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• The sack hard and dry.
• Sacks are almost always replaceable
  
  The piston is dry and will not move or suck up ink.
  
  
• If the piston is made of cork, find a cork washer. If it is a ring [as in a Sheaffer]it can be replaced. If it is a washer as in an Onoto then it will be difficult to find a replacement
  
  The plunger is dry and will not move or suck up ink.
  
  Montblanc and Pelikan plungers can be renewed, but Conklin Nozak plungers are difficult to replace
  
  The cap lip is cracked.
  
  If the material is not too rare, this can be repaired [at a high cost], although putting the cap on the barrel end just once may break a glued split.
  
  The cap itself is cracked. This is difficult to repair
  
  The barrel treads are cracked. This is difficult to repair, expensive and requires professional help. The threads may be carried further up the barrel and the whole been shortened, or new threads may be machined on.
  
  The lever is broken. A replacement is usually necessary, and will be moderately expensive
  
  The clip is broken. Replacement clips can often be found
  
  The clip has sprung away from the cap. It can be.bent back if it has not split
  
  There is a burn mark on the pen. Holes can occasionally be filled. price should be negotiated down substantially
  
  The plastic is crazed. The end of Watermans Hundred Year Pens can be replaced, but the problem is usually terminal with LeBoeufs and Wahl Eversharp Dorics
  
  The cap will not screw on. Check the threads for cracks but wear is usually the cause. Threads can sometimes be built up or the barrel threads expanded to give a better fit
  
  The nib is split or the iridium has broken off. Splits can be welded together and new iridium can be welded on, although this is specialized work that can only be undertaken by professionals. The repaired nib may still be prone to splitting
  
  The nib is bent. Nibs can be straightened
  
  The barrel is distorted especially around the lever. This is most likely on fairly cheap pens. The problem is not curable
  
  The plastic is discoloured. This is unlikely to be ink staining, although it is worth checking. There is no known repair
  
  Black hard rubber has turned Brown. The rubber can be published and cleaned.
  
  The nib will not come out of a safety pen. If it is often merely jammed, but be extremely careful not to break the spiral while you are releasing it.
  
  Nib on a safety Ken flops in and out. The spiral is broken. It is unlikely that this can be repaired permanently, and replacements are difficult to find unless, of course, it is a common make
  
  The filigree is broken.
  
  This is usually irreparable. It is rarely possible to take off filigree from a spare pen to replace another one
  
  An abilone panel is cracked.
  
  The whole panel may be replaceable, or the cracked panel may be minimized if it is removed and cleaned

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