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Need Advice Asap On First Fountain Pen Insecurities


Mister Mont Blanc

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I would not try adjusting the nib yourself. It would likely void any promises of a nib exchange from MB and, really, if you've not not done this with success in the past, I wouldn't test my skills on a brand new MB.

 

I've always had excellent service from MB and they do allow nib trade-ins within a certain period of time. Even if you are not near a boutique, it's a good idea to develop a relationship with one. You can order pens through the stores rather than online and then have a contact there to work with on a regular basis. Not the ideal solution, but better than some of the other situations.

 

Some questions....have you cleaned the pen very well and tried a couple of different inks? Some people believe using a converter and bottled ink make a difference too. I don't know the paper you use, but you may want to also try changing that .. At least for testing purposes.

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Yes I would prefer an even thinner line but not at the cost of even more feedback. I can adjust to line width, I can't adjust to it being 'burnt toast smooth' lol. Also after seeing writing samples, there isn't THAT huge of a difference between F & M.

Tell them what YOU want.

The good people at MB service will make your fountain pen dream come true.

It sounds to me like you are looking for an EF nib with generous ink flow - a wet writer. That nib will glide over your paper silently.

Edited by meiers
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Hey Mister Mont Blanc. First I want to say I love your avatar, or what ever you call it. At first I thought it was an Art Deco Chess Set.

Who ever it was that mentioned, they will smooth out over time,, that helped me too. I think you said that another boutique is a few hours from you. You might wait until there are several things you want to buy and or have done. Call them in advance to get every thing shored up, make an appt. then go make a day out of it, or spend the night. If this wouldn't be an option, then watch some you tube vids on this. Some guy Stephen Bre brown has some vids on sanding your nibs. You could even question him on this.

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I would not try adjusting the nib yourself. It would likely void any promises of a nib exchange from MB and, really, if you've not not done this with success in the past, I wouldn't test my skills on a brand new MB.

I've always had excellent service from MB and they do allow nib trade-ins within a certain period of time. Even if you are not near a boutique, it's a good idea to develop a relationship with one. You can order pens through the stores rather than online and then have a contact there to work with on a regular basis. Not the ideal solution, but better than some of the other situations.

Some questions....have you cleaned the pen very well and tried a couple of different inks? Some people believe using a converter and bottled ink make a difference too. I don't know the paper you use, but you may want to also try changing that .. At least for testing purposes.

Yes I will be sending it in and giving them a chance instead of touching it myself. I did just order a Rhodia pad and some black ink but I will send it off before that package arrives. I found out the closest boutique is actually in Chicago according the service rep, but there are authorized retailers that are closer.

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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Hey Mister Mont Blanc. First I want to say I love your avatar, or what ever you call it. At first I thought it was an Art Deco Chess Set.

Who ever it was that mentioned, they will smooth out over time,, that helped me too. I think you said that another boutique is a few hours from you. You might wait until there are several things you want to buy and or have done. Call them in advance to get every thing shored up, make an appt. then go make a day out of it, or spend the night. If this wouldn't be an option, then watch some you tube vids on this. Some guy Stephen Bre brown has some vids on sanding your nibs. You could even question him on this.

Well thank you, yes I believe it is called an avatar. However that was one of the only pics I have on my phone that are small enough to upload. It is a background pic from a phone app. Yes I am thinking I may ask for an EF nib now but explain my situation of how I want it to feel and hope they have a nib for me! I have already watched and read much about nib work, as I engulf a lot of info when I'm interested in something. I love Brown's youtube channel, I usually only look to his videos now for learning! He is awesome. Edited by Mister Mont Blanc

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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I recommend that you get yourself a magnifier to look at your nibs even if you have no intention of working on one. Sometimes a bit of paper or dirt catches on a nib and makes for an unpleasant experience.

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I recommend that you get yourself a magnifier to look at your nibs even if you have no intention of working on one. Sometimes a bit of paper or dirt catches on a nib and makes for an unpleasant experience.

Thank you- I do have a loupe packed away somewhere, I just need to find it. And there was one time I caught a few paper fibers in the nib

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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I actually prefer Mb F nibs to M ones, and I have never had a scratchy experience. If you have concerns then I would return it to Montblanc and ask them to exchange it as it's a free nib exchange. I suggest you choose another F nib if your other Mb's are to your liking and they have F nibs. You can ask for one with a fine line but less feedback. They will all be stiff nibs as that's what new Mb pens have.

 

Working on it yourself, or getting someone else to do so will void it's warranty, and it's nib exchange, and you might regret spending the extra expense

Edited by Chrissy
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I actually prefer Mb F nibs to M ones, and I have never had a scratchy experience. If you have concerns then I would return it to Montblanc and ask them to exchange it as it's a free nib exchange. I suggest you choose another F nib if your other Mb's are to your liking and they have F nibs. You can ask for one with a fine line but less feedback. They will all be stiff nibs as that's what new Mb pens have.

 

Working on it yourself, or getting someone else to do so will void it's warranty, and it's nib exchange, and you might regret spending the extra expense

 

Yes I am sure I would love a flex nib... maybe someday. I just sent it off today so I will wait in anticipation to see what happens! This is actually my first fountain pen so that is why I don't have any experience with Montblanc's nibs or fountain pens in general really.

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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Well I had to call MB today since I was wondering if they ever communicate during the nib exchange process and apparently they didn't. The rep said it was exhanged & was being mailed back today. They had it for only 4 business days! So quick, now I can't wait to try this Medium nib.

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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Adding to the chorus of recommendations, I'd consider this option, if possible: Go to a MB retailer and ask to try the same model pen with the same nib you currently have installed in your own pen. Compare the performance of the two items. If they're identical and not to your liking, perhaps a "break in " period might help (more on this below). If the demo pen conforms to your expectations, I'd strongly consider returning your pen/nib for a new nib/pen or for a refund.

 

My personal prejudice for a (supposedly) hand made fountain pen nib from a high-end manufacturer is that it ought to work perfectly out-of-the-box: no excuses, no justifications, no exceptions. Each pen ought to have been individually tested for performance before shipping. That may be an unrealistic expectation on my part, but I suspect most consumers shopping at this price point have the same or similar sentiments. MB ought to back their products with a "no questions asked" warranty (excepting abuse, etc). That's implicit in their "nib exchange" program: if you bought the pen, tried the nib and it didn't suit you, the company's web site is clear in stating that they will replace the nib with one suited to your needs. If that's not true, it's a gross misrepresentation.

 

In any event, I've experienced "scratchy" sensations when writing with fine or extra-fine nibs on certain types of paper. Perhaps a different nib width might be more forgiving.

 

Finally, I have had uniformly excellent performance with nibs re-tipped or custom ground by John Mottishaw. However, he has a 6 month backlog. I'm sure there are others who can do a fine job but expect a delay and a significant additional cost.

KAC

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I'm sure there are others who can do a fine job

KAC

I'm not so sure it will be as fine as John's. :-)
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Well I'll wait for it to come back in the mail and give it a go then! I've written with a broad tip fineliner so I'm hoping the Medium nib shouldn't be too bad.

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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Hello everybody!! I got my FP back today... A bit disappointed. I got a medium nib with misaligned tines. After managing to straighten them, I feel like the width of the tines aren't exactly equal. I wanted some opinions... It may just be me, but I feel like the slit was cut just a hair off from center. It looks like the right tine from the top pic is a bit smaller..? Please see pictures and let me know if you think it should be sent back AGAIN or it seems okay. Thanks!

post-112221-0-84637200-1397874798_thumb.jpg

post-112221-0-11880100-1397874807_thumb.jpg

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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If it writes well, i'd keep it.

 

I'm a perfectionist lol... Apparently more than them. But I am having some occassional skipping issues if it's at a certain angle.

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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I'm a perfectionist lol... Apparently more than them. But I am having some occassional skipping issues if it's at a certain angle.

Exchange it!

 

P.S. Tell them exactly what you want (including perfectly centered silt), include your paper, a sample of the line width you want, request them to fill and test write to ensure no skipping, immediate start, etc.

Edited by Blade Runner
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I'm a perfectionist lol... Apparently more than them. But I am having some occassional skipping issues if it's at a certain angle.

 

If it's skipping send it back, specially since it's brand new.

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So it's going back out on Monday. I'm just really surprised they would put on a nib that was THAT jacked up.

I keep thinking about selling some of my pens but all that happens is I keep acquiring more!

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As a most basic and brief primer, please note it is always a variable mixture of fountain pen, ink and paper. Different pens, different ink, different paper, different results.

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