Just Bought A Twsbi 580 And It's Skipping

[chungliwen]

Hi guys,

I was a pretty happy camper yesterday as I managed to score a TWSBI 580 with a 1.1 stub nib in Hong Kong (since they don't sell it in Malaysia). Too bad the store was out of EF or F nibs, if not I would have purchased one too.

Anyways, I paired it up with a bottle of J.Herbin Rouge Caroubier, but I noticed some problems early on. Basically the pen was skipping a little. I figured the pen needed a flush, so I did that, but I didn't help much. You can see the result of the pen skipping here:

http://imgur.com/kwMGH9U

I checked the nib, and after reading that some folks needed to take a razor to the feed, I'm wondering if this feed is okay?

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s6/sh/ded533a1-5a73-4c32-932a-081a33a80978/e6406bf035a24546513a7eb661f93198

I've posted a video of the pen skipping/jammed here:

On an unrelated note, I also noticed that when I twist the piston down, it stops about half an inch from the bottom, as a result, when I twist it the other way to get the ink up, it doesn't reach the top, is this normal?

http://imgur.com/JJ2jt02

Thanks in advance for any help/tips.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Marlon]

I have had the same problem, which is a pity as the pen itself is quite of solid build.

 

The Piston travel, I believe is a design decision from TWSBI - I do not have any problems with that.

 

Regards skipping, I had the same problems, and could not bring myself to fix it. TWSBI were kind enough to guide me through the process of trying to fix it, we no success. They even sent me a new nib. But still I could not get it to optimum writing quality.

 

At that point I contacted Pendelton (no affiliation) who I asked to grind and set me a nib. It arrived and writes very well. I am now happy.

[chungliwen]

I have had the same problem, which is a pity as the pen itself is quite of solid build.

 

The Piston travel, I believe is a design decision from TWSBI - I do not have any problems with that.

 

Regards skipping, I had the same problems, and could not bring myself to fix it. TWSBI were kind enough to guide me through the process of trying to fix it, we no success. They even sent me a new nib. But still I could not get it to optimum writing quality.

 

At that point I contacted Pendelton (no affiliation) who I asked to grind and set me a nib. It arrived and writes very well. I am now happy.

*nod*. That's pretty disappointing, though I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since it's not the first time I've read someone having this issue. It's probably even more frustrating since I literally crossed two borders to get hold of this pen, lol. I live in Malaysia and was in Shenzhen China for a project, so I took the time to cross over to HK to buy this. I was hoping for some joy.

 

I guess I'll email TWSBI and see if they can help. I'll be more than happy to pay the $20 or so to buy an EF nib to try and see if it solves the issue too, though as always, the cost shipping might complicate things and be prohibitive, though I am geographically much nearer to them than folks in the USA.

 

I'm not sure if there is anybody who can help me grind and set the nib in Malaysia. I'll go sniff around I guess. Thanks for the feedback.

[TheModernGent]

Is that video the first time you've used the pen?

Edited June 22, 2014 by TheModernGent

[A144]

A few people have had similar problems with the 1.1mm stub. Some have resolved the problem by just continuing to write with it and it has gotten better or fixed completely. Maybe this is as you get used to the stub nib, or it adapts to your writing slightly, I don't know.

 

Personally, my 1.1mm stub was the best writing nib out of the four nibs I have for my 580s (EF, F, B, 1.1). So I really won't be much help in fixing the issue, but good luck with it!

[TheModernGent]

When I first got my twsbi mine did the exact same thing. After the initial saturation of the nib and feed went away after filling ( a few working lines) it started heavily skipping. Within 4 days it went away and writes like a dream. I think that there is some sort of build up due to the machining process that needs to sort itself out. I most definitely would NOT cut the feed after writing with a brand new pen for 5 min and it skipped. Give it a few days of use and let it work itself out. Some are just too quick to jump to fiddling with a pen or sending it off to a professional instead of just letting it work itself out. I understand it's frustrating getting a brand new pen and having it not write out of the box. Give it a few more flushes and a few days of writing and I'm sure it'll be fine.

[TheModernGent]

A few people have had similar problems with the 1.1mm stub. Some have resolved the problem by just continuing to write with it and it has gotten better or fixed completely. Maybe this is as you get used to the stub nib, or it adapts to your writing slightly, I don't know.

 

Personally, my 1.1mm stub was the best writing nib out of the four nibs I have for my 580s (EF, F, B, 1.1). So I really won't be much help in fixing the issue, but good luck with it!

Looks like we were on the same brain wave

[Scribblesoften]

Regarding your video, were you pressing that hard when you wrote the rest of the page? Or was that just in the effort to get the ink to flow?

[Marlon]

*nod*. That's pretty disappointing, though I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since it's not the first time I've read someone having this issue. It's probably even more frustrating since I literally crossed two borders to get hold of this pen, lol. I live in Malaysia and was in Shenzhen China for a project, so I took the time to cross over to HK to buy this. I was hoping for some joy.

 

I guess I'll email TWSBI and see if they can help. I'll be more than happy to pay the $20 or so to buy an EF nib to try and see if it solves the issue too, though as always, the cost shipping might complicate things and be prohibitive, though I am geographically much nearer to them than folks in the USA.

 

I'm not sure if there is anybody who can help me grind and set the nib in Malaysia. I'll go sniff around I guess. Thanks for the feedback.

 

I do not live in the US either. So you can imagine the extra costs i had to go through to get the nib ground and shipped. Now t is writes well )but I have to say not to the merit of TWSBI but rather to the nib grinder. I took the opportunity to get myself a broad Italic.

 

I have a Micarta, by the same nib grinder, which again is a joy to write with and a VAC 700 in 1.5mm stub which I myself converted to a Waverly tip which writes well too.

 

Would I buy a TWSBI again? Yes, but not an unmodified one. And at that price you may consider more expensive brands straight away.

[TheModernGent]

Also, judging by those deep gouges in the paper in your attached image, you are pressing way too hard. Doing that can splay the tines and actually hamper ink flow further, not make it wetter. If the tines are further apart at the tip than they are at the breather hole, you will have horrid (if any) ink flow. This of course doesn't apply to flex pens which are designed to work like that.

[chungliwen]

Wow, thanks for the quick feedback. I'll just reply in point form for easy reading:

 

-Pressure: No, I usually don't press so hard. I was just trying it because the ink wasn't flowing. What I like about fountain pens is that I don't need to apply any pressure in general. Thanks for the warning on pressing too hard, I'll keep testing but skip avoiding pressure.

 

-Hopefully it'll sort itself out in a few days. This is my second day I'm fooling around with it, so hopefully it'll get better with age.

 

-I've got a lamy stub 1.9 and a mont blanc stub, so I roughly know what to expect from a stub nib, though I'm still trying to improve my writing, haha.

 

-Video first time using this pen? No, I just took that video about 1 hour ago. I bought the pen yesterday and have been playing with it off and on when I have the time.

 

I guess I'll keep trying and post an update in a few days. In the meantime, any additional feedback is always welcome. Thanks!

 

Cheers,

Matt

[TheModernGent]

Wow, thanks for the quick feedback. I'll just reply in point form for easy reading:

 

-Pressure: No, I usually don't press so hard. I was just trying it because the ink wasn't flowing. What I like about fountain pens is that I don't need to apply any pressure in general. Thanks for the warning on pressing too hard, I'll keep testing but skip avoiding pressure.

 

-Hopefully it'll sort itself out in a few days. This is my second day I'm fooling around with it, so hopefully it'll get better with age.

 

-I've got a lamy stub 1.9 and a mont blanc stub, so I roughly know what to expect from a stub nib, though I'm still trying to improve my writing, haha.

 

-Video first time using this pen? No, I just took that video about 1 hour ago. I bought the pen yesterday and have been playing with it off and on when I have the time.

 

I guess I'll keep trying and post an update in a few days. In the meantime, any additional feedback is always welcome. Thanks!

 

Cheers,

Matt

Keep us posted Matt.

[Anneleen]

Pull out the feed and nib and soak the feed in lukewarm water with a drop or two of dish washing soap for a couple of hours. After that, scrub it thoroughly with a toothbrush. Mine still skipped a little after that, but not to the point that I just couldn't write with it as it did before.

After a week or so of using it, the skipping stopped completely. If it doesn't, contact twsbi, I have found them very helpful.

[chungliwen]

@TheModernGent: Thanks. Actually I noticed it's writing a lot better on some Rhodia paper now. The video was taken when I was writing on copier paper, which was a little soft, though my Lamy had no problem with that. I switched to trying with the copier paper because surprisingly the ink was behaving really weird on the Rhodia paper (shop gave me a few loose sheets). I would write a word, and it'd look fine, then it'd become a little splotchy a few mins later, as if there was too much ink. I don't recall my Rhodia paper behaving like that back home. I'll comment more on this when I'm back home in a few days. I don't have any good paper with me in the hotel room.

 

Example: The "Wh" in "White" here: http://instagram.com/p/pgCDvUwRQ4/

[dneal]

I checked the nib, and after reading that some folks needed to take a razor to the feed, I'm wondering if this feed is okay?

https://www.evernote...13a7eb661f93198

 

 

 

Is that linked picture your feed?

Edited June 22, 2014 by dneal

[chungliwen]

 

 

Is that linked picture your feed?

Yes, all pictures and videos are of my pen. Why?

[dneal]

Yes, all pictures and videos are of my pen. Why?

 

The ink is pulled along the bottom of the feed channel via capillary action. Air is returned to the reservoir along the top of the feed channel. Your pen appears to write well initially, and then the feed gets starved. If no air is returned to the reservoir to replace the ink that has been used, then the pen will stop feeding ink.

 

I recommend using your warranty before messing with the feed, but it appears that the feed channel is obstructed (which is why some have told you to take a razor to it. I wouldn't start with anything that is going to cut or remove feed material (particularly at the bottom of the channel where the capillary action is critical). I would take a brass sheet and floss the channel, and see if that helps.

[chungliwen]

 

The ink is pulled along the bottom of the feed channel via capillary action. Air is returned to the reservoir along the top of the feed channel. Your pen appears to write well initially, and then the feed gets starved. If no air is returned to the reservoir to replace the ink that has been used, then the pen will stop feeding ink.

 

I recommend using your warranty before messing with the feed, but it appears that the feed channel is obstructed (which is why some have told you to take a razor to it. I wouldn't start with anything that is going to cut or remove feed material (particularly at the bottom of the channel where the capillary action is critical). I would take a brass sheet and floss the channel, and see if that helps.

Interesting. Thanks for the tip. I'm trying standard copier paper now and it doesn't seem to skip at all on the paper. I'll probably test with different types of paper, and then if I'm still stuck, I'll try the flossing thing, though I'm not too sure where to find a brass sheet. Will cross that bridge when I come to it.

 

Cheers,

Matt

[dneal]

It doesn't have to be a brass sheet. Anything relatively stiff and thin will work. In a pinch, you can use a hobby knife; but use the back (non-sharp) side of the blade, and don't let the tip gouge the bottom of the feed. Better to get the store to fix it.

[TheModernGent]

It looks more "gunked up" than poorly cut or too narrow to me dneal. But I definitely agree that is what's most likely causing the issue.