Broken 149 Feed?

[opie2]

Hi All,

I was photographing my just aquired 149 when I noticed that one of the feed parts had a small crack in it. It does not affect the pens quality of laying down ink. Is this a common thing? Does it affect the value in any way? can it/should it be fixed? I've attached a photo. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[opie2]

It's the 9th on top

[Barry Gabay]

No impact on performance. Have had it happen once or twice.

[Paul Raposo]

I've got a 149 with ebonite feed, with one of the fins completely broken off, and that's never bothered the nib in the least. From what I've read here, these ebonite feeds are pretty robust.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Paul Raposo

[opie2]

Thanks! Guess I won't worry. :clap1:

Edited October 6, 2012 by opie2

[CS388]

Got exactly the same issue on my 146 (1970s/1980s?)

 

It's been like that for over a year now, and the fin still hasn't broken off, despite robust daily use.

 

I expect it will come away eventually, but there is no impact on performance at all. It's an excellent writer.

 

Enjoy, with peace of mind.

[peter pen]

Ebonite feed seems to have that in common, though?

[CS388]

27th October.

Three weeks since I was bragging of my sturdy 146 feed fin, in this very thread.

It's now gone.

 

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/shoulderhead/146feedfingone.jpg

 

Happy to confirm earlier posters: it's made no difference to performance, whatsoever.

Used daily and I only noticed it was gone, instead of loose, during a weekend flush. (If you'll pardon my expression)

 

Photo for technical description, rather than any aesthetic quality. (Taken with an iphone and a loupe)

 

Enjoy!

[stevlight]

That will not affect the performance. If you sent it in for repair to MB they would replace it with a plastic feed. Keep the ebonite feed.

[Pen Nut]

What actual function do the fins perform?

[hari317]

What actual function do the fins perform?

I think they do a good job of tamper detection , like someone attempting to "pull" the nib and feed out of a Montblanc.

[Pen Nut]

What actual function do the fins perform?

I think they do a good job of tamper detection , like someone attempting to "pull" the nib and feed out of a Montblanc.

 

Ok but what other job do they do?

[CS388]

What actual function do the fins perform?

I think they do a good job of tamper detection , like someone attempting to "pull" the nib and feed out of a Montblanc.

 

Nice one!

 

I wonder if I may have caused this damage myself by careless or hurried capping of the pen - ie catching or knocking the feed on the cap lip.

[hari317]

What actual function do the fins perform?

I think they do a good job of tamper detection , like someone attempting to "pull" the nib and feed out of a Montblanc.

 

Ok but what other job do they do?

 

making the ebonite feed an expensive item to manufacture since these fins have to be machined from rod stock? so the management decides to switch to cheaper injection molded plastic feeders?

 

Seriously, they act as capillary spaces to buffer the excess ink and prevent the excess ink from blotting on to the paper...

[Pen Nut]

What actual function do the fins perform?

I think they do a good job of tamper detection , like someone attempting to "pull" the nib and feed out of a Montblanc.

 

Ok but what other job do they do?

 

making the ebonite feed an expensive item to manufacture since these fins have to be machined from rod stock? so the management decides to switch to cheaper injection molded plastic feeders?

 

Seriously, they act as capillary spaces to buffer the excess ink and prevent the excess ink from blotting on to the paper...

 

Thank you. Holding areas for too much ink situations, poss after filling, then.

[hari317]

Thank you. Holding areas for too much ink situations, poss after filling, then.

 

Imagine the feed's several fins as a sponge that holds the excess ink.

 

Excess ink from where: Excess ink output caused by temperature and ambient pressure changes affecting the volume of air inside the ink reservoir(barrel).

 

After filling you are supposed to *clear* this buffer by relieving some drops back to bottle, pointing the nib up and sucking the ink held in the feeder fins back into the reservoir by completely retracting the piston. also the remaining ink in the feed should be wicked away using a cotton cloth.

 

If you miss this step after filling, your ink sponge(feed fins) will be already *saturated* and will NOT be able to absorb the additional ink coming out of the barrel due to ambient temp/pressure changes, leading to overflow onto paper or into the cap.

 

So No, the fins are not designed to hold the excess ink caused due to the action of filling the pen through the nib-feed.

 

Hari

[Pen Nut]

Get it now.....thanks for taking time to explain it in such a way that even I can grasp it ! :embarrassed_smile:

[Rowbo]

The fins are obviously for cooling purposes ... else the ink could boil when writing very quickly.

[hari317]

The fins are obviously for cooling purposes ... else the ink could boil when writing very quickly.

They also prevent ink dryout by helping keep the pen cool.

[Inked]

The fins are obviously for cooling purposes ... else the ink could boil when writing very quickly.

 

 

So I guess the pens designed by Ferrai should have extra large fins with air dams that breathe out the end of the barrel.

 

Inked.