Do you use a fountain pen?
Discussion
I am by no means an expert, but a lot of the permanent inks use a polymer to bind the colour to the surface, and I believe this can make them more prone to clogging. Fancier inks often tend to be a bit thicker too, presumably to give a more plush looking finish rather than fading in to the page. Then you get the shimmer effect ones that have other particles in them as well.
For the sake of a fiver in Smiths I'd give it a go with something that's just coloured water to see it behaves differently.
For the sake of a fiver in Smiths I'd give it a go with something that's just coloured water to see it behaves differently.
Louis Balfour said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Louis Balfour said:
It isn’t the blissful, flowing experience I was expecting to be honest.
Definitely try a different ink before you give up on it, something cheap and free flowing like a basic washable Parker Quink.TooLateForAName said:
Louis Balfour said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Louis Balfour said:
It isn’t the blissful, flowing experience I was expecting to be honest.
Definitely try a different ink before you give up on it, something cheap and free flowing like a basic washable Parker Quink.I also accidentally bought a MB 146 from a local dealer earlier, to fill my MB pen case... must stop now.
Louis Balfour said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Louis Balfour said:
It isn’t the blissful, flowing experience I was expecting to be honest.
Definitely try a different ink before you give up on it, something cheap and free flowing like a basic washable Parker Quink.Armitage.Shanks said:
Louis Balfour said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Louis Balfour said:
It isn’t the blissful, flowing experience I was expecting to be honest.
Definitely try a different ink before you give up on it, something cheap and free flowing like a basic washable Parker Quink.I have procured a bottle of Quink. Tonight I will soak the pen, tomorrow flush it, put in some Quick and see where we are.
Okay, overnight I soaked the nib of the Parker 51 in tepid water. This morning I have throughly flushed it and put in some black Quink.
The pen now writes well. Nib width is fine for my requirement.
Yesterday, the pen deposited ink into the cap several times. If that now stops, all is well.
The pen now writes well. Nib width is fine for my requirement.
Yesterday, the pen deposited ink into the cap several times. If that now stops, all is well.
Louis Balfour said:
Okay, overnight I soaked the nib of the Parker 51 in tepid water. This morning I have throughly flushed it and put in some black Quink.
The pen now writes well. Nib width is fine for my requirement.
Yesterday, the pen deposited ink into the cap several times. If that now stops, all is well.
That is a very good resultThe pen now writes well. Nib width is fine for my requirement.
Yesterday, the pen deposited ink into the cap several times. If that now stops, all is well.
If you want some additional smoothness to the nib find yourself some polished aluminium or copper, needs to be so smooth that it reflects light. Work small figures of eight, about 1cm high, do this for about a minute, there comes a point in the process where the nib becomes smooth and moves about the metal more quickly.
Rinse the cap thoroughly and dry with kleenex,
K87 said:
Louis Balfour said:
Okay, overnight I soaked the nib of the Parker 51 in tepid water. This morning I have throughly flushed it and put in some black Quink.
The pen now writes well. Nib width is fine for my requirement.
Yesterday, the pen deposited ink into the cap several times. If that now stops, all is well.
That is a very good resultThe pen now writes well. Nib width is fine for my requirement.
Yesterday, the pen deposited ink into the cap several times. If that now stops, all is well.
If you want some additional smoothness to the nib find yourself some polished aluminium or copper, needs to be so smooth that it reflects light. Work small figures of eight, about 1cm high, do this for about a minute, there comes a point in the process where the nib becomes smooth and moves about the metal more quickly.
Rinse the cap thoroughly and dry with kleenex,
Louis Balfour said:
Good tips thanks. Any idea why the ink might have been leaking out in the first place? I was guessing a vacuum caused by cap removal sucking out ink.
That would be my first guess and the reason I suggested a through wash of the cap.Some things need to be eliminated.
It is a given that you are not shaking the pen or carrying it nib down, in a jacket pocket for example.
Check for how ink could be escaping from the pen into cap, look for any cracks in the section or in the sac, if these are dry then ink must be being pulled out of the collector by vacuum
The next to eliminate is how you fill the pen, you should pull the pen out of the ink before releasing the filler, this will clear the ink from the breather tube and the collector. You have confirmed that the breather tube is intact, the fact that it doesn't rattle may mean that it isn't there! If the sac is clear you may be able to see it. If it isn't there the pen needs to go back
Don't overfill the pen until you get used to it, just two presses of the bar is plenty, actually 1 + 1/2 press, pull air through the pen.
If after all this it still leaks into the cap then this could mean that the feed needs to be closer to the nib, it can be fixed but would need an expert, that will cost around £30, I would send the pen back. This is not likely in my opinion, but possible.
If there is ink in the barrel then the sac may have a hole in it, this is rare with a 51 unless your sac has been replaced and a black rubber sac has been fitted, this is poor practice and the pen needs to go back.
I have just called a friend who does pen repair, his advice is to try and find the source of the leak, leave the cap off but use the pen a lot and see if a leak can be seen, possibly a crack in the section or poor sealing of the section to the connector.
I cannot remember if all 51 pens had a ventilation hole to stop the vacuum, if your pen has a hole and that it is clear.
I haven't used a 51 for while, I am going to use one today and see if I can generate a leak into the cap.
K87 said:
Louis Balfour said:
Good tips thanks. Any idea why the ink might have been leaking out in the first place? I was guessing a vacuum caused by cap removal sucking out ink.
That would be my first guess and the reason I suggested a through wash of the cap.Some things need to be eliminated.
It is a given that you are not shaking the pen or carrying it nib down, in a jacket pocket for example.
Check for how ink could be escaping from the pen into cap, look for any cracks in the section or in the sac, if these are dry then ink must be being pulled out of the collector by vacuum
The next to eliminate is how you fill the pen, you should pull the pen out of the ink before releasing the filler, this will clear the ink from the breather tube and the collector. You have confirmed that the breather tube is intact, the fact that it doesn't rattle may mean that it isn't there! If the sac is clear you may be able to see it. If it isn't there the pen needs to go back
Don't overfill the pen until you get used to it, just two presses of the bar is plenty, actually 1 + 1/2 press, pull air through the pen.
If after all this it still leaks into the cap then this could mean that the feed needs to be closer to the nib, it can be fixed but would need an expert, that will cost around £30, I would send the pen back. This is not likely in my opinion, but possible.
If there is ink in the barrel then the sac may have a hole in it, this is rare with a 51 unless your sac has been replaced and a black rubber sac has been fitted, this is poor practice and the pen needs to go back.
I have just called a friend who does pen repair, his advice is to try and find the source of the leak, leave the cap off but use the pen a lot and see if a leak can be seen, possibly a crack in the section or poor sealing of the section to the connector.
I cannot remember if all 51 pens had a ventilation hole to stop the vacuum, if your pen has a hole and that it is clear.
I haven't used a 51 for while, I am going to use one today and see if I can generate a leak into the cap.
The pen has been horizontal in the box, not upright at all.
I'll try what you say.
This is one of my Parker 51 Aeros. I cannot remember the last time it was used, at least 10 years ago. I filled it with Parker ink, just two presses on the bar, dried the section, pen wrote immediately, no jumping or dryness or blobbing. Really smooth Medium nib, frankly a joy,
I had forgotten how light a Parker 51 was as compared to modern pens.
Tried to make the pen misbehave by shaking it in every direction, nothing, tried to make it blob on the page, nothing, Pulled the cap on and off several times, still bone dry.
I would say that this pen is the condition that you would want with your pen, it is trouble free. If you cannot replicate this with your pen, especially trying to make the pen drop ink on the page then I would not mess around and simply tell the seller that you want to send it back and start an ebay claim.
K87 said:
This is one of my Parker 51 Aeros. I cannot remember the last time it was used, at least 10 years ago. I filled it with Parker ink, just two presses on the bar, dried the section, pen wrote immediately, no jumping or dryness or blobbing. Really smooth Medium nib, frankly a joy,
I had forgotten how light a Parker 51 was as compared to modern pens.
Tried to make the pen misbehave by shaking it in every direction, nothing, tried to make it blob on the page, nothing, Pulled the cap on and off several times, still bone dry.
I would say that this pen is the condition that you would want with your pen, it is trouble free. If you cannot replicate this with your pen, especially trying to make the pen drop ink on the page then I would not mess around and simply tell the seller that you want to send it back and start an ebay claim.
Mine is behaving "better". I managed a blot on the page with a slightly vigorous full stop. The pen was then wetter, but I noted a drip of ink under the feed. Once dried off the pen was less wet again.
It is still writing better than yesterday. I sense it is a bit picky with precise nib attitude. Perhaps your "writing on aluminium" tip helps with that.
I am going to keep playing about with it, to get a feel as to whether I am happy with it or not. Too many blots and it will be going back.
Clockwork Cupcake said:
Louis Balfour said:
Because the fountain pen I bought last week has ink in it.
That's like Harry Metcalfe or Jay Leno saying "but I have a car with petrol in it"The last seven days have nevertheless been quite spendy and I must now stop.
I’ve done a rudimentary comparison between the Parker and the Montblanc LeGrand.
The MB nib is a medium, against the Parker fine. However there is not much to choose between the two really.
The Parker is running Quink vs the MB Montegrappa.
The Parker is drier and the drag on the page slightly greater, which tames my wayward hand. The MB is much wetter and I will require better paper if I am to write on both sides.
The MB nib is a medium, against the Parker fine. However there is not much to choose between the two really.
The Parker is running Quink vs the MB Montegrappa.
The Parker is drier and the drag on the page slightly greater, which tames my wayward hand. The MB is much wetter and I will require better paper if I am to write on both sides.
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