For years, in addition to carrying my trusty iCroScope, I’d also been using a really comfortable handheld illuminated magnifier at pen shows, and it always draws questions from dealers and other collectors. I am now able to supply these handy devices.

The magnifier is well-constructed of aluminum, with screw joints, not mere press-fit construction, and the lens provides about 8X magnification. The handle contains a pair of AA batteries which power not one but three white LEDs to give bright, even lighting of the subject, which is particularly useful in those dark and dusty antique stores (and at some pen shows!). The lens assembly has an integral graticule at the focus distance, allowing measurement of details in either millimeters or fractions of an inch — a handy feature when sizing up nibs. And because the focus distance is coplanar with the front of the magnifier, you can simply place it flat on a page to measure the stroke width of a writing sample. The head has a rubberized coating, and I can attest to the fact that the whole unit wears extremely well — I’ve had mine for at least a decade and it looks great and works perfectly.

The magnifier comes in a padded, fitted zipper case as shown, and I’ll throw in the batteries — good ones — so you can get started as soon as you receive it.

iCroScope Senior is $30 plus $8 shipping in the US. Please inquire for other destinations or shipping methods. As with the original iCroScope, I do not stock large quantities, so there may be a bit of a wait for one.

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Use this contact form to ask about the iCroScope Senior; it will automatically include the item’s name as the subject, so you don’t need to put that in your message:

Many years ago, I jury-rigged a removable magnifier onto my iPhone 3’s camera so that I could use it as a digital loupe at the DC Pen Show that year. I thought it would be useful so that I could not only look at pens close-up, but I could also share what I was seeing with others at the same time, and I could capture those images, too.

The late Maryann Zucker, pen dealer and appreciator, saw my setup and urged me to develop it further and to offer it to other collectors. I took her advice, and the result was the iCroScope. My original prototype used a suction cup, but the version I’m offering now uses a magnet, and it works with most current mobile phones.

There are now many add-ons available for using cell phone cameras as mini-microscopes, but I have tried lots of them and in my opinion, the lens set I sell has the finest optics of any such kit I’ve examined. The lenses are all glass, not plastic, and the images on the screen, and in the captured photos, look terrific.

Here’s the system in use with an iPhone 6 Plus, along with a sample crop from an image. The picture is completely unretouched except for the cropping; click on it to see the full-resolution version.

Here are a few more samples. These were taken a few years ago with the relatively modest camera on the iPhone 4, so they will not have the quality or magnification possible with more modern devices, but they give an idea of what’s possible. Click on the images to view larger versions.

The iCroScope is $25. First Class shipping is $3 to US destinations, and $15 internationally. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery, as stock levels vary considerably.

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Use the form below if you’d like to send me a question about this item.

This tool was designed to break loose the metal liners of Sheaffer pens from the ’40s and ’50s. Those sleeves are press fit and cemented in, and they are very difficult to remove. Unfortunately, this tool was unsuccessful, but it was really nice-looking, so I was happy anyway. They can’t all be home runs.

You can send a private note to me using the form below. The message I’ll receive will automatically include a reference to the item on this page.

An inner cap wrench is essential in order to immobilize the inner cap when unscrewing the jewel and clip bushing of a Parker “51”. My version of this tool doesn’t differ significantly from the style used by Parker repairpeople. Rather than a wooden handle, I make the wrench from a single piece of aircraft aluminum and I form and knurl the integral handle; I also provide a slip-on sponge rubber grip (now shown) for those with more tender digits (ok, I use that version).

I am not accepting orders for this tool at this time, but that might change in the future.

You can send a private note to me using the form below. The message I’ll receive will automatically include a reference to the item on this page.

These tools are designed to clean and re-face the tapered seat inside the barrel of a Parker pen that uses the Vacumatic filling system. The diaphragm in such a pen is clamped between the seat in the barrel and the tapered bushing that rides on the shaft of the filler unit, and those joints need to be perfect seals, so it is essential that the tapered seat be free of any old diaphragm or cement residue, and that it have a smooth, uninterrupted surface. My seat reamers have hardened, tapered cutting flutes with just the right amount of relief behind the cutting edges to take a very slight shaving with some pressure, allowing both the cleanup of the seat and some re-cutting as needed. The reamers are made in three sizes, which covers all the Vacumatic filler sizes made.

Here are two sets of reamers with two different styles of handles. Each of these sets is presently owned by a prominent pen restorer.

I am not accepting orders for this tool at this time, but that might change in the future.

You can send a private note to me using the form below. The message I’ll receive will automatically include a reference to the item on this page.