Pen Repair Q&A
January 2026 Update: Our workshop is operating as normal and our current turnaround on repairs is four weeks
We've specialised in servicing and repairing pens, ballpens and pencils since the mid 1990s. All repair work is carried out in our own workshop and guaranteed for 12 months
Fountain Pen Repairs - Basics
- If you need a fountain pen repairing, send it to us with your contact details and a brief note of the problem
- We will check it over and send you a detailed written quote by Royal Mail. We do not email quotes
- If you're happy with the quote, you can arrange payment (cheque, card details etc) or preferably pay online. We go ahead with the work and return your pen to you as soon as we can. Turnaround times are regularly updated on our website
Packaging and posting - Putting the pen in an old glasses case inside a padded envelope provides great protection! Include any other pens or pencils you would like us to look at
- Do NOT send pens in ordinary paper envelopes as these are regularly chewed up by Royal Mail's machinery
- Use Royal Mail Special Delivery which is trackable and insured
- Do not forget to include your name and postal address for our quote and the return of the pen
If you are unsure of anything, please contact us here or phone us
Turnaround times are updated each month at the top of this page. All repairs are completed in our own workshop, and you can speak directly to the specialist who will be working on your pen
Please note that we do not repair products from a number of manufacturers including Montblanc, Pelikan, Lamy, Cross, Omas, Rotring or pens branded for jewellers or retailers (eg Burberry, Dunhill, Tiffany, Cartier etc). The pen companies have their own service departments whose contact details can be found on the internet
Repairs should be sent to:
Battersea Pen Home, PO Box 295, Hexham NE46 9HS
This is a Royal Mail PO Box at the Royal Mail Delivery Office in Hexham. We sign for everything on collection.
Do not use a courier as Royal Mail do not accept courier deliveries
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some detailed answers to questions we are frequently asked.
Are we qualified to repair your pen?
We have been repairing pens for over thiry years and are recommended by major manufacturers such as Parker, Waterman and Sheaffer UK. We service all the pens we sell and have also repaired over 24,000 customers' pens. These pens date from as early as the 1890s but most are from the 1930s-1990s
If your pen is less than about 10 years old, you need to return it direct to the manufacturer's service department as they will still hold the parts for it. The pen can be routed to the manufacturer through any authorized high street retailer
We specialise in fountain pens and only repair ballpoints and pencils made by the principal pen manufacturers such as Parker, Waterman etc and for which we still have parts available
We do not repair products from a number of manufacturers including Montblanc, Pelikan, Lamy, Cross, Omas, Rotring or pens branded for jewellers or retailers (eg Burberry, Dunhill, Tiffany, Cartier etc). The pen companies have their own service departments whose contact details can be found on the internet
Which pens do we repair?
We offer a full repair and refurbishment service for most vintage fountain pens. We may be able to help with pencils and ballpoints made by the main pen manufacturers
We have extensive experience of repairing vintage pens with a focus on Parkers including Duofolds (1920s on), Vacumatics (1930s), Button fillers, 17, 25, 45, 51, 61, 75 (1950s-80s) and other manufacturers such as De La Rue Onoto, Conway Stewart, Mabie Todd (Swan and Blackbird), Sheaffer, Waterman and smaller English makes such as Burnham, Wyvern, Summit and Stephens
We also have an extensive stock of original spare parts, particularly for the Parker 51. We work on lever fillers, piston fillers, leverless models, plungers and most kinds of filling system for which parts remain available.
We no longer work on Mabie Todd Visofils, Sheaffer vacuum fillers and some other systems for which sourcing consumables has become difficult so it's always best to check with us before sending anything into us
We do not repair products from a number of manufacturers including Montblanc, Pelikan, Lamy, Cross, Omas, Rotring or pens branded for jewellers or retailers (eg Burberry, Dunhill, Tiffany, Cartier etc). The pen companies have their own service departments whose contact details can be found on the internet
What happens when we have sent my pen to you?
On receiving your pen, we will send you a written quotation by Royal Mail usually within a day or two. This will detail the costs of servicing, any spare parts required and return insured postage and packaging together with information on your pen's model, age and valuation for insurance replacement purpose
If we think that your pen is beyond economic repair, then we will advise you of this
If you'd like us to continue with the work, you then send us a cheque or pay online. If not, then we will return your pen to you. Once we have received your payment, work on your pen will be completed as soon as possible: turnaround time is updated monthly at the top of this page
We return pens using Royal Mail Special Delivery which is insured and trackable. For shipments outside the UK, we use Royal Mail International Tracked.
Service/repair/nib fitting prices start from £25 plus return p&p
A basic service for a pen with a rubber sac (eg button filler, lever filler, push-knob filler, Swan Leverless type of pen) is £35-£50 plus any parts which we will specify in our quotation. Most Parker pen repairs are in the £35-50 range plus parts
A basic service for other filling systems (eg an Onoto piston filler, pneumatic filler, Sheaffer Snorkel/Touchdown, Parker Vacumatic etc) is £40-75.
Additional charges are made for nib work
Turnaround time is usually around 4 weeks
I live outside the UK - Can I send my pen to you?
Due to difficulties with import duties and taxes, we only accept repairs from customers in the UK. If you live elsewhere, we may be able to suggest a local repairer. There are some suggestions here
Make sure it is securely packaged in a padded envelope and use the Royal Mail's Special Delivery Service at the Post Office. This service is trackable and insured. Our address is:
Battersea Pen Home
PO Box 295
Hexham
NE46 9HS
We operate only by post - you cannot deliver your pen to us personally.
What happens if you can't repair my pen?
We will advise you of the problem and we will pay for the return insured postage.
It therefore doesn't cost you anything if we are unable to repair your pen.
Yes, when we service a pen, we expect it to give good, reliable service for a reasonable period of time. We therefore undertake to re-service free of charge any pen which, for any reason related to the original work, fails to function satisfactorily within twelve months from the service date.
Do we sell spare parts, pencil leads or ink sacs?
Any parts and spares we have available are listed on this website. We do not have other parts available for sale.