Any Fountain Pen Writers?

[Cyclops]

28 minutes ago, Slowswift said:

 @Cyclops Platinum nibs are amazing, no matter the price point. That set is delightful, glad you're enjoying them, and I'm happy to hear your Conklin's doing better, too!

I think I may have spoken too soon on the Conklin.  If it sits for more than a day or two unused, it takes a twist of the converter to get it going again.  I've about decided that I just have an expensive conversation piece.  A shame, really.  My Platinum Preppies and Jinhao 250s write better than the Conklin.

[Coolmint]

4 hours ago, Cyclops said:

I think I may have spoken too soon on the Conklin.  If it sits for more than a day or two unused, it takes a twist of the converter to get it going again.  I've about decided that I just have an expensive conversation piece.  A shame, really.  My Platinum Preppies and Jinhao 250s write better than the Conklin.

Frustrating!  I do have a couple of pens that need either the water-dip or the converter twist to get them writing again, but I don't really mind.  Does everything else seem okay?  Nib seated well, etc?

Have you tried the pan with a cartridge?  Is whatever ink you're using considered a dry or reluctant ink?  Wish I could be of more help.

[Cyclops]

1 hour ago, Coolmint said:

Frustrating!  I do have a couple of pens that need either the water-dip or the converter twist to get them writing again, but I don't really mind.  Does everything else seem okay?  Nib seated well, etc?

Have you tried the pan with a cartridge?  Is whatever ink you're using considered a dry or reluctant ink?  Wish I could be of more help.

I've not used any cartridges, just the included converter.  And it's inked with Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin.  Works just fine in my Pilot Metropolitan.  Maybe I'll try a wetter ink like Noodler's 54th Massachusetts or Bad Belted Kingfisher.  It's just really frustrating to buy a relatively expensive pen and it won't work properly.

[Coolmint]

10 minutes ago, Cyclops said:

I've not used any cartridges, just the included converter.  And it's inked with Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin.  Works just fine in my Pilot Metropolitan.  Maybe I'll try a wetter ink like Noodler's 54th Massachusetts or Bad Belted Kingfisher.  It's just really frustrating to buy a relatively expensive pen and it won't work properly.

I'd change the ink first, then try a cart…do you have any inks other than Noodlers?  Bad Black Moccasin has been trouble in some pens.  Some inks work well in certain pens, but refuse to cooperate in others.  It's a juggling act, I swear.

[Cyclops]

2 hours ago, Coolmint said:

I'd change the ink first, then try a cart…do you have any inks other than Noodlers?  Bad Black Moccasin has been trouble in some pens.  Some inks work well in certain pens, but refuse to cooperate in others.  It's a juggling act, I swear.

I have a few other inks besides Noodler's.  I've got some from Diamine, Monteverde, Waterman, Colorverse (sample), Robert Oster (sample, so far), Private Reserve, Birmingham, Sailor (sample), and Pilot (sample).

Or were you wanting an itemized list to make suggestions from?

[Coolmint]

1 hour ago, Cyclops said:

I have a few other inks besides Noodler's.  I've got some from Diamine, Monteverde, Waterman, Colorverse (sample), Robert Oster (sample, so far), Private Reserve, Birmingham, Sailor (sample), and Pilot (sample).

Or were you wanting an itemized list to make suggestions from?

I might first try a Waterman ink….then if that's no better, try a cartridge (if you have any, and I'm assuming this pen takes standard internationals).

Edited October 8, 2022 by Coolmint

[+Slowswift]

Well, that bites. Conklin is one of the most frustrating companies out there right now--they've nailed the pen itself, but the writing experience, the one part that actually matters, seems to be consistently terrible. It's really disappointing.

[Cyclops]

Somebody in a fountain pen group I'm in on MeWe brought up a point I hadn't thought of, and might not ever have.  Where the pocket clip attaches to the wooden cap allows air inside.  I had tried putting an o-ring at the base of the flip section, but it didn't help but just a little.  So at the other person's suggestion, I dabbed some superglue gel in the space around the clip.  I did it a couple of times, letting it dry and set for a while between applications.  It has made more of a difference than anything else I've tried.

[Coolmint]

20 minutes ago, Cyclops said:

Somebody in a fountain pen group I'm in on MeWe brought up a point I hadn't thought of, and might not ever have.  Where the pocket clip attaches to the wooden cap allows air inside.  I had tried putting an o-ring at the base of the flip section, but it didn't help but just a little.  So at the other person's suggestion, I dabbed some superglue gel in the space around the clip.  I did it a couple of times, letting it dry and set for a while between applications.  It has made more of a difference than anything else I've tried.

This is the Conklin?  If that works, huzzah!

[+Slowswift]

1 hour ago, Cyclops said:

Somebody in a fountain pen group I'm in on MeWe brought up a point I hadn't thought of, and might not ever have.  Where the pocket clip attaches to the wooden cap allows air inside.  I had tried putting an o-ring at the base of the flip section, but it didn't help but just a little.  So at the other person's suggestion, I dabbed some superglue gel in the space around the clip.  I did it a couple of times, letting it dry and set for a while between applications.  It has made more of a difference than anything else I've tried.

Nice! I hadn't thought of that either but it makes perfect sense.

Parker has a similar problem--for some forsaken reason, they decided to put holes in the caps of their pens. I guess they're trying to mitigate suction on the snap caps, but that also means that they dry out very, very fast.

Still want to try a Duofold, though.

Edited October 15, 2022 by Slowswift
Formatting

[Cyclops]

1 hour ago, Coolmint said:

This is the Conklin?  If that works, huzzah!

The Conklin, yes.  It's been a little less than 24 hours since I used it last, so I'm going to try it again.

[Cyclops]

9 minutes ago, Slowswift said:

Nice! I hadn't thought of that either but it makes perfect sense.

Parker has a similar problem--for some forsaken reason, they decided to put holes in the caps of their pens. I guess they're trying to mitigate suction on the snap caps, but that also means that they dry out very, very fast.

Still want to try a Duofold, though.

I had asked about the holes in the Pilot Kakuno cap, and was told they're to prevent choking if a small child got ahold of it and tried to swallow it.  But I was also told the Kakuno is kid-oriented, as maybe I should try a more "grown-up" pen.  So I thanked the person for the cap info, and then informed him that I do have "grown-up" pens, but the Kakuno was easier on my arthritis.

[Coolmint]

18 minutes ago, Cyclops said:

I had asked about the holes in the Pilot Kakuno cap, and was told they're to prevent choking if a small child got ahold of it and tried to swallow it.  But I was also told the Kakuno is kid-oriented, as maybe I should try a more "grown-up" pen.  So I thanked the person for the cap info, and then informed him that I do have "grown-up" pens, but the Kakuno was easier on my arthritis.

There's more than one way to 'cure' a hole in the cap… hot glue?  Teacher's tack (sticky, puttylike substance), even Elmer's white glue.  Or washi tape.  Depends how reversible you want it.  
 

And now I must check all my caps for holes.

[Kasimir]

On 10/16/2022 at 3:21 AM, Slowswift said:

Parker has a similar problem--for some forsaken reason, they decided to put holes in the caps of their pens. I guess they're trying to mitigate suction on the snap caps, but that also means that they dry out very, very fast.

I seem to recall someone mentioning that Scriptorium Pens warns about this as a potential issue if you ask for a clip or roll stop. Either that, or it was a consideration she had when doing so.

On 10/16/2022 at 3:56 AM, Coolmint said:

And now I must check all my caps for holes.

Tell me about it...

On 10/16/2022 at 3:35 AM, Cyclops said:

I had asked about the holes in the Pilot Kakuno cap, and was told they're to prevent choking if a small child got ahold of it and tried to swallow it.  But I was also told the Kakuno is kid-oriented, as maybe I should try a more "grown-up" pen.  So I thanked the person for the cap info, and then informed him that I do have "grown-up" pens, but the Kakuno was easier on my arthritis.

I would be less worried about the Kakuno I think. Kakuno seems to have a fairly good seal. But this is purely anecdotal - I have two.

After more than a year, finally picked up the Nakaya That Was Promised, thanks to the windfall, and the generosity of friends and family:

I don't think I can ever bring myself to shell out that much for a pen, and I'm really, really grateful that they all did. The design is one I find personally meaningful, and the nib is a joy to handle. That's it for me as far as most major pens are concerned. I might pick up a curiosity here and there or a nice colour but I expect I'm mostly done. If I were to ever consider a pen a Grail, this was mine, and I'm satisfied. I write with it daily.

[Cyclops]

My grail pen is a Montegrappa Hemingway Fisherman.  The only way I could ever get one of my own would be if I won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes.  Nobody I know personally is going to shell out upwards of $30,000 on a fountain pen.  Come to think of it, even if I did win the PCH $7000/week for life, I still couldn't see myself spending that much for it.  If I were in Musk's, Gates', or Bezos's financial situation, no problem.  Otherwise...

 

[Kasimir]

Anyone have tips on what to do with a nib that's constantly leaking? The housing doesn't look cracked and the seat of the nib on the feed is correct. I'm quite at a loss for what to do with it! (It's not a JoWo but a PenBBS.)

[Coolmint]

38 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

Anyone have tips on what to do with a nib that's constantly leaking? The housing doesn't look cracked and the seat of the nib on the feed is correct. I'm quite at a loss for what to do with it! (It's not a JoWo but a PenBBS.)

What kind of filling system?  

Do you have a loupe to check for micro cracks?  And when you say 'constantly leaking,' is this just when you're writing or is there ink in the cap the first time you take it off

 

@Cyclops I just read yesterday that Conklins are notorious for hard starts.

[Kasimir]

2 hours ago, Coolmint said:

What kind of filling system?  

Do you have a loupe to check for micro cracks?  And when you say 'constantly leaking,' is this just when you're writing or is there ink in the cap the first time you take it off

C/C - it drips as soon as oriented downwards or tilted downwards, yes I have and use a loupe. I mention the JoWo because of the JoWo cracking epidemic that still affects some JoWo nibs housings, but I'm not finding the same stress/crack lines on the PenBBS housing that I do on the JoWo housing.

[Coolmint]

2 hours ago, Kasimir said:

C/C - it drips as soon as oriented downwards or tilted downwards, yes I have and use a loupe. I mention the JoWo because of the JoWo cracking epidemic that still affects some JoWo nibs housings, but I'm not finding the same stress/crack lines on the PenBBS housing that I do on the JoWo housing.

Sounds frustrating.  I would suspect an air leak somewhere.  Maybe a crack in the cartridge or converter lip (I've had those a couple of times), or the c/c isn't seated firmly.  

Have you removed the cart and looked down into the section?  I once had a pen that did the same thing, looked at the piercing post, found a piece of something or other that prevented the cart from correctly seating.  

[Kasimir]

21 hours ago, Coolmint said:

Sounds frustrating.  I would suspect an air leak somewhere.  Maybe a crack in the cartridge or converter lip (I've had those a couple of times), or the c/c isn't seated firmly.  

Have you removed the cart and looked down into the section?  I once had a pen that did the same thing, looked at the piercing post, found a piece of something or other that prevented the cart from correctly seating.  

Thanks for the tip! I think I see two cracks in the converter lip. Not sure if they are mould lines but I am going to test with a fresh converter and see what happens. Nearly missed them because my previous converter failures have had issues with the converter body near the lip, rather than the lip itself. Definitely not a seating issue - the piercing post is clean. Will report back on the results.

[Coolmint]

26 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

Thanks for the tip! I think I see two cracks in the converter lip. Not sure if they are mould lines but I am going to test with a fresh converter and see what happens. Nearly missed them because my previous converter failures have had issues with the converter body near the lip, rather than the lip itself. Definitely not a seating issue - the piercing post is clean. Will report back on the results.

I hope that works!  
 

What sort of pen, a Pen BBS, or is that just the nib?  Could you show a photo of the pen, or a name/model?  

[Kasimir]

2 minutes ago, Coolmint said:

I hope that works!  
 

What sort of pen, a Pen BBS, or is that just the nib?  Could you show a photo of the pen, or a name/model?  

PenBBS 480 - with a standard PenBBS RM nib, but I had reswapped that nib in, which is why I had felt the need to check seating and housing. Could do a photo but not immediately as it's very late for me right now. I also want to test the converter issue first since if that's really the problem, then that's quite easily solved.

Edit: Nib is friction fit, I had swapped out the original nib to try a nib ground by a local nibmeister-in-training, swapped the nib back in.

Edited October 22, 2022 by Kasimir

[Coolmint]

2 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

PenBBS 480 - with a standard PenBBS RM nib, but I had reswapped that nib in, which is why I had felt the need to check seating and housing. Could do a photo but not immediately as it's very late for me right now. I also want to test the converter issue first since if that's really the problem, then that's quite easily solved.

Edit: Nib is friction fit, I had swapped out the original nib to try a nib ground by a local nibmeister-in-training, swapped the nib back in.

Oooooo shiiinyyyyy!  Which is yours, the amber or green?  I would absolutely want mine to write well, it's a gorgeous pen.
 

I might even try a cartridge, if you have one.  Converters sometimes do funny things.

[Kasimir]

Just now, Coolmint said:

Oooooo shiiinyyyyy!  Which is yours, the amber or green?  I would absolutely want mine to write well, it's a gorgeous pen.
 

I might even try a cartridge, if you have one.  Converters sometimes do funny things.

Mine is the one to the left in this photo, a cracked acrylic called Moon River. Fair point, I'll go see if I have a cartridge that fits. In theory, Chinese pens take international cartridges but sometimes things are a big dicey. But I do know that this pen can be eyedroppered so in the absolute worst case, I'm thinking of eyedropper filling it partway with some testing ink and see what happens.

[+Slowswift]

On 10/16/2022 at 2:36 PM, Kasimir said:

After more than a year, finally picked up the Nakaya That Was Promised, thanks to the windfall, and the generosity of friends and family:

I don't think I can ever bring myself to shell out that much for a pen, and I'm really, really grateful that they all did. The design is one I find personally meaningful, and the nib is a joy to handle. That's it for me as far as most major pens are concerned. I might pick up a curiosity here and there or a nice colour but I expect I'm mostly done. If I were to ever consider a pen a Grail, this was mine, and I'm satisfied. I write with it daily.

Hey man, congrats! I think you're in what most would find an enviable state. May you and that pen have many happy years together.