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Showing results for tags 'dry'.
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When I was young, there were few fountain pens in the shops and even fewer I could afford. I had a few gaily colored plastic cylinders from the Sheaffer NoNonsense range but they felt too light and insubstantial. And I had a couple Parker 25 pens. I was not taken with the form of the nib or the barrel but at least the 25 felt more solid and balanced in my hand. Unfortunately, just like the NoNonsense, the 25 was too dry, with frequent flow problems. Quite often there was little difference between writing with a 25 or a ballpoint pen. Many years and many pens passed until a 25 reappeared among my pens. It was by accident: the 25 was in a lot of 20-odd pens that I bought online. It immediately disappeared in a drawer and resurfaced only recently when I decided to experiment with nib grinding. So, I cleaned and inked it. The first letters I wrote with it brought back all those memories of agony and disappointment. The ink flow was too stingy and the pen was too unresponsive. I went ahead with the grinding, which went well, but turning its nib into a decent CI did little to improve the writing experience. Never one to abandon an underdog, I took out the nib and feed, and tried everything I could to improve flow but for the first time I had to accept defeat. No improvement was noticeable. Even worse, the other pen I used in the grinding experiment, a Parker Vector, wrote so much better both before and after - and the Vector is a pen that seems far less appealing than the 25. The only conclusion I can reach is that the 25 simply hates me but Id like to know why. Was it something I did?
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I have an ebonite eyedropper pen fitted with a Schmidt #5 nib. I topped my pen's tank with Platinum's Carbon Ink. After keeping the pen nib down for about 10 minutes I tried writing a few lines. To my disappointment the nib doesn't seem to put much ink to paper. The letters are faint with portions disappearing altogether. I had run water throught the pen yesterday and allowed it to dry out. No obstruction or any sediment was found within the pen. Could the ink be an issue or is it the nib?
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Suggestions To Prevent Drying Of Ink During Brief Pauses While Writing?
antarmukhee posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
I write relatively long durations, but it is not writing 100% of the time. There will be brief pauses, when I will be reading or reflecting, with pen being held open in hand or resting on desk. It is a distraction to close the pen every time when there is a need for 30 seconds pause in writing. Most of the time, ceiling fan will also be on. Under these circumstances, how can I reduce the drying of ink on the nib as much as possible? Will any choice of type of nib (fine vs broad) or type of ink (dry vs wet) or adjusting ink flow help reduce drying? What do you do in such circumstance? Thanks in advance. -
Since I rotate my 8 pens and my 8 inks, there are many combinations of pen-ink. And then there's the 4 papers which I also rotate. Some combinations work better than others. I'm trying to make sense of this. I ask you to rate the 8 inks and the 8 pens in terms of wetness and dryness. Fountain Pens: Pelikan Souveran M805, Waterman Expert II, Waterman Phileas, Stipula Splash, Sheaffer Sagaris, Sheaffer Prelude, Sheaffer School pen and Sheaffer Cartridge Pen; inks: Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Schwarz (Brilliant Black), Pelikan 4001 Königsblau (Royal Blue), Edelstein Sapphire, Edelstein Onyx, Waterman Encre Bleu (Inspired Blue), Diamine Mediterranean Blue, iroshizuku (Pilot) ama-iro (Sky Blue), Montblanc Mystery Black Is there anything else I should know about these inks? Are there any other inks that belong in my collection? Blue or Black only, please.
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Here's another amberleadavis special. http://extras.ourpatioparty.com/files/7715/9033/4330/African_Violet_001-640p.jpg Forgot to indicate this is Rhodia Dot paper... Chroma seems like a single dye component.... http://extras.ourpatioparty.com/files/5915/9033/4331/African_Violet_Chroma_001-640p.jpg Pretty color, again suitable for spring, and this is the only tested PIF ink which seems at least a bit water-resistant. I don't have many purple or violet inks, but North African Violet seems similar to J Herbin's Violette Pensee. Which stains nothing. Wonder why none of my scans are in focus...
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Hi all, Coming to seek wisdom on a problem I can't solve. A few months ago, I tracked down an old Danitrio Cum Laude. I love almost everything about the pen, but I found that after sitting overnight (or even for a few hours) the nib would be dry and need help to start back up. At first I thought this was a nib/feed issue, but after replacing both, I get exactly the same problem. On doing a little digging, I found that this is a problem on some Cum Laudes. Some apparently don't have an inner cap, which covers the hole where the clip inserts into the cap. But here's the mystery — my Cum Laude does have an inner cap, the usual small black insert. From shining a light through the cap, I was able to determine that my inner cap is not all the way at the back of the outer cap. It sits below the clip hole but above the nib. I'm not sure if this is the proper placement, but I didn't want to try shoving it back farther for fear of damaging the celluloid. Either way, the seal clearly isn't working, because the pen hard starts every time I pick it up. All of which is a long way to ask: is there anything I can do? I'm not an expert repairman, nor do I have much hope of tracking down a fresh cap. With the inner cap in place, I can't even reach the hole from the inside to plug it with sealant. I'm stumped. I'm also sad, because I really like this pen in all other ways. Thanks in advance for any help or insight. I hope everyone is staying healthy and sane — writing by hand has been a source of stability for me these days.
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Dear community, for sure this issue has been discussed somewhere in the 89 pages of this forum. I apologize if I re-propose it again. My "brand" pens, with original unit (feeder and nib), work flawlessly. Great, generous and just the right amount of ink. My "restored" ones don't. Basically they all suffer from poor ink flow. As a user, I buy old pens and I put new feeder and nib. Nibs are the good ones, Knox, Artisan State. Feeders, I never paid too much attention, but I'm now since they all have just one tiny ink drain, and that could possibly cause the dryness. I checked a feeder from a good "brand" pen, and it had 3 drains instead of one. If this is the case, should I look for these multi-drain feeders? I haven't seen them around, where do they sell? Is this "the" solution? I can tell I adjust my nibs, I align the tines, with the correct separation, correct tiny space between nib and feeder for a good ink flow, etc.. so I think I'm ok on that side. Ink wise, I've tried all kind of brands, Montblanc, Private Reserve, Parker, Sheaffer, none gives the flow I need. So it's not an ink problem. Suggestions and help are very welcome. Thank you very much. Vieri
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Are pigmented inks or inks with particles (glitter), wetter or drier than dye based ink (like iroshizuku inks) ? and why so (scientifically) ?
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Is increasing the distance between nib and feed increase or decrease ink flow? Why?(concerned about sailors specifically)
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Kaweco Sport Dries Up And Stops Writing Every Few Pages
antoipod posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
I recently purchased a Kaweco sport classic and have been using it with an included pack of cartridges (Kaweco Caramel brown) for the last week and a half with no issue. After finishing the last of the cartridges I inked the pen up with Diamine Asa Blue using the Kaweco piston converter but I found that the pen would get progressively drier as I wrote and would stop writing after a few pages, needing to have the feed re-primed to get back to writing. I tried flushing the pen and switching to Parker Quink but the problem only got worse so I decided to ditch the converter and refill a cartridge with Quick and have been writing with it all day without any issue so far. I'm wondering if the converter is the issue and how I can fix it? In case its relevant, the pen arrived with a bad case of baby's bottom but I was able to fix that with some micromesh and it is now one of my favorite writers. Edit: Forgot to mention that the feed slit isn't perfectly aligned with the nib slit. I tried to remove the nib and feed to fix that, but it won't budge. -
Dealing With Parker 51 Ink Flow/dryness Issues (The Hard Way)
Nestorvass posted a topic in Repair Q&A
So, I recently bought a Parker 51 from the flea market. It was in a pretty sorry state. I did a complete restoration.After removing the hood, cleaning the feed, collector, breather tube and so on, I went on and replaced the filler unit with a new one. Then I polished the exterior of the pen using a buffer and then some micro-gloss. All good so far. I started to write with the pen. It produced a very wet line and the writing experience was super smooth. Then this happened. After a few sentences the pen started to become very dry and after a bit more the ink flow completely stopped. I waited a bit and then it begun to write again. This was an endless loop. The first thought that crossed my mind was that I am dealing with a not so clean collector. I cleaned it. Still no luck. I tried a new collector. Same...the pen run dry. I tried a new nib, a new hood, a new feed nothing. And then I thought about the way that ink is delivered into the collector. THE BREATHER TUBE. It has a hole on top, which allows the user to fill ink without, removing it every time the filler is pressed. However there was no hole on the bottom (or at least mine didn't), to allow any ink to escape from the barrel and go back to the feed/collector. (In contrast with the aerometric breather tube that has one, for this purpose). This had to be it, there is no other logical explanation, I said to myself. So I picked up a dental hook, heated the end of the hook with a torch , and then opened a tiny hole just above the bottom of the breather tube. (It had to be smaller than the one on top, because if it wasn't then it would defeat the purpose of having a breather tube in the first place, which is to have more ink going in, than going out.) I then reassembled the pen and begun to write. That did the trick, the ink flow is now super consistent and pretty wet (Note that the size of the hole that is opened, determines the wetness of the pen. The smaller, the dryer). For anyone who will ask, no there are no leaks, no ink blots, just a very satisfying wet line. -
I recently bought a Parker 51 Vacumatic. The pen was heavily used. However after, changing the filler unit, the diaphragm, cleaning the collector the breather tube and polishing, the pen looked like new. I was excited and all, filled it with Waterman Serenity Blue and begun writing with it. The line was very wet and the nib quite smooth (I did smooth it at a little). However after a few words the pen started to dry and then the inkflow stopped. I shook it a little, again wet line and after a few words dry. Does, anyone have any idea whats the problem and how can it be fixed. The nib has no baby's bottom, the collector feed and breather tube are super clean the nib is aligned with the feed and the collector slot. The only thing I suspect that may be causing this could be that the breather hole does not have a tiny hole on its side. The aerometric breather tube does so that tiny amounts of ink can flow to the feed. Are vacumatic breather tubes supposed to have a tiny hole on the bottom and the side, like the aerometric? If no is there any other reason I may have missed that causes the nib to run dry? Thanks in advance, Nestor
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My reliable little carry pen is my blue Esterbrook SJ. I have a new check supplier and the paper is even less fountain pen friendly than the last supplier's. I was foolish enough to fill my Estie with Asa Blue, which is VERY WET, and now my fine nib writes like a BBB. I would like to find a nice blue ink (really, I'd like to find the same color as Asa Blue) that is much dryer. I don't think iron gall inks are going to work for my vintage pen which may sit in my purse for days without being written with. Most of the dry inks recommendations I've found are for brown inks -- like Pelikan 4001 Brown, which I have and like .... but is there something BLUE that would work? I've tried writing with black and gray and gray-purple and gray-green and they bore me to death so those are out.
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Platinum Preppy Fine Nib Eyedropper Coverted Best Inks?
Pen90rnAddict posted a topic in Of Nibs & Tines
Hi Awsome Network Bloggers, I am having a bit of a problem with ink drips collecting at the nibs of Platinum Preppy fine point eyedropper converted pens. Of course I have recently enjoyed converting all of the Platinum Preppy's to an eyeropper converted style when the trouble started. They were perfect writers with their own cartridge and ink brand. I'm needing some advice on a middle of the road ink that is not too dry nor too wet I'm thinking. Perhaps some experience with problems concerning Preppy eyedroppers out there. The ink that leaked first was Mont Blanc's Lavendar Purple in the purple converted Preppy which I love...then immediately again in another converted pink Preppy pen with Pilot's Kosumosu. Strangly, the complete opposite was true in the same pen with Diamine's Carnation which was so "dry" I could not get the ink to flow nor the pen to write! I love these pens for basic daily writing because I love the absolute juicyness of that particular fine point, it's cheap so I can test my own mountain of ink without the fear of ruining my expensive pens, and the fact if I lose it I probably won't go crazy looking for it if it gets misplaced but that is most likely not going to happen sadly. I just need to find that sweet spot ink for these pens. Definitely prefer a wet writer, but not so much that after every word I have to tilt the pen up to avoid an ink blot. Could it be the ink level and the air pocket theory are involved here? -
No one seems to have an answer in my other thread so taking another approach. Have you noticed that the trendy black ionized nibs tend to write drier than other nibs? If I try to swap a new black nib with another black nib, am I setting myself up for failure?
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Hello everyone. I'm new to this. Is there a permanent ink that does not clog or dry in the pen (nib?) if the pen is not used for a week or more? And, a permanent ink that flows well, is "wet", and easy to clean out of the pen? If I only use the pen several times a month for check writing, etc, is that enough? I have several Pelicans, a Sailor 1911, and a couple cheapies. Thanks so much for your help. Newbie here. Aloha jim
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Hey Everyone, I've just sent back my Franklin-Christoph medium S.I.G grind in order to exchange for a broad Masuyama italic. Don't get me wrong: the SIG nib was great to write with and I liked it very much; but, since you can't buy Masuyama grinds separately like you can a sig, I've opted for the CI. I'm also interested in learning an italic handwriting script some time, so this makes sense long-term. Now, however, I'm hearing that Masuyama italic grinds are dry writers. One post I've come across was particularly bothersome in that the OP said their f-c Masuyama italic required loads of pressure to write with until they eventually sent it back for a flow adjustment. Moreover, the nib wasn't said to be defective by the F-C team, they just tuned it to what they'd call "wet". I'd imagine that an italic tuned on the drier side would maximize line variation and the integrity of the cross-stroke-- are there any other practical reasons for a CI to write dry? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who regularly write with any form of italic or own steel F-C Masuyama italics. Have yours been dry compared to others? Do they write under their own weight? Having said all that, I'm really not too fond of nibs that are very dry, especially if they're broad. On the other hand, perhaps I should leave this to the expert Mr. Masuyama -- it is, after all, my first hand-ground cursive italic. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance.
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Hi, I received my Pilot Custom 74 (Fine) today. I found that it is very dry without applying pressure, in other words the pen doesn't write on it's own weight. In order to write with it, I need to apply more pressure than I usually do (in comparison with Metropolitan & Sailor 1911, I generally write without applying much pressure on the paper). Since the ink flows well when the two tines are apart under pressure, I suppose the feed works well. I wonder if it is my bad luck or all Pilot #5 fine nibs are like that? Thank you in advance.
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Hi everyone, Does any of you know of a dark, well-behaved, black ink that is common and easy to find and slightly wetter than Pelikan. I don't want anything as wet as say Aurora Black or J. Herbin Perle Noire, although I love those blacks. I just need something that will make my pen work just a little better because I am in between being too wet on some papers and too dry on others. I already tried Noodler's Black so I'm looking for something different. Thank you all very much in advance, 3nding
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Hi I have 2 vanishing points in 18k Rhodium plated, one Medium and one Fine. The Fine one is a bit too thin, too dry, while the Medium is wet and on the broad side for me. Attached is comparison to a Metropolitan MR Medium which I like both as a line thickness and as wetness, crispness. Is there a way to modify the VP nibs to write like the Metropolitan, and how?
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Fountain Pen Doesn't Write For A While After A While Of Not Using
9a3eedi posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
I have a Waterman Expert II that I have been using for the past 5 years. It is an old pen (if I understand correctly, it's made in the late 90s) that has been lying around the house for a while that I've found 5 years ago and started using to write notes during work. I've noticed for a while now that whenever I don't use the pen for a while (say for example a week or two), then try to use it, it would not write until after a bit of trying, like it was dry. At first I felt this was a normal thing about fountain pens (as it was the only fountain pen I had for a while), but then I realized that I haven't had this problem with other (newer) fountain pens that I've purchased recently. I'm trying to figure out why this happens and what I can do to solve it. I suspected it was the nib. It was bent badly at some point (not sure how, probably an accidental drop, or a malicious colleague using my pen while I wasn't looking) so I had it replaced. However, even with the new nib, it still has the same issue. The cap of the pen also doesn't close as well as it used to. It used to snap. Nowadays, it closes, but there's no "click" or snap. It feels loose, but it does look like it closes properly to me. I tried to give it to a shop to repair it, but they said that they couldn't find a replacement part for the cap as it's an old pen. I'm thinking this is likely the reason, but I'm not sure. Perhaps it's the way I'm cleaning it? I only rinse it with water every once in a while, no ammonia. I use the same ink all the time (Noodler's Dark Matter). Could the cap be the reason? If it is, and since I can't replace the cap, should I just "retire" the pen, and use another one as my daily? When I don't use the pen, I keep the pen stored upright (nib pointing upwards) as is recommended by others in this forum. -
Hello again to all my FP friends, I've got two English-made Parker Duofold Juniors from the 1950s, both bought from different sellers in different countries. One has a medium nib and the other a broad oblique stub nib and both are the smoothest nibs imaginable. I mean, ridiculously butter smooth with some nice softness to boot. However, they both have are extremely dry writers that won't write at all unless some pressure is applied. I've tried improving flow by using a brass shim to open up the tines a little and it has helped some, but I'm just wondering if this is a common trait of UK Duofolds. Could the smoothness be related to a baby's bottom issue? Has anyone had similar experiences? If so, what did you do to solve the issue? Thanks!
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Hi, I have a mid 1980s MB that sat unused for decades. I cleaned out the old ink (which took a while) and refilled it, I wrote without any problems but the next day the pen was dry again. I refilled yet again and had the same issue - lovely ink flow until there wasn't any. Is this normal with a pen coming back into use? I contacted MB by email and the response they sent back wasn't very helpful at all. I'd like to use the pen regularly but I don't know why the ink seems to be evaporating. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks.
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I don't think it just me or my Ecos but I have and issue with my eco. I need to prime the feed about every 2-4 pages I write. For example first time in the morning I do is to write essays/text in general and after 2 pages my shading ink is not shading anything and is a lot lighter then my letters are missing some parts like T letters the '-' part or something like that then I screw my piston for a little bit so I forced some more ink to my feed and after a while I have the same problem. I know some others have the same issues but did you guys find a solution to this or just try to deal with it. Btw I write in Rhodia paper with Noodler's Blue-Black Air-Corp. Twsbi Eco M and F nib.
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Hi, I bought a Custom 74 recently, and it was very dry attempting to write on Rhodia paper with Iroshizuku ink. I took it apart, widened the nib tines until I could see light all the way to the tip, made sure that the tines were aligned and tried again. Now the pen writes quite well, when it writes. Unfortunately, it does occasionally hard-start on Rhodia paper, especially on upstrokes and side-strokes. As far as I can tell, it does not have baby's bottom, and the tines are well aligned. I don't want to go to micro mesh if it doesn't need it. When I write on lousy copier paper, it's fine. I'm at my wit's end with this nib. The pen seems perfectly wet so I don't think it's a feed issue. What else could cause this behaviour? Thanks, Mike
