Pen Help

I'm not a calligrapher. I just like writing with the smallest nib on
the Sheaffer calligraphy kit my wife picked at Barnes and Noble. My pen
won't write anymore. If you give it a good shake, the ink will flow for
awhile and then quit. I ran water through it. It didn't make it any
better. Is there somewhere I could get a pen that would have the same
size nib and be more reliable. Thanks.

Hi there..

well, there may not be anything wrong with your pen that a good soaking in a
mild ammonia/water mix wouldn't fix. let's see.. i think the recipe I've
heard is 1 tsp to 2/3 cup water. you could also try a mild soap & water
mix. Sounds like it just has some ink clogged in it if this is the first
time you've flushed it. of course, I have no idea how long you've been
using it... if this is the sheaffer with the rubberized grip you may not be
able to "soak" it as much as just force the cleaning solution through it
multiple times with something like a bulb syringe (available at any drug
store.)

they are very reliable little pens. There are a multitude of italic nibs
out there that are very good ranging from inexpensive (Pelikan Scripto comes
to mind) and many can be found with fine nibs. there's the other end of the
spectrum as well - custom ground nibs on extremely reliable pens (such as
the Pelikan 200 and various sheaffers and Parkers). Depends on how much
money you want to spend and if there are features you'd like to try
(different filling mechanisms for example that allow you to use bottled
inks). if you narrow down your requirements a bit, I know I and others can
provide a fairly good list of pens for you to look into.

my personal favorite would be a Richard Binder cursive italic nib for a
Pelikan M200. www.richardspens.com yup, it's a bit more money but you'll
have an incredibly good pen for many many years to come.

however, whatever you end up with - i recommend you flush with cool water
about once a month to avoid clogging.

you also didn't say what ink you are using... that could be of value to the
discussion. and what paper - some papers have coatings that can clog the
tines on a pen (though it wouldn't have the same symptoms you're
experiencing.)

hth.

KCat

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you also didn't say what ink you are using... that could be of value to the
discussion. and what paper - some papers have coatings that can clog the
tines on a pen (though it wouldn't have the same symptoms you're
experiencing.)

Thansk for the info. Paper type is whatever notebook paper I happen to
have on hand. I'm a high school teacher, and most of my paper is what
students abandon in the previous school year. Ink has has been Sheaffer
(sp?).

I looked at the web site you recommended. The pens there are a little
expensive, but I heartily agreed with the reasons the web site owner
mentions for using fountain pens. I do have a birthday coming up, but
I've kind of used it up earlier in the year. New watch, cell phone,
some camera gear were all purchased as early presents. My wife may not
up with another high dollar purchase right now. Of course Christmas is
coming...

On 14 Sep 2005 17:03:34 -0700, typed:

I looked at the web site you recommended. The pens there are a little
expensive, but I heartily agreed with the reasons the web site owner
mentions for using fountain pens. I do have a birthday coming up, but
I've kind of used it up earlier in the year. New watch, cell phone,
some camera gear were all purchased as early presents. My wife may not
up with another high dollar purchase right now. Of course Christmas is
coming...

I'll second Kcat's recommendation, especially since I have *way* too
many pens (Pelikan and others) that Richard has reground to a cursive
italic. Personally I prefer the gold nib (M250 and up) I like the feel
of gold versus steel, but they are *all* great writers, and Pelikan is
- hands down - the best bargain ever!

You'll love it.And welcome to the group.

Then you can think about ink. I have 10 or 11 bottles, but I'm one of
the more conservative ones in this group....

--
Cordially,

Sonam Dasara
9/14/2005 8:41:56 PM

On the simpler side, two other things to make sure of:

- Keep the cap on when you're not writing, even for a few minutes. The
ink dries quickly, so it's easy to clog. But it washes out of the pen
with water, so no permanent harm.

- The ink in your present cartridge may be too dried out. Have you
tried another one?

- If you've pressed very hard while writing, or if the pen has
accidentally been dropped onto the nib, it may not be writing because
the nib is bent. Do the other nibs still work OK?

wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm not a calligrapher. I just like writing with the smallest nib on
the Sheaffer calligraphy kit my wife picked at Barnes and Noble. My pen
won't write anymore. If you give it a good shake, the ink will flow for
awhile and then quit. I ran water through it. It didn't make it any
better. Is there somewhere I could get a pen that would have the same
size nib and be more reliable. Thanks.

What B&N's selling on their website right now is the Viewpoint starter kit
so the smallest nib to which you're referring is likely the fine italic.

If you're near an arts & crafts store like Hobby Lobby, you should be able
to pick up another pen with a single fine italic nib which would be cheaper
than another set. I got mine from a supermarket, so that's another option.

Like David, though, I believe that you should check on the other factors he
noted because Sheaffer ink doesn't clog up nibs with normal fountain pen use
and care. If you don't, you're bound to have problems with any other fp that
you buy.

Good luck and Welcome to the group!

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thansk for the info. Paper type is whatever notebook paper I happen to
have on hand. I'm a high school teacher, and most of my paper is what
students abandon in the previous school year. Ink has has been Sheaffer
(sp?).

those should be an issue then. as long as regular maintenance was used.
Does the pen sit for periods of time without use or do you use it daily?

I looked at the web site you recommended. The pens there are a little
expensive, but I heartily agreed with the reasons the web site owner
mentions for using fountain pens.

yes, and there are other good pens. it's just that the Pelikan nib is sooo
darned reliable. I've never had one give me a bit of problems. they're
easy to remove and clean thoroughly if you do let it sit too long which is
another big plus in my book. But yeah, the custom nibs are up there in
cost.

do have a birthday coming up, but
I've kind of used it up earlier in the year. New watch, cell phone,
some camera gear were all purchased as early presents.

understand - just got a Zen Micro - love it but we bought 3 - one for each
of us (hubby, self, kiddo) because they're just so much more convenient then
lugging around CDs.

My wife may not
up with another high dollar purchase right now. Of course Christmas is
coming...

if she has her own email account, you can always forward the links to her.


i'm not able to buy right now but for a "housewarming" gift I may be able to
talk hubby into the next pen on my wishlist which is, fortunately, not
outrageously expensive. - relatively speaking.

"Sonam Dasara" wrote in message
...
On 14 Sep 2005 17:03:34 -0700, typed:

Then you can think about ink. I have 10 or 11 bottles, but I'm one of
the more conservative ones in this group....

heh... indeed - i have to pack all my pen stuff this week. i have
forty-mumblemumble inks and a number of "back-ups" for different colors that
are hard to get here in the US.

but then there's Greg Clark - i wonder how many inks he actually has... 400?

On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 13:58:11 -0700, jdjinkins wrote:

I'm not a calligrapher. I just like writing with the smallest nib on
the Sheaffer calligraphy kit my wife picked at Barnes and Noble. My pen
won't write anymore. If you give it a good shake, the ink will flow for
awhile and then quit. I ran water through it. It didn't make it any
better. Is there somewhere I could get a pen that would have the same
size nib and be more reliable. Thanks.

I have experienced a similar
problem with almost every pen I've purchased, vintage or new, and nine
times out of ten the reason was one of two, if not both: (1) the clearance
between the nib and the feeder has to be exactly right, and leeway is
virtually non-existent. Too tight, and the ink stops flowing unless you
press down enough to potentially damage the nib--and that's only a
temporary fix anyway. Too loose, same result, though with extreme care
I've been able to bend DOWN the nib to make better almost-contact and
solve the problem. (2) the slot in the nib is too narrow, at least for my
purposes. Most of them seem to come set too narrow for me. Now, I know
the proper way to fix this, but it's more difficult than a simple but
dangerous way I generally use: I take a razor blade (preferably
single-edged for obvious reasons) and using a jeweler's loupe VERY VERY
gradually increase the width of the slot at the tip. I mean REALLY
gradually, imperceptibly. Go too far and it can often be remedied, but
believe me, it's not fun or easy. This has worked dozens of times to
create pens that write superbly and just the way I want--and have
continued to do so for years. But you must realize there is great risk in
this procedure.

If one tine rises higher than the other during this makeshift but (with
care) effective fix, using the jeweler's loupe and, first your fingers,
then if absolutely necessary well-padded small needle-nose pliers, bend
both tines at the same time, or only the obviously offending one, till
they ride perfectly against each other again. This is not nearly as hard
as it sounds, and a good nib will withstand numerous small corrections
like this.

I have been doing this for years. I have ruined a few pens doing it. I
have made many, many others write either acceptably or unimaginably well.

If your pen is replaceable, and not too expensive, I would recommend
trying this method, bearing in mind that it's not without risk.