Just Got A New Pen (Duke)

[MTHALL720]

I just got this pen, new, and filled it with Noodler's black.

It only wrote one sentence and stopped. Now it's like the ink is not flowing. Any ideas about what to do?

[Beckwith]

Try cleaning it out in some water with a little drop of soap detergent in the water. Then give it a good drying. I've had several Dukes and none of them had that issue, so I'm guessing there's just a bit too much factory oil stopping up the feed.

[KreepyKen]

Did you clean the pen first? It's not uncommon for Chinese pens to arrive with some manufacturing residue left behind. I'd recommend giving it a full cleaning and trying again.

[masterguns]

I just got this pen, new, and filled it with Noodler's black.

It only wrote one sentence and stopped. Now it's like the ink is not flowing. Any ideas about what to do?

 

Post a picture of your pen, if you wouldn't mind. I was following a few Dukes a while back, but never pulled the trigger. Interesting designs, IMHO.

[BookCat]

I agree with the others about the flushing. If that doesn't work, it could be another easily fixed issue.

 

Which model did you get. Pics please

[MTHALL720]

Thanks all. To wash it out would it work if I insert it into warm water then draw in the water like I would with ink then dump out the water?

Anyway to post pics here straight from my laptop? I can post pics when home.

[Lou Erickson]

Yep, that's how you'd flush it. Just cycle some water through it. I like to give it several rinses, but you don't need more than a handful, really. Just a jot of soap the first time, to cut any machining oils left in the feed. Or, if you have it, pen flush. (If you don't, you can make some: 1 part white ammonia, 10 parts water, one drop surficant, such as clear dish soap.) I use pen flush for that, just like I clean the pens with later.

[MTHALL720]

Thanks very much. Was hoping to post pics when I got home tonight buy will be later than I thought. I'm on this site now waiting for roadside assistance to bring gas. Can't believe I actually ran out fuel!!

By the way can I post pics directly from my laptop to the forum?

[KBeezie]

Chinese pens (and most new pens period) usually benefit from have a good clean flush with a little bit of diluted dish soap then some clean water before inking for the first time. Oils, dust (especially from some of the older "NOS" chinese pens), debris, etc can cause problems with the flow.

 

Also not sure which Duke pen you got, but a lot of them have a very airy feed which can cause Noodler's Black (and other noodler's bulletproof inks) to dry up quickly in the feed causing them to be hard starters after a while. Has been true of most of the chinese pens I've used.