Philias Nib Removal And Repair (Very Amateur!)

[TwelveDrawings]

My first Phileas went nose-diving onto concrete. In despair, I tried to repair it but the ink skipped severely after that. With some encouragement here on FPN and some YouTube research, I finally extracted the metal nib from the plastic barrel.

 

Some insist it cannot be done. Others say it's easy. After soaking it for several hours in warm, slightly soapy water, I found it fairly easy. My pen was not old and so there may have been very little dried ink cementing the nib in place. But a firm, straight tug with some padded pliars popped it out.

 

In case you are curious about the pen section's anatomy, I am attaching a photo of what the disassembled pieces look liked. I need to thank secrep for helping name the parts. And a shout-out to esteroid for some detailed instructions. -- TwelveDrawings.com

Edited August 24, 2013 by TwelveDrawings

[TwelveDrawings]

As you can see in this photograph, I was able to straighten the metal nib with more precision once it was disassembled from the feed (see my post above for part names).

 

Was my amateur removal and repair a success? Well... the pen does draw now and the skipping seems to be cured. Compared with a factory new "medium" nib, this one now draws a thicker line. I'd call it a "semi-broad" now.

 

Did I drive expert nibmeisters out of business by doing my own repair? Not a chance. None of the several NMs I contacted stock a replacement nib (the metal tip) for a Phileas and none repair a steel tip, which my Phileas has. I don't blame them, as my beloved Phileas is not a Rolls Royce pen. More like a lovable VW beetle.

 

No nibmeisters were harmed in the making of this post. In fact, I am pretty sure my meatball surgery will give them a good laugh. Don't try this at home kids, unless you have an inexpensive, terribly damaged nib, on a discontinued pen. Then, go for it!

 

— TwelveDrawinigs.com

Edited August 24, 2013 by TwelveDrawings

[PAKMAN]

Looks much better! If it writes good for you then it is a total success!

[RMN]

OK jolly good show!!!

I myself have never endeavoured in such an operation.

 

I especially like your pictures as they are informative.

 

D.ick

[TwelveDrawings]

The YouTube video that helped me understand the process is here

He uses lighter fluid if soaking in water does not work...but I simply used water. I used the same tissue-wrapping method for protecting the tip. I am told that nylon coated pliars are preferred, but I do not own any. The tissue method worked, but I could have easily damaged the point of the nib using this method, so understand this before attempting it.

 

Once I had the metal nib off, I unbent it by laying it at the end of a round chopstick, then burnishing it with the end of an enamel or plastic chopstick. I am embarassed to say I resorted to using my fingernails for some of the finer aligning of the two tips.

 

I would never dream of using such home-made methods on anyone else's pen. But in the spirit of fun and learning on an already-ruined pen nib, I managed to restore it to a useful life.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention the necessity of using my magnifying headset. It has three levels of magnification and by the end, I was using the highest to align the two halves of the tip!

 

 

[Left FPN]

Ahhh, just noticed, the L'etalon nib is not identical to the Phili,

 

here is L'etalon, it does not have the prongs.

 

Edited August 24, 2013 by Force

[TwelveDrawings]

Ahhh, just noticed, the L'etalon nib is not identical to the Phili,

 

here is L'etalon, it does not have the prongs.

 

This is truly a place of intricate and magical discovery, thanks to generous sharing like yours. -- TD

[Sailor Kenshin]

That headset is amazing! Want. Well, maybe some day...

[RMN]

That headset is amazing! Want. Well, maybe some day...

What do you mean... some day?

 

They are less then $8 at Amazon...

 

 

D.ick

[fncll]

I had no idea it was supposed to be a problem to remove the Phileas nib and feed when I did so recently. It took a bit of soaking and a sonic cleaning or three, but then I pulled it out with my usual square of rubber shelf liner without all that much trouble... now to get it ground to a stub...

[TwelveDrawings]

King of Cheapies... I was admit to being perplexed by the totally opposing accounts I read about removing the nib from a Phileas.

 

Now that I removed mine, I side with those who declared it rather simple. However, those who found it impossible may have had particularly built-up ink deposits. I see a very thin stem (my term) that must slide out of a very slender hole for the separation to take place. The end of that stem is what punctures the ink cartridge, so a certain accumulation of dried ink seems plausible.

 

I found a YouTube video that recommends using lighter fluid (as in cigarette lighter) to free a stubborn part. I seem to recall an art teacher saying that lighter fluid liquifies ink on paper, so that makes sense. The YouTube creator said lighter fluid will not cause plastic to become clouded.

 

All things considered, I'd say that you and I were fortunate that a simple soak and a pull were sufficient. In fact, I did not have the advantage of ultrasound. So today is my lucky day.

 

TwelveDrawings.com

Edited August 25, 2013 by TwelveDrawings

[Harlequin]

TD, how was it getting everything back together? Did that go as easily as getting it apart?

[TwelveDrawings]

TD, how was it getting everything back together? Did that go as easily as getting it apart?

Reassembly was very, very simple. The tabs on the nib mate perfectly with notches on the feed. No way to do it wrong, fortunately. -- TD

[Sailor Kenshin]

King of Cheapies... I was admit to being perplexed by the totally opposing accounts I read about removing the nib from a Phileas.

 

Now that I removed mine, I side with those who declared it rather simple. However, those who found it impossible may have had particularly built-up ink deposits. I see a very thin stem (my term) that must slide out of a very slender hole for the separation to take place. The end of that stem is what punctures the ink cartridge, so a certain accumulation of dried ink seems plausible.

 

I found a YouTube video that recommends using lighter fluid (as in cigarette lighter) to free a stubborn part. I seem to recall an art teacher saying that lighter fluid liquifies ink on paper, so that makes sense. The YouTube creator said lighter fluid will not cause plastic to become clouded.

 

All things considered, I'd say that you and I were fortunate that a simple soak and a pull were sufficient. In fact, I did not have the advantage of ultrasound. So today is my lucky day.

 

TwelveDrawings.com

The part that pierces the cart is called the 'nipple.'

[TwelveDrawings]

The part that pierces the cart is called the 'nipple.'

As I said, I learn a lot here...even though I need to use that term judiciously. -- TD

[TwelveDrawings]

I have read here about the potential for nib corrosion due to dried ink being trapped BEHIND the nib. Curious, I checked some Phileas pens I had placed in dry storage (no ink and well-rinsed). Sure enough, there was ink residue barely visible on the back side of the metal nib. I recently learned how to remove the metal nib and feed with padded pliars, however no pliars were available at that moment.

 

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

Feeling perhaps reckless, I wrapped a simple cloth around the nib/feed, gently clenched it in my rear teeth, and tugged. After a long moment of resistance, the pieces came cleanly apart. Startled, I looked down to find everything was undamaged. I even used a powerful magnifier to ensure that neither metal nor plastic had been bent or scratched. I tried it again with a second pen without incident. I strongly warn you against this...in fact I think the whole idea is totally crazy. I could have swallowed or inhaled the metal nib and been injured or killed. (Is that sufficient not to try it? I thought so.) Still, I now know that in war conditions, I can field-dress my Phileas pen.

 

BACK TO THE DRIED INK

The back of the pen was indeed coated with dried ink. I held my breath as I first soaked and then rubbed the stains. Luckily, they came off easily and there was no trace of corrosion, even after two years in storage. I personally concluded it was probably because genuine Waterman ink was used. I know there are less expensive alternatives, but this "acid" test proves that better ink may pay for itself over and over again.

 

Again, disregard my hairy-chested method of nib/feed removal. The chance of damaging a precious nib is too great. Use me as a role-model for how NOT to treat your Phileas.

 

www.TwelveDrawings.com

[Sailor Kenshin]

Can I run with scissors instead?

[TwelveDrawings]

Can I run with scissors instead?

My mother raised me better than this--she really did.

 

Still, beer-drinkers have come up with 100 or so ways to open a non-twist beer bottle cap....50 of them involving teeth. So I think FP folk should have one renegade whose exploits they can tell stories about.

 

www.TwelveDrawings.com

[Left FPN]

b#@$%r, I wish I hadn't tried that

 

[TwelveDrawings]

Having successfully removed several Phileas nibs, I was surprised to run into an uncooperative one recently. I had purchased it online and it was in new condition other than having been inked. (In this forum, I learned that some pen stores sometimes dip a new pen in ink so a prospective buyer can try it out.) It took a lot of rinsing, but the water eventually ran crystal clear.

 

I wrapped the nib carefully as has been described here and elsewhere. However, the usual amount of tugging yielded no results. I rinsed it again in varying degrees of warm soapy water. Finally, a good firm pull caused the tip to pop out like all the rest.

 

I peeled the gold metal from the black pastic (as in photos above). Thankfully, the concealed part of the metal nib was pristine and no traces of ink were visible anywhere. I reassembled the nib without further fanfare and that pen has now joined my motley crew of Phileas pens, old and new.

 

I share this inconsequential adventure to confirm that if your nib refuses to come apart as expected, use patience and much soaking. And as members with ultra-sound baths will confirm, a bath in one of those electronic devices will work wonders too.

 

— www.TwelveDrawings.com