More dumb questions from a reborn pen newb...
So now that I have been using the fountain pens again for awhile, I am starting to recognize certain charateristics. I am hoping to learn if these personality traits are manufacturer issues, specific pen personality or combinations of make, model, mechanical structure, ink or even user charecteristics.
Mostly I am using inexpensive pens and I have learned by cleaning and disassembling and with proper reassembly I am able to solve some personality issues. As well I have read that flushing pens is probably a good way to start off with a new pen. So I am mostly interested in learning about common problems and their cure.
1). I have a pen that I love, but it seems prone to skipping. It writes nice and wet and smooth, but it often starting a new letter it takes a half sec to lay down ink, then runs smooth as silk. Sometimes it seems to want pressure to get it going and sometimes that does not work. My logic suggests that it is sucking air somewhere or back feeds after finishing a word and needs priming again to start the next, again which suggests a leak in the cappliary action.
Is there any common issues that could cause this that I could rectify. I haven't flushed this one, would that be a good place to start...? Recently heard about flushing compound, what is in it exactly...?
2). I have managed to have good luck with a pack of 616s and have been taking them apart and cleaning and reassembling them all with good luck. I have noticed that there is some variance on how wet they write. Is this variance in pen manufacture, being cheap mass produced pens, or is an ink feature. I am about to experiment on this as last night I cleaned up three 616 pens which have different ink and different writing characteristics. After drying out over night after a thourogh cleaning, I am going to re-ink them with different ink to see if the characteristics change.
Now if it turns out that each pen retains it's writing charteristics then I will assume that nib configuration difference will account for most of the difference, if so is this tweakable...?
3). How common are pen malfunctions...? given that I am using cheaper pens, I expect more issues, but by tearing them down, cleaning and reassembling, I am impressed by the simple mechanics and other simple principles involved and have observed that the consistency of quality even in the 616s appears to be quite good. I recognize that plastic barrels and plastic feeder castings do not have the strength nor the ability to hold the percision cuts of better materials and what does a gold nib do for you that a percision milled stainless steel nib can't...? I am assuming that eventually the poorer material pens will break down from all the handling, but the real question is do even the better pens and the vintage pens have the same kinds of quirks that need regular maintenance...? (which is one of the reason I like them, razors included)
4). I could go on, but won't, however will ask this last question...can we start a pen WIKI...? We have some great threads here on the "NIB" so far and it would be great to link them for easy access and build on our collective experience
So now that I have been using the fountain pens again for awhile, I am starting to recognize certain charateristics. I am hoping to learn if these personality traits are manufacturer issues, specific pen personality or combinations of make, model, mechanical structure, ink or even user charecteristics.
Mostly I am using inexpensive pens and I have learned by cleaning and disassembling and with proper reassembly I am able to solve some personality issues. As well I have read that flushing pens is probably a good way to start off with a new pen. So I am mostly interested in learning about common problems and their cure.
1). I have a pen that I love, but it seems prone to skipping. It writes nice and wet and smooth, but it often starting a new letter it takes a half sec to lay down ink, then runs smooth as silk. Sometimes it seems to want pressure to get it going and sometimes that does not work. My logic suggests that it is sucking air somewhere or back feeds after finishing a word and needs priming again to start the next, again which suggests a leak in the cappliary action.
Is there any common issues that could cause this that I could rectify. I haven't flushed this one, would that be a good place to start...? Recently heard about flushing compound, what is in it exactly...?
2). I have managed to have good luck with a pack of 616s and have been taking them apart and cleaning and reassembling them all with good luck. I have noticed that there is some variance on how wet they write. Is this variance in pen manufacture, being cheap mass produced pens, or is an ink feature. I am about to experiment on this as last night I cleaned up three 616 pens which have different ink and different writing characteristics. After drying out over night after a thourogh cleaning, I am going to re-ink them with different ink to see if the characteristics change.
Now if it turns out that each pen retains it's writing charteristics then I will assume that nib configuration difference will account for most of the difference, if so is this tweakable...?
3). How common are pen malfunctions...? given that I am using cheaper pens, I expect more issues, but by tearing them down, cleaning and reassembling, I am impressed by the simple mechanics and other simple principles involved and have observed that the consistency of quality even in the 616s appears to be quite good. I recognize that plastic barrels and plastic feeder castings do not have the strength nor the ability to hold the percision cuts of better materials and what does a gold nib do for you that a percision milled stainless steel nib can't...? I am assuming that eventually the poorer material pens will break down from all the handling, but the real question is do even the better pens and the vintage pens have the same kinds of quirks that need regular maintenance...? (which is one of the reason I like them, razors included)
4). I could go on, but won't, however will ask this last question...can we start a pen WIKI...? We have some great threads here on the "NIB" so far and it would be great to link them for easy access and build on our collective experience
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