New Rotring Core seems to skip

So I got my Rotring Core on Saturday. It's an interesting pen, but I
wonder if I have what our late colleague Frank Dubiel called a "skip
on downstroke" problem?

If I just try to start writing no ink gets on the paper. I have to
press down on the nib once, often twice. When I see a dot of ink
deposited I can start writing. If I sit thinking, and not writing, for
more than a few seconds I have to go through all of that nib tip
pressing stuff again.

Is this likely to be something that would require a serious nib
adjustment, which would require me to send it back to the vendor? I
didn't pay much for this pen and postage back and forth to the vendor
could easily bring the cost up above the MSRP before the Core was
discontinued.

Does anyone have any advice? Are there any other diagnostic things I
should do with it to make certain what the problem is? As I said, the
pen is interesting and I hope I don't have to leave it in a drawer as
a not-that-usable writing instrument.

do you have a magnifying glass of any sort ? you might be able to see if the
nib is "baby bottomed" which can cause skipping on the first downstroke.
"baby bottomed" nibs are pretty easy to spot with a little magnification.

http://www.richardspens.com/ref_info/nib_primer.htm

it might be as simple as "flossing" the tines or as complex as a altering
the way the nib and feed come together.

flossing - a thin shim of some sort, slipped gently between the tines.
Probably most of us use a fingernail 'cause we're too lazy to go dig out
that cool little bit we bought from insert nibmeister name here. you
don't want to crank the things open of course. I've use fingernail, metal
shim from nibmeister or a piece of very fine mylar. do not use a razor
blade or similarly sharp instrument.

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 21:37:16 GMT, "KCat" wrote:

do you have a magnifying glass of any sort ? you might be able to see if the
nib is "baby bottomed" which can cause skipping on the first downstroke.
"baby bottomed" nibs are pretty easy to spot with a little magnification.

http://www.richardspens.com/ref_info/nib_primer.htm

Yeah, I suspect that this is what I've got. I looked at the beginning
of the Frank Dubiel lecture on this stuff and it sounded like he was
describing my problem.

Yesterday I looked at the nib tip, I only have about a 3x magnifying
glass no loupe, and it looked okay. But today I realized that the very
tip is not where to look, and looking at the bottom of the nib tip
angled so that I was getting the paper's eye view of it, albeit upside
down, I think I do see that "baby bottom" effect. Drat!

it might be as simple as "flossing" the tines or as complex as a altering
the way the nib and feed come together.

flossing - a thin shim of some sort, slipped gently between the tines.
Probably most of us use a fingernail 'cause we're too lazy to go dig out
that cool little bit we bought from insert nibmeister name here. you
don't want to crank the things open of course. I've use fingernail, metal
shim from nibmeister or a piece of very fine mylar. do not use a razor
blade or similarly sharp instrument.

How about if I use fine dental floss? And isn't the solution to this
"baby bottom" problem a regrinding of the nib?

Oh, I so do not want to send this pen back.

"R. Paul Martin" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 21:37:16 GMT, "KCat" wrote:

How about if I use fine dental floss?

well, I don't think it will do much. You actually want to separate the nibs
*very slightly* vs. just trying to get debris out or whatever.

And isn't the solution to this
"baby bottom" problem a regrinding of the nib?

well - it's not a huge job to do this - Just a few passes over a fine mylar
can do the trick in most cases. But make sure you're comfortable with doing
this. Before I had the mylar I used a "4-way" nail polisher - this can take
a lot off very quickly so if you choose to try this go slow. Leather or a
rubber fingernail polisher can smooth the surface afterward.

Oh, I so do not want to send this pen back.

I can understand that. If you decide to try to grind the tipping yourself,
just take it slow and make sure you don't "flatten" it too much.

you can buy the mylar or lapping film from several of the pen places or you
can perhaps post on the pentrace market board or penlovers board that you
would like a small amount of it just for this sort of purpose. you might
get some suggestions in the process on how to do and not do this. :-) I've
just done gentle figure eights a few times, test, do a few more if
necessary, etc. you want to alter the angle of attack as you go so you
don't get a flat area on the nib.
--
I am not a Lupus/Fountain Pen Expert. I am not a Medical Doctor. I do not
make my living in medicine or in fountain pen repair. All opinions herein
are based solely on my experience and observations. Take them with a grain
of salt (unless you have high blood pressure...)

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 22:38:02 GMT, "KCat" wrote:

"R. Paul Martin" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 21:37:16 GMT, "KCat" wrote:

How about if I use fine dental floss?

well, I don't think it will do much. You actually want to separate the nibs
*very slightly* vs. just trying to get debris out or whatever.

Yeah, this prospect does not sound attractive, although maybe I do
have to try it..

And isn't the solution to this
"baby bottom" problem a regrinding of the nib?

well - it's not a huge job to do this - Just a few passes over a fine mylar
can do the trick in most cases. But make sure you're comfortable with doing
this. Before I had the mylar I used a "4-way" nail polisher - this can take
a lot off very quickly so if you choose to try this go slow. Leather or a
rubber fingernail polisher can smooth the surface afterward.

Oh, I so do not want to send this pen back.

I can understand that. If you decide to try to grind the tipping yourself,
just take it slow and make sure you don't "flatten" it too much.

you can buy the mylar or lapping film from several of the pen places or you
can perhaps post on the pentrace market board or penlovers board that you
would like a small amount of it just for this sort of purpose. you might
get some suggestions in the process on how to do and not do this. :-) I've
just done gentle figure eights a few times, test, do a few more if
necessary, etc. you want to alter the angle of attack as you go so you
don't get a flat area on the nib.

Maybe I'll bring the subject up with the folks who sold it to me. If I
do try to grind the tip a little I'm sure I'll have more questions
beforehand. Thanks for your help.

"KCat" wrote in message
m...
do you have a magnifying glass of any sort ? you might be able to see if
the
nib is "baby bottomed" which can cause skipping on the first downstroke.
"baby bottomed" nibs are pretty easy to spot with a little magnification.

http://www.richardspens.com/ref_info/nib_primer.htm

what is a baby bottom and how do you spot it? Thanks. Penny

"Penny Howland" wrote:
| "KCat" wrote in message
| m...
| do you have a magnifying glass of any sort ? you might be able to
see if
| the
| nib is "baby bottomed" which can cause skipping on the first
downstroke.
| "baby bottomed" nibs are pretty easy to spot with a little
magnification.
|
| http://www.richardspens.com/ref_info/nib_primer.htm
|
| what is a baby bottom and how do you spot it? Thanks. Penny

Given that Richard gives a thorough explanation at the website listed
just above your query, I am compelled to add:

It's the thing you find in Pampers or Luv's, which are often already
spotted....

john cline ii, who just had to! (read the website for a pens answer)

"KCat" wrote in message
m...
do you have a magnifying glass of any sort ? you might be able to see if
the
nib is "baby bottomed" which can cause skipping on the first downstroke.
"baby bottomed" nibs are pretty easy to spot with a little magnification.

http://www.richardspens.com/ref_info/nib_primer.htm


Thank you KCat for that link.
Most of you old hands knew that it existed but us newbies need that stuff
pointed out to us.
What a body of work that site is!
That Richard Binder really spent a lot of time putting all that information
together.
I am surprised it was not made into a book (or was it? I would buy it!).
Anyhow, it is a gold mine of pen mechanics knowledge and those cutaway
drawings are fantastic.
Thank you Richard Binder!
Thank you KCat!

William Lee

"William Lee" wrote in message
...

I am surprised it was not made into a book (or was it? I would buy it!).
Anyhow, it is a gold mine of pen mechanics knowledge and those cutaway
drawings are fantastic.
Thank you Richard Binder!
Thank you KCat!

William Lee

I know a few of us have hinted to him that this might be a good idea. I've
printed out a few of the articles and put them in a folder for later
reference (so much for computers creating a "paperless" society) but it
would be cool to have a work like that that would basically complement
Frank's work. But not until Richard finishes my pen order... :-)

kcat