Cleaning new nibs (Zebra Comic G)

[Tmesi87]

I have recently purchased a new box of nibs, Zebra comic G, for copperplate calligraphy. They're nibs I used in the past with happy results, very flexible and nice fine lines in my opinion. I used them with regular fountain pen inks (like Waterman, Pelikan, Lamy, MontBlanc and so on) but also with some self-made mixes and gum arabic. The old set worked just fine as soon as it was out of the box, no need for cleaning or set-up: they just held ink perfectly.

 

This new box seems exactly the same, same finishing, and it was purchased by the same vendor. However the nibs don't hold ink properly: it will pool around the reservoir and refuse to flow towards the tip. When it does flow, it very often comes down all at once creating splotches. I tried different ones, so it's not just a faulty one of the box.

 

I have tried cleaning them with:

• saliva - which had worked fine in the past with other nibs: slightly better, but the issue is definitely not solved
• water - no improvement, almost made the issue worse if possible
• flame - held it over a lighter, at first just a second, then when it was not working I held it for several seconds: again the situation got somewhat better, but it's not solved

 

Things I heard but haven't tried yet:

• toothpaste - I'm afraid to ruin the tip: should I go for it?
• chemicals, like solvents: acetone, nitro thinner or simple kitchen degreaser - I really don't know what's going to happen with the metal and/or the ink. I'm not keen on playing the little chemist, so I'd rather leave this as a last resort.
• intervening on the ink - maybe some inks will solve this problem? Maybe they need to be thinner? 

 

Do you have any recommendation or low-risk methods I could try at first? I really want to solve this because I love these nibs and would be very sad to start looking for different kinds to fall in love with  also I have a deadline coming up for a job and need to sort this out rather quickly!

 

Thanks and apologies for my English.

[mizgeorge]

I'm a flame fan, but zebra g's can be tricky, so I tend to use the old trick of sticking them in a potato. Ten to fifteen minutes seems to do the trick (no longer or you risk the dreaded rust setting in).

 

If you don't have a potato, or don't want to wait, toothpaste (with a soft toothbrush) also works. I've yet to find any liquid chemical that does the job as well as the two above.

 

And your English is great! Far better than my Italian

[dipper]

16 hours ago, Tmesi87 said:

Things I heard but haven't tried yet:

• toothpaste - I'm afraid to ruin the tip: should I go for it?

I frequently give my dip pens a scrub with toothbrush, toothpaste and a few drops of water, and have never seen any damage, or wear.

I have stocks of vintage steel nibs, protected from rust by being stored in oil in sealed glass jars. So whenever one of those is to be used it certainly needs a thorough cleaning!

 

Fine tips remain fine and sharp.

Tines do not get bent.

If the nib is visually clean to start with, but is being scrubbed with toothpast to improve ink behavior, then I never see any visible change in the surface gloss of the nib.

 

But I do see a subsequent change in ink behaviour, wetting the nib nicely when dipped.

 

Of course the brushing technique is not carefree vigorous scrubbing in any old direction. This is not like doing the kitchen washing-up! 😂

 

Step 1: Cleaning the inside of the nib.

I lay the nib on a flat surface, lying on its back. The concave "inside" is facing upwards.

Hold the nib in place with a fingertip pressing down on the nib shank area.

Then the toothbrush is scrubbed back and forth along the length of the nib. Bristles held vertical, with light pressure used. Tines slit and the nib tip are supported by whatever flat surface the nib has been laid down on.

 

Step 2: Cleaning the top face of the nib and inside the tines slit.

I turn the nib over and grip its shank between finger and thumb. Hold the nib at a shallow angle to the flat surface and press the nib tip onto the surface just enough to slightly open the tines.

Then stroke the toothbrush lengthways along the nib, from shank end towards nib tip only.

 

Do not brush in the direction from tip to shank when the tines are held slightly open like this. The tine tips will be OK, but the bristles of the brush will get jammed in the narrow top of the tine slit, risking damage.

 

Step 3: Rinse, and re-fit the nib into its holder.

Rinsing is easy. I rinse the toothbrush, and then repeat steps 1 and 2 with plain water.

It is worth noting though that there can be a problem when re-fitting the nib.....

If you have oil or grease on your fingertips then you can undo all the previous good work by touching the front parts of the clean nib when refitting it into the holder.

 

(I have to watch out for that after fishing a new nib out of my oily storage jars.

I dump the freshly cleaned nib onto a paper towel and leave it lying there until I have cleaned my desk, put away the oily nib jar, and scrubbed my hands.)

 

[Tmesi87]

Thank you guys: I'll go with the toothpaste and see how it goes!

 

@dipper super detailed info, thanks a million: I'll do the whole thing with your message on display