My Stipula Bertinoro's Flex Nib Is Railroading.

[Sketch and Doodle]

I'm using Bertinoro infrequently and kept Jentle black ink at all times and I took it out and used and then it railroads a lot. I rinsed it a few times and still railroading. I even used soft bristle artist brush to clean the feed and all around but still...

 

How do I clean the nib to make the flow going?

[AndrewC]

Probably not a nib issue unless you have either sprung the nib or moved it too far from the feed. First off, have you cleaned the converter out thoroughly? Do that,let it dry, then try filling it and using it. If it still railroads, try another ink. Sometimes inks age, and some thicken (evaporation of water/lighter moisture) which can alter flow. If another ink railroads, be sure the nib is seated all the way along with the feed. Also, if you can take the nib and feed out, look for fibers or clogs in the top feed channel. Use a loupe to see if you have sprung the nib-do the tines touch at the tips, or are they spread out? Do you crank down on the nib while writing? That could do it. If the tines are close but not touching, flip the pen over and gently apply pressure to the tine tips to close the gap. That may fix your problem.

[Sketch and Doodle]

I don't have the skill to take the nib and the feed out. I soaked the nib in a glass of water over night after flushing with water several times.

Look what happens the grip section loosened up and detached away from the body. I didn't put a force or twist. It just came apart.

Now, I just tried to screw it back, but it won't go back. It just skips and turning. It doesn't seem like there are any treads connecting these parts. Was it then glued together, originally? and it gotton lose because of the water?

 

What should I do? Should I send it back to Pentime for repairs?

Edited September 8, 2014 by Sketch and Doodle

[mbradley]

That will have to be repaired. From the picture it looks to me like the gap in the nib tines also needs adjusting.

 

Michael

[Sketch and Doodle]

I think the gap in the tines are perfect. What you see in the picture, the black line is the feed underneath and top white line showing through the paper. I brightened up the photo much and doing so it accentuate the gap a bit more. The slit in the tines are even gap and straight.

[Sketch and Doodle]

I emailed to the seller so I'll wait to hear back from him.

[tarheel1]

Looks like you snapped the barrel off. This should be a piston filling system and the barrel should not screw off. Either the nib is friction fit or inside the section is a feeder unit lke on visconti or peliksn. Not sure which but pretty sure you broke the pen and might not be repairable.

[Sketch and Doodle]

Looks like you snapped the barrel off. This should be a piston filling system and the barrel should not screw off. Either the nib is friction fit or inside the section is a feeder unit lke on visconti or peliksn. Not sure which but pretty sure you broke the pen and might not be repairable.

Yes, it is not supposed to unscrew. There is no screws to fit. It's a piston filler and the section should never have come apart. It just came lose.

I hope this be an easy fix. This is my grail pen and I paid a huge sum of money for it. It was a limited edition made 1 of 2 worldwide.

[Sketch and Doodle]

https://chatterleyluxuries.com/product/chatterley-pens-stipula-bertinoro-striated-yellow-limited-edition-fountain-pen/

[AndrewC]

The space between your tines shows the reason your pen railroads. There is way too much space there. The section has snapped at the threads. Did you drop the pen at any point? With the cap on, if it fell and hit the cap that could apply just the right pressure to snap that off. Also, if you screw the cap on too tight that could happen. My brother has done the same thing three times now. When you cap the pen, hold the cap still and thread the pen into the cap if you are a person who cranks down the cap. As to your tines- you need to write with a lighter hand. Although the nib may be a flexible nib, modern flex is nowhere near vintage flex, like a Waterman's. Modern nibs just do not flex as much, so require a lighter hand. Bryant even posts a caution about his flex nibs. The nib looks like it can be reshaped, though. Best of luck with repairs.

[Sketch and Doodle]

The space between your tines shows the reason your pen railroads. There is way too much space there. The section has snapped at the threads. Did you drop the pen at any point? With the cap on, if it fell and hit the cap that could apply just the right pressure to snap that off. Also, if you screw the cap on too tight that could happen. My brother has done the same thing three times now. When you cap the pen, hold the cap still and thread the pen into the cap if you are a person who cranks down the cap. As to your tines- you need to write with a lighter hand. Although the nib may be a flexible nib, modern flex is nowhere near vintage flex, like a Waterman's. Modern nibs just do not flex as much, so require a lighter hand. Bryant even posts a caution about his flex nibs. The nib looks like it can be reshaped, though. Best of luck with repairs.

Here is the new photo. It was a not so good photo showing the gap in the tines.

 

I never drop the pen and never post the cap. I only take it out to use and then put back into the case. I treasure it.

I dipped the nib section in the glass of water to soak it to clean later and it came lose.

The nib looks perfect. I don't heavily use this pen and I try not to over flex either.

[Sketch and Doodle]

This nib was added flex by Masuyama and it's like a brush pen. Very soft and way too soft so not suitable for normal writing, but great for scripts or titles and drawings.
It gives 0.7mm to 3mm wide. I have tried a few vintage flex pens, Wahl, Sheaffer, Pelikan 400NN but haven't tried Waterman wet noodle yet and nothing comes close. It's perfect and soft for my need.

I just bought vintage Pelikan 100N with ST full flex nib that does EEF-BBB and still waiting to receive.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Sketch and Doodle

[RMN]

I would like to see a close-up of the barrel and section axial, so you look right at the point it broke.

 

D.ick

[dms525]

I have a Stipula facetted Etruria from Bryant that also had the section separate from the barrel, although not completely. There was just a gap, and the two parts would rotate around the inner ink containing part. Bryant said to send it to Yafa. Yafa took a look at it and sent it to Stipula in Italy, where it is now. Yafa estimated a 10 week turn-around.

 

It is my understanding that these parts are glued together. In hindsight, one must wonder if the glue is water soluble!

 

Good luck with your pen, but, from my experience, I expect it will need to return "home" to Florence for rehabilitation.

 

David

[Mickey]

I think the gap in the tines are perfect. What you see in the picture, the black line is the feed underneath and top white line showing through the paper. I brightened up the photo much and doing so it accentuate the gap a bit more. The slit in the tines are even gap and straight.

 

Ideally, the slit shouldn't be straight, but should taper towards the tip, and, with very flexible nibs, the tines should meet or very nearly meet at the tip. One symptom of a mildly sprung nib is a straight or reverse tapered slit.

 

N.b., when you flex a nib, the taper of the slit changes (hopefully temporarily). If ink flow is well established and sufficient, the pen will continue writing even after the taper goes reverse, but, if the flow is questionable or the feed slow to respond, railroading can occur even before the taper goes past critical. A properly tapered slit gives a balky feed a better chance of succeeding.

[Sketch and Doodle]

I'm outside now and I could get a macro lens to get a close up shots of the section later. It looks like some glue residue with a bits of stuffs around the metal ring section to my naked eyes. It doesn't look like any parts were broken.

It sounds like a trip to Florence to me. I mean the pen not me. I'd love to go back to Florence again.

[RMN]

I have a Stipula facetted Etruria from Bryant that also had the section separate from the barrel, although not completely. There was just a gap, and the two parts would rotate around the inner ink containing part. Bryant said to send it to Yafa. Yafa took a look at it and sent it to Stipula in Italy, where it is now. Yafa estimated a 10 week turn-around.

 

It is my understanding that these parts are glued together. In hindsight, one must wonder if the glue is water soluble!

 

Good luck with your pen, but, from my experience, I expect it will need to return "home" to Florence for rehabilitation.

 

David

That was why I asked for the close-up pics, to see if something broke or just unglued. For me the soaking session is the red flag....

 

Unglued can be glued again...

 

D.ick

[AndrewC]

Bryant is great with customer service, so It might take so time, but I am sure you can get it done. Anything that goes to Italy takes quite a wile. Nothing happens, in my experience, during August, when most of Italy takes time off. Good luck, and speedy returns.

[Sketch and Doodle]

Bryant said it will need to go Stipula and I will do so.

[Sketch and Doodle]

Now, it is off to Stipula, Firenze, Italy.