Montblanc Starwalker Flow Issues Solved

[beboy]

I recently bought a Montblanc Starwalker at a clearance sale from a former Montblanc's distributor (still at an expensive price, but cheaper than what I would have paid in boutiques). I also bought a Faber-Castell (Schmidt) converter, because cartridges are not my cup of tea, and because it is well known that Montblanc converter doesn't fit in this pen. So you have to buy a converter from the competition....

 

Anyway, that's not my point. The fact is that this pen was looking gorgeous, but I soon realized that it was a TERRIBLE writer. The feed was just unable to keep up while writing and I had to constantly twist the knob of the converter to get new ink to the tip of the nib. That is just frustrating and unacceptable for a pen of that price range. However, I knew that this particular pen had been sitting on the stand at the shop for quite a long period and that maybe many people had tried to write with it. So the only option I was considering at short term was to try to clean the feed.

 

First, I tried to unscrew the nib, just to realized it was inserted in a threaded plastic housing inside the section. Then, I tried to remove the feed + nib by pulling gently, first, and a lot less gently after some time. Eventually, I unexpectedly removed the little cap covering the fins on the outer part of the feed. Well, that made me somehow happy because this was the only part of that pen that I didn't liked. On the other hand, I thought that thiscap might have been related to my flow issue by not allowing enough air inside the pen. So I pushed back the feed + nib correctly in place and tried that pen again and... it worked like a charm!

 

I realise that this little cap on the feed is really a design flaw on my pen and it works better without it. Anyway, I don't want to generalise for the whole Starwalker series, but removing that cap was of great help in my case. And I think it look better without it. Here is how the section looks now:

[Inked]

I agree, looks great.

 

Do you think that all that pulling and twisting may have also done something to help with flow?

 

Inked

[beboy]

I agree, looks great.

 

Do you think that all that pulling and twisting may have also done something to help with flow?

 

Inked

It is indeed possible However, when I pulled on the nib and feed to get it out of the housing, I wasn't able to extract it more than 1mm. This, added the multiple flushes in hot water, might have been sufficient to help.

 

One thing I noticed and I didn't mention in my first post: the nib was wetter prior to the removal of the plastic cap. It was wetter but wasn't writing anymore after one or two sentences. My theory is that ink was accumulating in that area but that the supply of air to the converter wasn't sufficient renew it and get a steady flow.

[JLS1]

It is indeed possible However, when I pulled on the nib and feed to get it out of the housing, I wasn't able to extract it more than 1mm. This, added the multiple flushes in hot water, might have been sufficient to help.

 

One thing I noticed and I didn't mention in my first post: the nib was wetter prior to the removal of the plastic cap. It was wetter but wasn't writing anymore after one or two sentences. My theory is that ink was accumulating in that area but that the supply of air to the converter wasn't sufficient renew it and get a steady flow.

 

Hmm..interesting. I've heard that you sometimes need to flush new pens a few times to get rid of oil and/or residue on the feed, which can cause flow problems. While it's probably a moot question now, I'm wondering if a flush would have solved the problem without extracting the feed cover?

Edited May 13, 2015 by JLS1

[StrawberryJam]

 

 

I realise that this little cap on the feed is really a design flaw on my pen and it works better without it. Anyway, I don't want to generalise for the whole Starwalker series, but removing that cap was of great help in my case. And I think it look better without it. Here is how the section looks now:

IMG_0106.JPG

 

It looks so weird like that. All...naked.

 

But glad you got it working to what you like! When you removed the cap, did the cap have lot of ink collected on the bottom?

[beboy]

 

Hmm..interesting. I've heard that you sometimes need to flush new pens a few times to get rid of oil and/or residue on the feed, which can cause flow problems. While it's probably a moot question now, I'm wondering if a flush would have solved the problem without extracting the feed cover?

As a matter of fact, I forgot to mention it, but I tried several washes prior to my attempts to dismantle the pen...

[beboy]

 

It looks so weird like that. All...naked.

 

But glad you got it working to what you like! When you removed the cap, did the cap have lot of ink collected on the bottom?

At that point, the pen had been washed a couple of time, so it was mostly water with little diluted ink.

 

It seems the cap was held in place under the nib by some sort of black glue (or maybe dried black permanent ink???), but I was able to remove it with a wet clothe.

[meiers]

Nice pen. I have the matching ballpoint.

[beboy]

For those who were interested in this little experiment, I put back the cap over the fins on the feed. It snapped back in place securely, so it doesn't alter the pen permanently if you remove it carefully.

 

I wanted to make sure the flow issue I had previously was really related to that cap. And I had the confirmation I needed; after some time, the ink just stopped flowing to the tip of the nib. I removed the cap again and there was no ink collected in it. As a matter of fact, it just prevents the pen from "breathing" properly, blocking the venting hole in the feed to allow pressure exchange and free ink flowing.

 

Now I wonder, how an experienced company like Montblanc could have implement such a design flaw on one of their pens line? Do someone knows if the new "Extreme" products present the same feature?

[BillZ]

I've owned a Starwalker since 2007. I just looked at it and it has this "cover" over the feed. But I've never had any flow issues. Don't think I want to make trouble by removing it. Glad it worked for you.

[StrawberryJam]

I've owned a Starwalker since 2007. I just looked at it and it has this "cover" over the feed. But I've never had any flow issues. Don't think I want to make trouble by removing it. Glad it worked for you.

 

Same here, I have two starwalkers with covered feeds and have not had any flow issues. I use mine with the Pelikan C499 international converters.

 

@beboy -- you mentioned that you were using a converter. Did you have the same ink flow issues with a cartridge?

[beboy]

 

Same here, I have two starwalkers with covered feeds and have not had any flow issues. I use mine with the Pelikan C499 international converters.

 

@beboy -- you mentioned that you were using a converter. Did you have the same ink flow issues with a cartridge?

I haven't tried a cartridge yet on this pen... The Pelikan C499 converter seems to be exactly the same as the Graf-von-Faber-Castell converter. Despite the little differences with the basic Faber Castell differences, behaviour should be basically the same.

 

So, I guess the problem might be only with my pen, not with the model itself. I might try at some point a cartridge, but so far I like the look of the pen without the feed cap.

[beboy]

Deus ex machina! Ok, Ok, finally I got flow issues even with the feed cap off! So the problem was somewhere else and I really didn't thought it was simply related to the fact of using a converter; others where using converter on their Starwalker with no flow issue.

 

Since the store where I bought the pen didn't have business relations with Montblanc anymore, returning the pen there would have cause me only trouble (remember, I said I bought it at a clearance sale). And I didn't wan't to pay for Montblanc service (because I am cheap and impatient).

 

So I tried a second attempt to pull out the nib+feed out . And it worked this time! Be careful if you try it yourself: there is a key path under the feed, in the housing. The housing can be removed by unscrewing it, but the feed needs to be pulled out straight, no twisting.

 

And what I found there??? The feed and the nib was all clogged with dried black ink!!! And that pen was sold to me as "new"! Apparently, I got screwed there. I guess somebody bought that pen before me, filled it with permanent black ink and returned it to the store without cleaning it properly... That was not ink from a dip test, because I know they only use washable blue at that store for that purpose. That was just very annoying.

 

Anyway, I put the feed and housing in an ultrasound bath for 20 mins, then back in the pen, and now.... finally... it works properly, and with feed 's cap on

 

 

[StrawberryJam]

Deus ex machina! Ok, Ok, finally I got flow issues even with the feed cap off! So the problem was somewhere else and I really didn't thought it was simply related to the fact of using a converter; others where using converter on their Starwalker with no flow issue.

 

Since the store where I bought the pen didn't have business relations with Montblanc anymore, returning the pen there would have cause me only trouble (remember, I said I bought it at a clearance sale). And I didn't wan't to pay for Montblanc service (because I am cheap and impatient).

 

So I tried a second attempt to pull out the nib+feed out . And it worked this time! Be careful if you try it yourself: there is a key path under the feed, in the housing. The housing can be removed by unscrewing it, but the feed needs to be pulled out straight, no twisting.

 

And what I found there??? The feed and the nib was all clogged with dried black ink!!! And that pen was sold to me as "new"! Apparently, I got screwed there. I guess somebody bought that pen before me, filled it with permanent black ink and returned it to the store without cleaning it properly... That was not ink from a dip test, because I know they only use washable blue at that store for that purpose. That was just very annoying.

 

Anyway, I put the feed and housing in an ultrasound bath for 20 mins, then back in the pen, and now.... finally... it works properly, and with feed 's cap on

 

Glad you figured out the underlying problem! Also, thanks for the great reference pictures. Enjoy the pen.

[agentdaffy007]

You are very hands-on. Congrats and enjoy the pen!

[ArunaB]

Hello - I just want to know if your pen is still working well after the thorough clean... I have a Starwalker that keeps clogging up despite regular thorough cleaning by Montblanc (in Tokyo). I am beginning to wonder if it's to do with the cartridge inks that I am using.

[oregano]

I've had the same flow issue, with both converters and cartridges. It just stops writing after a few sentences or when I put the pen down for a few seconds. I have to keep opening the pen and squeezing on the cartridge to get the pen writing again. Unfortunately I'm not as hands on as the Op so I would never disassemble the feed. The I have a feeling ink is drying on the nib, or not getting through the feed properly.

Edited March 3, 2017 by oregano

[fcarbon]

 

 

So I tried a second attempt to pull out the nib+feed out . And it worked this time! Be careful if you try it yourself: there is a key path under the feed, in the housing. The housing can be removed by unscrewing it, but the feed needs to be pulled out straight, no twisting.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi beboy,

 

How did you manage to pull the nib/feed out of the section without damaging/bending the plastic fins on the feed?

 

Thanks!