the feed. The semi-open nib protrudes through a decorative ring similar to a section trim ring, while the inset nib lies externally along the top of the shell. The pens shown here are examples of this subclass.

      Pilot Volex
      Pilot Elite 95S Pocket Pen
    • Fingernail nib (Pilot). Nib is removed/installed from the front, separately from the feed.

      pilot_lady
Note
Note
This article specifically excludes the Pilot MYU series. With its integral nib and the fragile urushi-covered hard rubber feed that is found in some examples, the MYU is not suited to repair by the general hobbyist.

Making Pin Spanners for Pens with Feeds Installed through the Back

In order to remove the nib and feed from any pen with the feed installed through the back, you must have the correct pin spanner, sometimes called a pin spanner wrench, so that you can remove the threaded collar, or nut, that secures the feed in the shell. The kind of pin spanner that is required for this task has two pins or pegs mounted on opposite sides of the end of a tube that is inserted into the shell to engage notches on the threaded collar in order to unscrew it. Here is a photo of my three pocket-pen pin spanners:

Pin spanners

I do not have dimensions for all of the possible pin spanners that you might need, but I present here the information you will need to make a spanner for Pilot, Platinum, or Sailor pens, as well as several brands for which you can use the same sizes of tools. The following table gives you the sizes for the Big Three pin spanners.


Manufacturer Tubing Diameter Peg Width Peg Length

Pilot " (7.14 mm) 0.047" (1.19 mm) 0.050" (1.27 mm)
Platinum " (6.35 mm) 0.065" (1.65 mm) 0.060" (1.52 mm)
Sailor " (5.56 mm) 0.075" (1.91 mm) 0.040" (1.02 mm)

Each tool requires about 3" (~76 mm) of brass tubing in the diameter indicated in the table above, a 2" (51 mm) length of " (~12.7 mm) dowel, and about 1" ~(25 mm) of steel music wire. Here are the steps to make the tool:

  1. With a drill that is the same diameter as the brass tubing you are using, drill a hole 1" (~25 mm) deep into one end of the dowel.

    Note
    Note
    If you have a machine lathe, even hobby size, your tool will be better and truer than if you have to clamp the dowel in a vise and drill by hand.
  2. Sand the dowel nice and smooth, rounding the corners and edges a little, and drive the brass tubing into the dowel as far as it will go.

  3. With a No 67 (0.032"/0.8 mm) drill, drill a hole crosswise through the dowel and the brass tubing, about " (~6.4 mm) from the end of the dowel in which the tube is installed.

  4. With long-nose pliers, bend the steel wire into a squared-off J shape to make a staple, with one bend about " (~3 mm) from the end and another bend to make the J shape about " (~4.5 mm) wide, and then bevel the short end of the J so that the staple looks like the drawing below. The short end of the staple must be no longer than " (~3 mm):

    staple
  5. Insert the long end of the staple into the hole you drilled in the dowel, and drive the staple through all the way so that the short end penetrates the dowel and the crosswise part of the staple is buried in the surface of the dowel, as shown in the cross-sectional drawing below. Cut off the long end of the staple and grind it flat against the surface of the dowel.

    Pin spanner cross-section
  6. Using a Dremel with cutoff wheels (diamond if possible), cut notches in the exposed end of the brass tube to create the pegs, according to the specifications in the table. Deburr and polish the tubing. Your new pin spanner should look like the drawing and photo below.

    Finished pin spanner
    spanner_end
  7. For the Pilot pin spanner only, bend the pegs about 15° inward.

CAUTION
CAUTION
Before attempting to disassemble any of the pens discussed here, ensure that the pen is as clean as possible inside and out. If it is not, clean it as best you can. Ideally, you should run the shell and nib assembly through an ultrasonic cleaner with Rapido-Eze or a good pen flush. If you do not have an ultrasonic cleaner, you can soak the assembly overnight in pen flush or room-temperature water. Never use hot water for cleaning or soaking pens; the heat cam damage plastic or hard rubber parts.

Disassembling and Reassembling Pens with Feeds Installed from the Front

Pens of this type are simple, and they might be expected to come apart easily, but because they can have semi-hooded nibs with cutaways over the top surface that vary in depth, as shown below, they can present a challenge, especially if they are dirty and ink locked.

feed_front_examples

Disassembly

To disassemble the nib and feed from one of these pens, you do not need to remove the center ring and the threaded ferrule that holds it in place. (Should you have another reason for removing these parts, see Removing the Center Ring and Ferrule below.) The nib and feed are held in position by friction. In order to remove the feed, you must first remove the nib. Because very little of the nib can be grasped, it’s necessary to go at it sideways. First, use your thumb and index finger to push the nib slightly from side to side as shown here to break the stiction and loosen the nib. If the nib absolutely refuses to move, it is ink locked, and further cleaning will be necessary.

wiggling_nib

Once you have the nib freed up enough that it can be moved, apply a small piece of blue painter’s tape to protect the top surface of the nib, and rotate the shell so that you can see the underside of the nib as shown below. With your other hand holding the shell, grasp the nib just behind the tip with smooth-jaw long-nose pliers applied from the side. Be very careful not to grasp the tipping material.

CAUTION
CAUTION
If you grasp on the tipping material, you can easily shatter it, and there is also the possibility that if the tipping material does not shatter, you will mash it, forcing the two tips to rotate. This will ruin the slit. If you try to straighten out the slit, you risk breaking the tipping material off, and even if you can manage to straighten out the damage, the slit will never be the same as it was before.

Carefully begin pulling the nib out of the shell, wiggling it sideways as you pull and using the thumb of the other hand to push from behind. As the nib begins to come out, reduce the amount of wiggle so that you won't push it so far to either side that it crumples.

wiggling_nib

With the nib out, sometimes the feed will come out very easily. If you can’t move it, you should first try further cleaning. If it still won’t come out after additional soaking, you will need to use a dental pick to extract it. In my experience, all of the feeds in pens of this type are made of hard rubber. Heat the tip of a dental pick and then push the tip into the underside of the feed. Do not “dig” at it, just push the dental pick straight in. If the feed has a broad air channel as shown here, that channel is the perfect place to apply the pick. With the pick driven into the hard rubber, you can force the feed out. Often, a push from the thumb of the opposite hand against the pick will help here as it did with the nib.

feed_notchforcing_nib

Once you have the feed out, apply heat to the area where the dental pick scarred it, and almost all of the damage will disappear as the hard rubber returns to its original shape. The less “digging” you did, replying on heat and pure force to seat the dental pick, the better the result will be.

Shown here are the parts of a pen whose feed comes out the front.

front_nib_parts

Reassembly

Reassembling the nib and feed into the pen is straightforward.

Disassembling and Reassembling Pens with Feeds Installed through the Back

The first step in removing the nib and feed from any pen in this class is to remove the center ring and the ferrule as described immediately below. Once you have removed these parts, you can proceed to disassemble the nib and feed from the shell using a pin spanner. Instructions for making a pin spanner are given earlier in this article.

Removing and Reinstalling the Center Ring and Ferrule

For virtually all pocket pens whose feeds must be removed through the back, you must first remove the center ring and the threaded ferrule that secures it in position. I say “virtually” because a few pens, such as the Pilot Volex, have the center ring machined as a single piece with the ferrule. In some few pens, the ferrule appears to be attached to the barrel instead of the section; if your pen is one of these, or if the nib and feed are removed from the front, you are spared the necessity of removing the center ring and ferrule.

Removal

The ferrule can be made of either plastic or plated metal. If it is metal, it is frequently thin enough, as shown here, that grasping it with section pliers can easily crush it. If it is plastic, its thickness is of no concern; it can be crushed.

Thickness of the ferrule

To keep from crushing the ferrule, we press into service, to serve as a mandrel, a drill with its back end inserted through the ferrule into the shell. The inside diameter of the ferrule varies among manufacturers, but it is generally in the range of drill sizes from about J (0.2770"/7.036 mm) to about M (0.2950"/7.493 mm). Choose the largest drill whose back end will pass freely through the ferrule.

Note
Note
In most pocket pens, neither the center ring nor the ferrule is symmetrical from end to end. The end of the center ring adjoining the barrel frequently has a flange that makes it bigger in diameter than the end that adjoins the shell, and the ferrule often has an unthreaded area at the end thet goes into the barrel. Take note of the differences, if there are any, so that when you reassemble the pen, you can install these parts in the right direction.

With the drill inserted into the shell, grasp the shell in one hand, using a rubber gripper square if necessary. Grasp the ferrule with section pliers as shown below, and unscrew it.

removing_ferrule

If the ferrule refuses to unscrew, it is probably glued into the shell. Sailor pens are among the most likely to have the ferrule glued in, but glue does show up in some other brands’ pens. Apply gentle heat to the shell at the end adjoining the center ring.

CAUTION
CAUTION
These pens are made of polystyrene and similar plastics, and too much heat can disfigure the plastic, causing it to shrink or distort. Use great restraint when applying heat.

Test frequently to ensure that you do not overheat the shell, by very briefly touching the heated area to your lower lip. If the shell is uncomfortably hot, it is too hot, and you should let it cool down a little before proceeding. It might be necessary to heat the shell and try to unscrew the ferrule several times before the adhesive will soften enough to let go.

WARNING
WARNING
When you heat the shell, you are applying heat not only to the shell but also to the center ring. When you test the temperature with your lip, there is a risk of burning your lip on the hot metal center ring. Be very careful!

With the ferrule and center ring out of the shell, you can separate these two parts unless they have been made as a single piece. Then check the threads inside the shell and on the end of the ferrule that was in the shell. Use the tip of an X-acto knife, turned so that the sharp edge is away from the pen part, not toward it, to pick or pry loose any remaining adhesive from the threads of both parts. Do not try to cut the adhesive out of the shell or a plastic ferrule; in my experience, this inevitably results in damaged threads.

Reinstallation

To reinstall the center ring and ferrule, reassemble the two parts if necessary, being careful to orient them as they were originally. Screw the ferrule into the shell, ensuring that it is not cross-threaded. Then insert the mandrel/drill into the ferrule, as you did during disassembly, tighten the joint to a firm finger-tight. Too much force can distort or crack the shell. In most pens, the threads are loose enough that the center ring does not naturally line up perfectly on center. If it is off center, loosen the ferrule very slightly, adjust the center ring until it is centered, and tighten the ferrule.

Disassembling and Reassembling Pens with Semi-Hooded and Open Nibs

The semi-open nib (left) is the most common style for pocket pens of better quality. Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Morison, Kumiai, and many other manufacturers of high-quality pens have produced pens with semi-hooded nibs. The open nib (right) is mechanically the same design, but with a flat front to the section and a trim ring mounted around the end of the section as on many ordinary open-nib pens.

semi_hooded_examples

Disassembly

Remove the center ring and ferrule as described above.

Insert the pin spanner into the back of the shell until it touches the threaded collar. Rotate the pin spanner until its pegs fall into the notches in the collar and then, applying gentle pressure to keep the pegs from popping out of the notches, unscrew the collar, turning until you feel and hear a gentle click as the collar runs completely out of the internal threads in the shell. If the collar will not turn under a reasonable application of pressure, the assembly is ink locked and needs further cleaning. Once you have freed the collar, remove the pin spanner and upend the shell over your work surface. If the collar does not fall out, shock it a little by striking the work surface with the heel of your hand while holding the shell so that it does not hit the work surface. Repeated strokes like this should knock the collar loose.

In some pens, there is a metal washer between the collar and the rubber seal that prevents ink from leaking back into the shell from the area where the feed is located. This washer, if present, might also fall out when the collar comes; but it might also be stuck to the rubber seal and refuse to fall out.

Hold the shell in your weaker hand. With your stronger hand, using a rubber gripper square, place the thumb on the underside of the feed and the index finger on the top surface of the shell. Push the nib and feed into the shell together. If they do not move, they might be ink locked, or they might simply be held in place by the stiction between the rubber seal and the bore of the shell. Push firmly, being careful to avoid stabbing your thumb with the tip of the nib. If this does not loosen things, try further cleaning. Eventually, the nib and feed will come loose, and you can push or shake them free so that they fall out of the shell.

In Sailor pens, there is no metal washer. Projecting from the front end of the collar is a boss (an area of smaller diameter) onto which the rubber seal fits, and the seal might have stuck to the collar. If not, the seal will be stuck to the back surface of the feed.

If there was a metal washer that did not fall out, it will be stuck to the back surface of the rubber seal. Pry it loose for cleaning.

Not all rubber seals are symmetrical from front to back, and even those that are symmetrical might have an impression on one side where the feed or collar pressed into the seal. Take note of the direction in which the seal is installed, then remove the seal from the back of the feed or the front of the collar, as appropriate. Slide the nib off the front end of the feed. Sometimes, the nib will be held firmly enough that you will need to loosen it by carefully slipping the tip of an X-acto knife between the back end of the nib and the plastic ridge that is immediately behind it on the feed and prying gently.

Here are the parts of a typical semi-hooded-nib assembly, in this case the dark blue Sailor shown above:

semi_hooded_nib_parts

Reassembly

Reinstall the nib on the feed. If the pen is a Sailor, replace the rubber seal on the boss at the front of the collar in the same orientation it had before you took it out of the pen; otherwise, reinstall the seal on the back of the feed, also taking note of orientation. If there was a metal washer, install it on the back end of the feed after the seal is in place. Slide the collar onto the feed.

Grasp the feed gently by its back end using the hemostat. Align the nib with the top surface of the shell, and install the feed assembly into the shell from the back, pushing it gently forward until the nib protrudes from the front opening. Remove the hemostat and insert the pin spanner into the shell, rotating it until the pegs fall into the notches on the collar. Screw the collar home, tightening it firmly finger tight. Do not crank it down as hard as you can; too much pressure can break the collar or split the shell.

Reinstall the center ring and ferrule as described above.

Disassembling and Reassembling Pens with Semi-Open and Inset Nibs

Both of these Pilot styles have nibs that are installed or removed from the front. Otherwise, they are mechanically similar to semi-hooded and open nibs.

semi_hooded_examples

Disassembly

Remove the center ring and ferrule as described above.

Insert the pin spanner into the back of the shell until it touches the threaded collar. Rotate the pin spanner until its pegs fall into the notches in the collar and then, applying gentle pressure to keep the pegs from popping out of the notches, unscrew the collar, turning until you feel and hear a gentle click as the collar runs completely out of the internal threads in the shell. If the collar will not turn under a reasonable application of pressure, the assembly is ink locked and needs further cleaning. Once you have freed the collar, remove the pin spanner and upend the shell over your work surface. If the collar does not fall out, shock it a little by striking the work surface with the heel of your hand while holding the shell so that it does not hit the work surface. Repeated strokes like this should knock the collar loose.

Hold the shell in your weaker hand. With your stronger hand, using a rubber gripper square, place the thumb on the underside of the feed and the index finger on the top surface of the shell. Push the feed into the shell by itself, allowing it to slide against the nib. If it does not move, it might be ink locked, or it might simply be held in place by the stiction between the rubber seal and the bore of the shell. Push firmly, being careful to avoid stabbing yourself with the tip of the nib if your finger should happen to slip. If this does not loosen things, try further cleaning. Eventually, the feed will come loose, and you can push or shake it free so that it falls out of the shell.

The nib is attached to the shell by folded-under “wings” that run in grooves on the sides of the shell. The removal procedure differs slightly for the two styles:

Remove the rubber or plastic seal from the back of the feed..

Here are the parts of a typical semi-open-nib assembly. Note that this pen, a Volex, has a top hat-shaped plastic seal instead of rubber, and that its center ring and ferrule are a single piece:

semi_open_nib_parts

Reassembly

If the pen has an inset nib, apply a " (1.5 mm) dot of G-S Hypo Cement to the underside of the nib at the back, where it will fit into the recessed area of the shell. Semi-open nibs do not require any adhesive.

Reinstall the nib on the shell by fitting the nib’s wings into the grooves on the sides of the shell and then pushing the nib on until it snaps into position. If it is an inset nib, make sure that the back end seats properly in the shell’s recessed area, press it down gently to ensure a good adhesive bond, secure it with a length of blue painter’s tape, and leave the assembly for a couple of hours to allow the adhesive to dry.

Pilot rubber seals are slightly conical from front to back. If the pen has a rubber seal, reinstall the rubber seal on the back of the feed, sliding it on with the smaller-diameter end first. If the seal is a top hat-shaped plastic one, slide it onto the back of the feed with the brim first. Slip the collar onto the feed.

Grasp the feed gently by its back end using the hemostat. Align the feed’s top surface with the top surface of the shell, and install the feed assembly into the shell from the back, pushing it gently forward until the feed protrudes from the front opening, under the nib. Remove the hemostat and insert the pin spanner into the shell, rotating it until the pegs fall into the notches on the collar. Screw the collar home, tightening it firmly finger tight. Do not crank it down as hard as you can; too much pressure can break the collar or split the shell.

Reinstall the center ring and ferrule as described above.

Disassembling and Reassembling Pens with Fingernail Nibs

This aesthetically pleasing design was unique to Pilot. In addition to the smooth contour of the front of the shell, it also has the advantage that the concealed feed cannot deposit ink on the user’s fingers or clothes.

Fingernail nib example

Disassembly

Remove the center ring and ferrule as described above.

The nib and feed are held in position by friction. In order to remove the feed, you must first remove the nib. Because very little of the nib can be grasped, it’s necessary to go at it sideways. First, use your thumb and index finger to push the nib slightly from side to side to break the stiction and loosen the nib. If the nib absolutely refuses to move, it is ink locked, and further cleaning will be necessary.

Once you have the nib freed up enough that it can be moved, apply a small piece of blue painter’s tape to protect the top surface of the nib, and rotate the shell so that you can see the underside of the nib as shown below. With your other hand holding the shell, grasp the nib just behind the tip with smooth-jaw long-nose pliers applied from the side. Be very careful not to grasp the tipping material.

CAUTION
CAUTION
If you grasp on the tipping material, you can easily shatter it, and there is also the possibility that if the tipping material does not shatter, you will mash it, forcing the two tips to rotate. This will ruin the slit. If you try to straighten out the slit, you risk breaking the tipping material off, and even if you can manage to straighten out the damage, the slit will never be the same as it was before.

Carefully begin pulling the nib out of the shell, wiggling it sideways as you pull and using the thumb of the other hand to push from behind. As the nib begins to come out, reduce the amount of wiggle so that you won't push it so far to either side that it crumples.

wiggling_nib
CAUTION
CAUTION
When the nib comes off, you will see a slot in which there is a small piece of open-cell foam. This foam is a critical part of the ink delivery system. Do not remove or disrupt it.
feed_foam

Insert the pin spanner into the back of the shell until it touches the threaded collar. Rotate the pin spanner until its pegs fall into the notches in the collar and then, applying gentle pressure to keep the pegs from popping out of the notches, unscrew the collar, turning until you feel and hear a gentle click as the collar runs completely out of the internal threads in the shell. If the collar will not turn under a reasonable application of pressure, the assembly is ink locked and needs further cleaning. Once you have freed the collar, remove the pin spanner and upend the shell over your work surface. If the collar does not fall out, shock it a little by striking the work surface with the heel of your hand while holding the shell so that it does not hit the work surface. Repeated strokes like this should knock the collar loose.

Grasp the back end of the feed using the hemostat. With the nib out, pressure has been removed from the feed, and you should be able to pull the feed out of the shell. It might require a firm pull. If the feed refuses to come out, it is ink locked, and further cleaning will be necessary. The feed is plastic with an inner feed of hard rubber, and you can use a No 47 or smaller drill to drive out the center feed for thorough cleaning. The orientation of the center feed within the feed is important, and it will be described later, during the reassembly phase.

Pilot rubber seals are slightly conical from front to back. If the pen has a rubber seal, reinstall the rubber seal on the back of the feed, sliding it on with the smaller-diameter end first. If the seal is a top hat-shaped plastic one, slide it onto the back of the feed with the brim first. Slip the collar onto the feed.

Here are the parts of the fingernail-nib assembly:

Fingernail nib parts

Reassembly

Reinstall the center feed in the main feed. The center feed has one fissure that extends the full length of the center feed and one fissure that extends only part of the way. The end of the center feed with two fissures goes at the front of the main feed, and the center feed’s flat side aligns with the notch at the front end of the feed, as shown by the green highlight here:

feed_flat

Position the center feed so that approximately the same amount protrudes from each end of the main feed.

Pilot rubber seals are slightly conical from front to back. Reinstall the seal on the back of the feed, sliding it on with the smaller-diameter end first.

Grasp the feed gently by its back end using the hemostat. Orient the feed with the shell so that the feed’s full-length air channel is aligned with the underside of the shell, and install the feed assembly into the shell from the back, pushing it gently forward until it stops. If necessary, rotate the feed one way or the other until the front end of the feed falls into the cavity at the front of the shell. Check through the nib opening in the top of the feed to ensure that the feed has seated all the way in, as shown in the photo below:

feed_flat

Next, using the hemostat, insert the threaded collar. Remove the hemostat and insert the pin spanner into the shell, rotating it until the pegs fall into the notches on the collar. Screw the collar gently home; do not tighten it all the way yet.

Install the nib from the front, aligning it with the opening in the shell. Position the nib as shown below. It is not critical to get the nib exactly as shown, but it should be close, and it should not be farther in than shown. Now tighten the feed firmly finger tight. Do not crank it down as hard as you can; too much pressure can break the collar or split the shell. Pressure from the feed holds the nib in place.

nib_stop

Reinstall the center ring and ferrule as described above.


The information in this article is as accurate as possible, but you should not take it as absolutely authoritative or complete. If you have additions or corrections to this page, please consider sharing them with us to improve the accuracy of our information. My thanks to Mike Kennedy and David Rzeszotarski for their usual fine job as editors.

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