| However, galalith was not very successful and was quickly abandoned with the advent of [[celluloid]]. Its porosity in fact makes it strongly hygroscopic, with the tendency to expand with humidity, which leads to problems of mechanical stability. Even worse, again for this characteristic, its resistance to ink, which tends to produce permanent stains. In addition, immersion in water (even for just a few hours) involves an expansion (up to 10%) and a softening of the material, with destructive consequences as a subsequent drying it will lose its original shape. Finally, with time the material tends to present cracks (usually they occur for long exposure to light and are believed to be caused by changes in moisture) that are only apparently superficial and can not be removed. | | However, galalith was not very successful and was quickly abandoned with the advent of [[celluloid]]. Its porosity in fact makes it strongly hygroscopic, with the tendency to expand with humidity, which leads to problems of mechanical stability. Even worse, again for this characteristic, its resistance to ink, which tends to produce permanent stains. In addition, immersion in water (even for just a few hours) involves an expansion (up to 10%) and a softening of the material, with destructive consequences as a subsequent drying it will lose its original shape. Finally, with time the material tends to present cracks (usually they occur for long exposure to light and are believed to be caused by changes in moisture) that are only apparently superficial and can not be removed. |
| For all these reasons, with the exception of [[Conway Stewart]] who continued to produce pens in this material until the 1930s, in the mid 1920s galalith was totally abandoned in favor of [[celluloid]], which, combined with the fragility of the material that makes them difficult to preserve, has meant that pens made with it, in particular [[Sheaffer]] and [[Parker]], are very rare. | | For all these reasons, with the exception of [[Conway Stewart]] who continued to produce pens in this material until the 1930s, in the mid 1920s galalith was totally abandoned in favor of [[celluloid]], which, combined with the fragility of the material that makes them difficult to preserve, has meant that pens made with it, in particular [[Sheaffer]] and [[Parker]], are very rare. |