Nib ink staining question....

[tommym]

Attached are two images of a JoWo nib that I thought I had done a very very thorough job of soaking and flushing. That was until I pulled the nib from the housing today. Is the type of ink staining seen in these images considered normal? I hope so. On the underside of the nib where the feed makes contact with it, I could feel some micro-ridges when I tried to clean it off with alcohol. The alcohol didn't seem to have an impact on the staining. Sorry for the poor image quality, but sometimes my smartphone's camera refuses to focus on shiny metal objects.

 

Thanks,

 

Tommy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by tommym
Replaced original images to higher resolution ones.

[AceNinja]

it may not be an ink stain.  I've the same thing on my Lamy's nib some time ago.

 

[tommym]

Hi, AceNinja

 

I replaced the original images with better-quality images. 

 

Tommy

[InesF]

Hi @tommym.

I agree with @AceNinja that what can be seen on your photos does not look like an ink stain.

 

The nib material may have reacted with something else from the nib+feed housing. Most probably, but be aware that this is a guess from the distance, there was something like a galvanic cell built. It can happen when soaking the assembled unit for a longer time in water (multiple days) or when ink creeped into the slit between nib and housing and stood there over weeks or month.

As strange as it looks, it may not interfere with the functioning of the nib. The transformed areas are covered in- and underside. So I suggest you continue to use your fountain pen with this nib as you did before and have fun using your pen!

[tommym]

I may have narrowed down the ink that caused this issue. It may have been De Atramentis Document Ink Fog Grey. It's a wonderful free-flowing ink that resolved flow issues among my broad stub nibs with their stock plastic feeds. Subsequent installations of ebonite feeds have negated the need for this ink. One of the "Document Ink" main attributes, waterproof permanence, might also be its Achilles' heel regarding staining of the nibs/feeds/housings. 

 

Tommy

[Karmachanic]

I have a nib where the rhodium disappeared in similar areas. Re-install it and you won't see it.   

[tommym]

46 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

I have a nib where the rhodium disappeared in similar areas. Re-install it and you won't see it.   

 

Yeah, I'm sure my other JoWo nibs look the same, and yes, they have survived changes in ink colors and manufacturers without any issues. I just wanted to ensure I wasn't doing anything stupid or neglectful in my long-term use, cleaning, and storage of these nibs. I don't see any "OMG" responses, so it must be OK! 

 

Tommy