Esterbrook Nib - To Soak Or Not To Soak?

October 20, 2014

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of trying to restore an Esterbrook with a lovely 9128 flex nib. Unfortunately, the previous owner seems to have left some gunk in the nib that isn't dissolving like regular ink would. I gave it a brief soak in an ammonia solution, and inked it up. It wrote nicely for a bit, then dried out, so I'm assuming the feed is partially blocked.

I have been tempted to soak it overnight in an ammonia solution, but I'm scared it'll corrode the nib and I'll have to go searching for another one. Is this the case? Or are Estie nibs more resilient than I give them credit for?

If not, how else can I remove this solid gunk from the feed? I can't seem to dismantle the nib section other than to screw out the renew-point section...

Thanks guys

October 20, 2014

Esterbrook renew points can be disassembled by using a knock out block and gently tapping the feed and nib out of the plastic collar.

You can substitute the hole in an old fashioned wooden spool or any other equivalent hole in wood or metal for the knock out hole. I like the wood blocks because they give a little if the assembly is slightly seized and are not as likely to damage the collar.

Estie collars are not as robust as Pelikan ones which are steel reinforced (modern ones anyway)

You'll likely find that your past 'perpetrator' ran India ink through the feed an you have dried on solids gooping up the fine channels. It should peel right off the hard rubber feed, but it might need some persuasion from a fine dental pick. I had to do this with a Pelikan 140 nib assy that had very similar issues. No amount of soaking in anything short of battery acid is going to clean it out if it is blocked up with that, and doing it that way defeats the purpose. ;-)

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Edited October 20, 2014 by Czechmauseritis

October 20, 2014

Sometimes soaking is very time intensive. Step #1 would be to let it soak for a couple of days in plain tap water - changing once or twice a day. Then retest. Step #2 would be to get some technical pen cleaner such as Rapido-EZE and soak. Then retest. Step #3 Try to locate a friend or business with an ultrasonic cleaner and run it a few cycles in that. Then retest. Step #4 Find a thin, sturdy piece of wire such as a guitar string and carefully try to clear the feed channel. Then retest. Step # 5 take the nib apart using a knock out block -- CAUTION: this can result in damage to the sleeve the feed and nib sit in. Do this last step only if all other 4 steps fail and the nib will otherwise be useless. Good luck!

October 20, 2014

"Gunk in the nib that isn't dissolving like regular ink would" sounds possibly like India ink.

India ink has lacquer as a base and is much more difficult to remove than regular FP ink.

Rapido-Eze technical pen cleaner is the recommended cure for India ink. I'd mix it 50/50 with water.

At the very least, some soaking in the Rapido-Eze solution And flushing the nib section from the front and rear with a baby ear bulb flusher. Even better would be sonicating the nib section in Rapido-Eze and flushing.

Also, the proper small enough sized metal guitar string to "Roto-root" out the feed channel from the rear while soaking.

As a last resort, the section can be disassembled into it's parts and cleaned but that is much easier said that done without damaging said parts in the disassembly.

The Estie feeds are Ebonite, just don't soak them in warm solution or the feed may turn brown. This doesn't damage it per se, it's just unsightly. An ultrasonic cleaner, after repeated cycles, can get the cleaning solution warm enough to turn the feed brown. Room temperature Ammonia water or Rapido-eze won't damage the nib section.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

October 20, 2014

I had the case a few time on Esterbrook and other nib unit and only an ultrasonic cleaner can blast the gunk out of the nib and feed assembly. It is better in those case to flush from the front of the nib assembly, in the opposite way you may push the gunk further into the feed and block it.

Despite the cleaning solution finally staying clear in the ultrasonic (usually dilute ammonia) after repeated cycles, it is a good idea to dismantle the nib unit to ensure that the feed channels are cleared. Very often you'll find that some of them are still blocked and only scraping the gunk out with a brass shim or a needle will remove it.

To disassemble an Esterbrook nib unit you need to knock the feed out. For that the nib unit must be in a section otherwise you'll crush the threads of the collar. I have a spare section that I only use for that purpose. Sometimes you can walk the nib out of the unit but the knock out block is more effective. Be careful as a lot of nib unit have an indentation to maintain the feed in place, the collar of those with a deep one are difficult to remove if not impossible. Of the three 9128 I have all of them have the deep indentation.

October 22, 2014

I found an easier/safer way to get the nib and feed out, than knocking out the feed. Less risk of damaging the collar.

This isn't my invention, someone else posted this procedure.

1 - You have to get the nib assembly out of the section. I use my USC to break up the ink that is cementing the nib assembly into the section.

2 - Get a glass of HOT water (I do a cup of water for 60 sec in my microwave)

3 - Dip the back/collar of the nib assembly into the HOT water for about 5 seconds, holding on to the nib end of the nib assembly.
- - WARNING, protect your hand from the HOT steam coming off the HOT water.

4 - Try to wiggle out the nib

5 - Repeat 3 and 4 until you can wiggle out the nib

6 - Once the nib it out, it is easy to remove the feed

October 22, 2014

"Gunk in the nib that isn't dissolving like regular ink would" sounds possibly like India ink.

India ink has lacquer as a base and is much more difficult to remove than regular FP ink.

Rapido-Eze technical pen cleaner is the recommended cure for India ink. I'd mix it 50/50 with water.

At the very least, some soaking in the Rapido-Eze solution And flushing the nib section from the front and rear with a baby ear bulb flusher. Even better would be sonicating the nib section in Rapido-Eze and flushing.

Also, the proper small enough sized metal guitar string to "Roto-root" out the feed channel from the rear while soaking.

As a last resort, the section can be disassembled into it's parts and cleaned but that is much easier said that done without damaging said parts in the disassembly.

The Estie feeds are Ebonite, just don't soak them in warm solution or the feed may turn brown. This doesn't damage it per se, it's just unsightly. An ultrasonic cleaner, after repeated cycles, can get the cleaning solution warm enough to turn the feed brown. Room temperature Ammonia water or Rapido-eze won't damage the nib section.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Listen to Bruce! I do not doubt that any member advocating the disassembling of an Esterbrook nib has had a great deal of success with this process. However, while I have been successful a few times, I have more often destroyed a nib that needed more patience on my part, more soaking, and more time in an ultrasonic cleaner. Consider for a moment that the nib is not going to be destroyed by patient soaking or by employing an ultrasonic cleaner a few more times, but the same nib can be easily (unbelievably easy) destroyed by disassembling. And yet, in my experience, it is not the disassembly that does the damage, but rather the attempted reassembly. It takes only the tiniest of cracks in that fragile collar . . .

Oh the number of nibs and feeds I have that have no binding collar . . . I wonder just how remarkable, how lovable will that wonderful 9128 nib be once it is forever divorced from a feed and a collar?

Don't be rash. Be patient. It may come to the disassembling of the nib in the end, but "do not go quietly into that good night"* and don't rush in to it, either, for it is often exactly that - the end.

-David.

*my apologies to Dylan Thomas.

Edited October 22, 2014 by estie1948

October 22, 2014

Consider for a moment that the nib is not going to be destroyed by patient soaking or by employing an ultrasonic cleaner a few more times, but the same nib can be easily (unbelievably easy) destroyed by disassembling. And yet, in my experience, it is not the disassembly that does the damage, but rather the attempted reassembly. It takes only the tiniest of cracks in that fragile collar . . .

I have damaged two esterbrook nib (1xxx and 2xxx series) just by using an ultrasonic cleaner, the tip of one of the tines came off on both nibs. So beware of that, it can happen.

October 22, 2014

Patience and caution are always in order, and disassembly should only be used as a last resort on any nib/feed assembly. When I first started into this adventure I used to take down completely any 'new' pen I found in the wild or on eBay to make sure it was completely clean. This included filling system and nib assembly. After damaging some rather hard to find nibs and breaking some feeds or having trouble with reassembly (Curse you Eversharp 5th Avenue!) I decided that my personal protocol would be nib disassembly only after everything else I could do to ensure that the ink was feeding properly. It hasn't failed me since.

Keep in mind that everything that we are working with here is for the most part over 40 years old or older, has been stored in unknown conditions and your mileage on any cleaning or repair will definitely vary. I've had old Sheaffer iridiums snap off just by looking at them cockeyed, no disassembly at all. They were simply pre-fractured and ready to go poof as soon as I touched them.

These Esterbrook nib assemblies are no exception, but if you are cautious and use good judgement you can successfully dis and re assemble them with a good probability of success. I personally have never broken a collar on a renew point nib, but their is always a first time and I've most always just cleaned them really good and let it go at that unless some turkey had run India Ink through them.... I've cleaned and serviced many, but only had to take apart less than I can count on one hand...

Good luck in your efforts!

December 17, 2014

New Eastie owner here... Is the ultrasonic cleaner you use the same as the one for cleaning jewelry? Just got a new blue J pen on ebay and it appears I will be learing to put in a new sac. got is all apart ok so ow need parts..