Leaky Danitrio Takumi Mystery

[Jadie]

Hello all,

 

I recently acquired a Danitrio Takumi (lovely EEF nib!) with an included Danitrio catridge convertor. So far, so good.

 

Problem is, I've discovered that ink tends to leak out of the convertor into the barrel every time I use the pen. I'm pretty sure I've inserted the convertor in correctly---it doesn't fall out and doesn't feel loose (though it does move if I try to spin/screw it)----so I'm at a loss as to what could be the problem. There are no cracks or holes in the convertor as far as I can tell.

 

Anyways, I switched to a different Danitrio convertor yesterday (and changed the ink) and set the pen on my desk, horizontally, overnight.

 

This morning I took the pen downstairs in my pocket, unscrewed the barrel to check the inside and saw ink on the outside of the convertor again!

 

I'm going to try regular ink cartridges next and barring that, maybe use the whole pen as an eyedropper (since the threads are so ink-tight that none of the leaked ink ever escapes the barrel).

 

In the meantime, does anyone have any clue what I could be doing wrong?

[hari317]

I think you are on the right track to debug the problem. Try cartridges and let us know what you find.

 

Are you sure the barrel is completely clean mybe dried ink in there getting mixed with condensate and appearing as ink.

 

or maybe the nipple area of the section is damaged or maybe the converter orifice area is damaged, or maybe the nib-feeder-sleeve is cracked... lots of possibilities.

[efchem]

I actually have this problem with an unrelated pen and I found the problem was that the nib unit housing was cracked. Ink then leaks into the section. The nib unit must seal well in the section if you do not see ink around the nib housing. I am not sure if Dani nibs are a unit that can be easily unscrewed like Pelikan and Edison.

 

Hopefully that is not your problem.

[Jadie]

Update: tried with a Kaweco cartridge today. Same issue. I suspect these convertors aren't "fat" enough to make a watertight fit in the nib section. ;_;

 

When ink runs out, I'll try eyedropper-converting it next.

[Mesu]

  On 7/30/2013 at 3:30 AM, Jadie said:

Update: tried with a Kaweco cartridge today. Same issue. I suspect these convertors aren't "fat" enough to make a watertight fit in the nib section. ;_;

 

 

Shouldn't the converter that came with the pen be a good fit and not leak ink?

 

My thoughts are the same as Hari and efchem. Some problem with the feeder or nib unit.

 

How about contacting Danitiro about the problem?

[Jadie]

  On 7/30/2013 at 8:54 AM, Mesu said:

 

Shouldn't the converter that came with the pen be a good fit and not leak ink?

 

My thoughts are the same as Hari and efchem. Some problem with the feeder or nib unit.

 

How about contacting Danitiro about the problem?

 

Do Danitrio convertors usually move in the section after you screw them in? I don't mean move as in "wobbling around", but move as in "if I try to rotate the convertor 360 degrees, it will turn without resistance". That's one reason why I'm wondering if they gave me an extra-large nib section in the Takumi.

 

My Visconti Rembrandt, which uses a Visconti convertor, screws in nice and tight and doesn't move afterwards. Nor does it leak.

 

But I'll take your advice and contact Danitrio about it. I just need to find time to take some "before and after" pictures with the convertor/ink so I can better explain the issue at hand.

 

This is a bit depressing. I bought a Danitrio before, which had ink starvation issues, so I sold it. I fixed the starvation issues with this one by putting a little ball in the convertor to break up surface tension, and I get leaking issues instead. =/

 

Still, I love their nibs, so I'll try to solve the mystery first.

[Simius]

  On 7/31/2013 at 3:01 AM, Jadie said:

 

Do Danitrio convertors usually move in the section after you screw them in? I don't mean move as in "wobbling around", but move as in "if I try to rotate the convertor 360 degrees, it will turn without resistance".

 

 

The converter in my pen moves around quite easily - without any resistance. I've wondered why the fit is not tighter.

[Mesu]

  On 7/31/2013 at 3:01 AM, Jadie said:

 

Do Danitrio convertors usually move in the section after you screw them in? I don't mean move as in "wobbling around", but move as in "if I try to rotate the convertor 360 degrees, it will turn without resistance". That's one reason why I'm wondering if they gave me an extra-large nib section in the Takumi.

 

I don't have any experience with Danitrio pens but my general understanding is the converter should be a firm (neednt be tight) fit so that the ink doesn't escape. I have many pens with cartridge converter system and in all of them the converter fit ranges from firm to tight.

 

But I'll take your advice and contact Danitrio about it. I just need to find time to take some "before and after" pictures with the convertor/ink so I can better explain the issue at hand.

 

That would be the best option as the people at their service centre would have a better idea about what is amiss.

 

This is a bit depressing. I bought a Danitrio before, which had ink starvation issues, so I sold it. I fixed the starvation issues with this one by putting a little ball in the convertor to break up surface tension, and I get leaking issues instead. =/

 

Dont be disheartened. I have heard nothing but good things about Danitrio pens and hope to own one soon.

I am sure their service centre will sort it out for you.

 

Still, I love their nibs, so I'll try to solve the mystery first.

 

Good Luck

[Jadie]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/9336504287_664018bf41_c.jpg

P1050670 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Before catastrophe struck...all was well in the world.

 

Well! The good news is, I've solved the mystery of the leaks.

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7337/9453381828_5ca765227d_z.jpg

P1050744 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Frontal shot of nib unit. All looks well...

 

 

The bad news is, it's exactly what I was dreading from the suggestions made by previous posts...

 

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3788/9453382870_c3326a8331_c.jpg

P1050742 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Until you see the inside...and the CRACK OF DOOM.

Sadness... ;_; I was cleaning out my pen last night when I discovered it. Here you can even see the place where the ink must have leaked out from (via the crack).

 

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3691/9453370074_db893b44e2_c.jpg

P1050746 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

I don't know if there's a crack outside the nib housing unit, too...

The crack is so big it nearly runs across the entire diameter of the nib housing unit. Weird thing is, the leak (shown by the water) is coming out of the opposite side, where there isn't a crack....does this mean I have two cracks?!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3737/9450600231_217aa31f6c_c.jpg

P1050750 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Closeup: majority of the crack on right, leak coming out of left

And to add to the depression, it seems that the top of my clip has developed a crack as well! Hard to see in this pic, but it's that diagonal line running across from the upper right corner. I blame this on twisting the cap off too hard...but seriously? A crack already? =/

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/9453369316_31bf673d74_c.jpg

P1050752 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Anyways, now that I've figured it out----do I contact Danitrio directly or the retailer I got my pen from? Last I checked, the retailer was sold out, so I don't think I can get a replacement section from there...but I'm not sure of the proper protocol for these sort of things.

[Jadie]

UPDATE #2: Have contacted retailer, who was very helpful and directed me to Danitrio...shipped the pen off to be inspected. Hope all goes well!

[iamchum]

You get that from Bryant at chatterleys?

[Jadie]

Hello, quite so.

 

But I'm pretty sure he's not responsible for the crack in the nib housing unit. When I got my pen, I had to literally dig for it through layers and layers of packing peanuts and bubble wrap---it was that secured packaged.

 

And the crack in the clip is all my fault, for screwing the cap on too tight. (It got stuck so when I unscrewed it, I used too much force and pushed the clip out of alignment as well.)

 

It's more likely to be one of those random, one-in-a-hundred bad luck things.

 

(Btw, saw your topic on your new Danitrio. Congrats! I love their ki-dame sho-hakkakus.)

[Jadie]

FINAL UPDATE: The pen has been fixed (crack and clip) and is now restored to perfect working condition---at no charge---by Danitrio. Thanks to Dani and Bryant both!

[Mesu]

That's great news Enjoy your pen.

 

Any after pics?

[Jadie]

Waiting for Iroshizuku Shin-kai ("deep ocean") to arrive so I can post them. (Sea ink for a sea-themed pen, see? XD)

 

That's one of the shortcomings of ordering from Japan...it takes so long for packages to arrive! =__=

[trhall]

Glad your story ended well, Jadie. Looking forward to seeing the restored pen in your hands.

[Jadie]

Found some time to upload pictures today, so here it is...repaired Takumi with a sparkly new clip, too boot!

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/9983971644_74d8306868_c.jpg

P1050877 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5337/9983961935_fd1e03bee0_c.jpg

P1050878 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

 

 

 

Thank you, Bryant Greer and Danitrio! I'm so happy to have my pen back again.

[sseskin]

Hi,

I realize yours was ann old post, but I'd like ot hear from you...

I am thinking of getting a Danitrio, and of course, can only do that by mail. would you tell me about the soft niib? can you compare it to, for example, a Namiki pilot (though the Namiki body is much smaller)? or to an old Waterman? Or...

Nibs.com says the Danitrio soft nibs don't work well and all need adjustment. do you agree?

You show a lot of flex from an EEF nib, it is like vintage pen quality. Is that done easily (i.e., with a natural hand) or only under pressure? So many photos of flex nibs don't address this issue...

thanks for yoru thoughts.

[Jadie]

Hey there! Glad to hear your question, and you might be interested in my answer.

 

I had two Danitrios with EEF nibs---this Takumi from Bryant, and a Sho-Hakkaku from Nibs.com. What was interesting about the Nibs.com Sho-Hakkaku was that it had a significantly larger amount of tipping at the nib end, making it write more like an EF, and less give/spring in the nib itself. I'm not sure if this is a case of variation between nibs or a result of Nibs.com's Mottishaw'd pens, but the Takumi/Bryant nib was significantly more flexible and fun to write with.

 

How soft would I put it? Well, it's not a wet noodle---you have to press on the nib to get results, but it's fairly forgiving and flexible with light to moderate pressure. I think the Danitrios from Bryant have direct-from-factory soft EEF nibs---they look sharp and untouched.

 

In comparison, the Nibs.com Danitrio was a bit stiff and I actually sprung it accidentally one day when it slipped during writing. I've since had Pendleton Brown fix it up into a cute little stub (link to pictures here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/262028-perfectly-pleased-with-my-ppp/) , but you can see that the line variation is nothing compared to the Takumi in this post.

 

Not sure if this is just a one time fluke between Bryant and Nibs.com Danitrios, or if I just got lucky with my Takumi. I do remember seeing photos of other soft Danitrio nibs with similar capabilities.

 

I'll actually get a chance to try another soft EEF Danitrio nib from Bryant in a month or so, so I'll get back to you with updates then!

 

And whatever happens, I have to say there was a breaking-in period with both of my Danitrios. They're both softer and more flexible than when I first started writing with them, so don't be disappointed if the nibs seem stiff at first. Gold is pliable, after all.

 

EDIT: Right, almost forgot. In regards to the Namiki---I assume you're talking about the Falcon? I don't have one but reviews seem to say that it's more of a soft nib than flexible. Meaning, it'll give way when you write like a sofa cushion, but probably won't make you into a calligrapher any time soon unless you want to risk springing the nib or a wrist cramp. I'd say my Takumi beats that, hands down.

 

It'd probably lose next to vintage wet-noodle Watermans (hard to find at an affordable price, hard to grab before someone else gets it first) or even a good ol' flexible dip pen (lovely flex but limited ink capacity and ugh, SO scratchy at times). But only the wet noodle ones. It's a contender for all other flexors. Rawr.

 

As for other flexible nibs, I also have a Nakaya Briarwood with a Spencerian modification---it's as sharp as a needle and somewhat scratchy due to the super-fine point, but ends up writing words that look ridiculously beautifully flexible because of the sheer contrast between the thick and thin hairlines, even if it doesn't "flex" as wide as my Takumi. Sometimes just having a big enough difference between your line widths will work.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Jadie

[sseskin]

  On 3/19/2014 at 5:12 AM, Jadie said:

Hey there! Glad to hear your question, and you might be interested in my answer.

 

I had two Danitrios with EEF nibs---this Takumi from Bryant, and a Sho-Hakkaku from Nibs.com. What was interesting about the Nibs.com Sho-Hakkaku was that it had a significantly larger amount of tipping at the nib end, making it write more like an EF, and less give/spring in the nib itself. I'm not sure if this is a case of variation between nibs or a result of Nibs.com's Mottishaw'd pens, but the Takumi/Bryant nib was significantly more flexible and fun to write with.

 

How soft would I put it? Well, it's not a wet noodle---you have to press on the nib to get results, but it's fairly forgiving and flexible with light to moderate pressure. I think the Danitrios from Bryant have direct-from-factory soft EEF nibs---they look sharp and untouched.

 

In comparison, the Nibs.com Danitrio was a bit stiff and I actually sprung it accidentally one day when it slipped during writing. I've since had Pendleton Brown fix it up into a cute little stub (link to pictures here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/262028-perfectly-pleased-with-my-ppp/) , but you can see that the line variation is nothing compared to the Takumi in this post.

 

Not sure if this is just a one time fluke between Bryant and Nibs.com Danitrios, or if I just got lucky with my Takumi. I do remember seeing photos of other soft Danitrio nibs with similar capabilities.

 

I'll actually get a chance to try another soft EEF Danitrio nib from Bryant in a month or so, so I'll get back to you with updates then!

 

And whatever happens, I have to say there was a breaking-in period with both of my Danitrios. They're both softer and more flexible than when I first started writing with them, so don't be disappointed if the nibs seem stiff at first. Gold is pliable, after all.

 

EDIT: Right, almost forgot. In regards to the Namiki---I assume you're talking about the Falcon? I don't have one but reviews seem to say that it's more of a soft nib than flexible. Meaning, it'll give way when you write like a sofa cushion, but probably won't make you into a calligrapher any time soon unless you want to risk springing the nib or a wrist cramp. I'd say my Takumi beats that, hands down.

 

It'd probably lose next to vintage wet-noodle Watermans (hard to find at an affordable price, hard to grab before someone else gets it first) or even a good ol' flexible dip pen (lovely flex but limited ink capacity and ugh, SO scratchy at times). But only the wet noodle ones. It's a contender for all other flexors. Rawr.

 

As for other flexible nibs, I also have a Nakaya Briarwood with a Spencerian modification---it's as sharp as a needle and somewhat scratchy due to the super-fine point, but ends up writing words that look ridiculously beautifully flexible because of the sheer contrast between the thick and thin hairlines, even if it doesn't "flex" as wide as my Takumi. Sometimes just having a big enough difference between your line widths will work.

Thanks for your reply.

Piecing together what I have learned from several responses on FPN, it appears tht there is a randomness to manufacturing of their soft nibs that makes their performance difficult to predict and less than ideal. If I get one I just have to accept that. Maybe I need two nibs!

Human nature is such that we are constantly looking for an explanation of randomness. The answer may be just that randomness happens...

I enjoy a flex pen (I have a 1940's Waterman, for example). Not being a calligrapher, I jus tlike the way flex nibs write.

I'll look for more of your posts.