"Squeaky" nibs

[bunnspecial]

This may be strange, but one of the things I pay attention to when I'm writing is how the nib sounds on paper. Apparently this isn't a totally foreign concept as I understand this is also something Montblanc evaluates on their designs(and I love the pencil-like sound of a lot of MB nibs).

 

Occasionally, though, I'll get ones that make strange sounds.

 

Right now, I'm sorting through and resurrecting(after drying with ink) an estate lot of modern-ish Parkers, and one of the pens in there is a 75 with an 18K nib marked F O. It definitely has an oblique grind, although it's also wider than what I'd consider a fine.

Whatever the case, though, this nib has an issue I've seen a few times before, and that I'd like to find the cause of. Basically, it will "squeak" as I'm writing with it. Like the other 18K 75 nibs I have, this one is at least a bit springy(not really flexible) and the "squeaking" seems to happen when I'm also feeling it bounce on the paper. I'm GUESSING maybe it's the tines rubbing against each other, but I can't seem to see any misalignment. Other than the noise, it otherwise writes fine.

 

Has anyone seen this before, and if so did you ever find a cause/fix? 

[silverlifter]

I have always seen them referred to as "singing nibs". There are a few threads here about them:

 

 

If the squeaking is unpleasant, I'd try flossing the tines.

[senzen]

I've had a couple of old (probably 50's) Pelikans do this, it went away simply by using them... My impression is eventually the ink lubricates well all parts and contact points between nib and feed.

[inkstainedruth]

Some people on here have described the phenomenon as "singing".  I've only really experienced it with one pen (but don't remember now which one, unfortunately), and thought it was kinda neat; but other people think that it's *not* a good thing -- either that there's something wrong with the nib, or just find it annoying.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[maclink]

I have a Cross Townsend with a nib that sings away.  Can't say that I like the phenomenon since it's not only the sound, but the sensation while writing, that goes with it.  I have only inked the pen once and haven't been inclined to ink it again since. Now that my nib polishing/tuning abilities are far better these days, I may revisit the nib and try polishing it a bit to see if that singing goes.

[Bristol24]

I have a 1946 Parker Vac with medium stub that squeaks.  In essence the tines are a tuning fork and the paper and ink act as a bow would on a violin string.  It doesn't matter the ink or paper.  It just squeaks.  According to Richard Binder, some nibs do that.  

 

Cliff

[bunnspecial]

Thanks everyone. I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't "feel" it too, and it's hard to describe. I LOVE good feedback, but this doesn't feel like feedback I like.

 

The pen is worth still using, though, so I'll keep it up and maybe it will settle down. These pens all seem to have been let dry with some pretty nasty ink(I'm guessing maybe Penman inks, as I've seen a bit of "history" as I've cleaned some of the and seen washings that looked like a couple of different Penman colors) and this one had a really deep, dark black. Again, maybe Penman Ebony, or maybe something like Noodler's Black. Now it has some Quink Blue in it, but I may try sonicating it to see if I can clean it a bit more and go from there.

[SillySollie]

My medium nib LAMY 2000 squeaks/sings sometimes. I usually write on Rhodia dotpads. I find it deeply unpleasant when that happens, but thankfully it's not an everyday occurrence. It seems to happen more with wetter inks when the nib is so smooth as to be downright slippery on the page. I've been using more heavily shading inks like Sailor Studio 123 and Diamine Autumn Oak, which I believe run a bit more dry, and that seems to help prevent it for me.

[Bo Bo Olson]

7 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

maybe it will settle down.

Sooner or later those Singing French strait razors one pays more for....stop singing. Shipping it back to the factory won't make it sing again.

 

Like those who own for a short period a singing sword....they may continue to won the same sword but it will stop singing....So Prince Valiant didn't use his sword much or it would have stopped singing just from waving it in the air.

Oddly I find no data if a singing sword stops if banged a couple times into a wooden shield, or a side ways bash of another sword......one only bashes sideways no straight edge to edge...blade chipping.

 

I have or had a pen whose nib sang, not always I don't think, it got put away...perhaps I can get it to sing again.....if I knew which one it was.

It hadn't bothered me enough to mark down in my mind....it sang. ... squeaked...not enough to make me look at running a brass shim up and down the slit.

[gpsgrandpa]

1 hour ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

It hadn't bothered me enough to mark down in my mind....it sang. ... squeaked...not enough to make me look at running a brass shim up and down the slit.

Once my Lucky Legend pen from Ryan Krusac with a broad nib was inked with R&K Verdigris the singing began. A brass shim had no effect and must have only tickled it. I sent it to Ryan for another issue and forgot to mention the singing (aka squeak.) When I got it back and re-inked it with Verdigris (because who doesn’t love this ink) the singing resumed. Like many bashful singers it will not sing on command. So I accept it’s rebellious nature and enjoy the show.

[Bristol24]

An interesting coincidence:  I decided to ink a World War 2 era Newark Pen Co. "Secretary" with some vintage Quink Blue Black with Solv-X.  I started writing and discovered that the Secretary sings/squeaks as well.  Interesting....

 

Cliff

[Ron Z]

The singing of the nib is the result of the vibration of the nib moving across the paper.  You hear it when it hits the resonant frequency of the nib.  I find it to be annoying.  Sometimes smoothing the nib changes it, sometimes it takes setting the feed more firmly against the nib, or changing the position of the feed under the nib by resetting nib and feed to dampen the vibrations.  Thinner nib material often sings more than heavier nibs.  Sometimes, oddly enough, you have to make the nib a little less smooth to get it to go away.  

[essayfaire]

On 9/10/2021 at 9:03 AM, Ron Z said:

The singing of the nib is the result of the vibration of the nib moving across the paper.  You hear it when it hits the resonant frequency of the nib.  I find it to be annoying.  Sometimes smoothing the nib changes it, sometimes it takes setting the feed more firmly against the nib, or changing the position of the feed under the nib by resetting nib and feed to dampen the vibrations.  Thinner nib material often sings more than heavier nibs.  Sometimes, oddly enough, you have to make the nib a little less smooth to get it to go away.  

I'm trying to decide whether to keep or return a pen that is singing... I've never experienced this before.

[bunnspecial]

I never followed up on this, but just thought I'd give a bit more info.

 

I don't have the pen anymore-a friend took a real liking to it and I sold it to him.

 

With that said, somewhere along the way I stuck a cartridge of Quink permanent blue in it. I picked up a bunch of these cheaply on Amazon-permanent blue(or just "Blue" these days as opposed to "washable blue") seems not so easy to find in the US, and I wish I'd bought more.

 

In any case, with the permanent blue, which seems wetter to me than washable blue(the ink I had in it when I made this post) it no longer did this.

[essayfaire]

3 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

I never followed up on this, but just thought I'd give a bit more info.

 

I don't have the pen anymore-a friend took a real liking to it and I sold it to him.

 

With that said, somewhere along the way I stuck a cartridge of Quink permanent blue in it. I picked up a bunch of these cheaply on Amazon-permanent blue(or just "Blue" these days as opposed to "washable blue") seems not so easy to find in the US, and I wish I'd bought more.

 

In any case, with the permanent blue, which seems wetter to me than washable blue(the ink I had in it when I made this post) it no longer did this.

Hmmmm - if I knew the pen could be made to stop singing, I would surely keep it.  It is lovely. I don't know if the noise would cease if I inked it up properly versus dip testing, I'm hesitant to fill a pen I may send back.  This seem to be an odd problem that people say sometimes improves and goes away and other times does not.  I do have Quink blue/black on route from Fountain Pen Day, perhaps I will see how it does with that.  Thanks.

[Bo Bo Olson]

It will stop singing eventually....You do pay lots extra for a French singing straight razor (the best in the world)** which will eventually stop, or a singing sword (one or two guys do make them), which eventually will stop singing, by just waving it through the air....but that is a bit different from than a singing nib.

 

As someone suggested try a different paper and ink. The one that I had that sang, eventually stopped, but it hadn't irritated me, so I don't remember how long it took for the singing to die.

 

 

**Even when I was dithering seriously about going straight razor, The French singing razor was two classes higher than I could afford for the razor.

Eventually the E-500 that the a good full straight razor deal; razor,  best badger brush (silver tip needs a barber with a hot towel), bowl, strops,  would cost was too much, so I grew a beard. I after all had pens to buy.