Removing the nib & feed; Stipula Davinci

[Blorgy]

I have been wondering about the Stipula Davinci. I have only seen photographs of the pen, which has a retractable nib and feed. When the nib is retracted, a flap covers the tip of the nib.

 

Suppose the pen was dropped on the floor, and landed on the nib. If the tines were badly bent, and if the nib and feed needed to be removed, how could they be separated from this unusual pen?

[rcrocchini]

Wow!

You should be more optimistic!

 

Anyway...if this happens you can easily take all the writing section out from the barrel.

It is not easy, though, to take out the nib itself from the whole writing section, because it is not screwed in, as other nibs and feeders. If you therefore do not manage to do it you should contact the Stipula Customer Care and they will change the nib for you.

 

Raffaella

[Blorgy]

you can easily take all the writing section out from the barrel.

It is not easy, though, to take out the nib itself from the whole writing section, because it is not screwed in, as other nibs and feeders.

 

Raffaella

How do you remove the "writing section" from the barrel ?

[wimg]

Hi Blorgy,

 

It looks like there are some notches on the inner metal tube. That is the one that turns down when the nib is extruded.. Presumably, you can unscrew the nib/feed and inner tube that way as a whole, to replace the nib.

 

However, I would think there must be a mechanism to link to the little door as well, plus the nib needs to be aligned properly, so all of this is just a mere guess.

 

I would leave it to the experts, i.e., the people at Stipula, unless you want to experiment on a rather expensive pen ...

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Blorgy]

It looks like there are some notches on the inner metal tube. That is the one that turns down when the nib is extruded.. Presumably, you can unscrew the nib/feed and inner tube that way as a whole, to replace the nib.

 

However, I would think there must be a mechanism to link to the little door as well, plus the nib needs to be aligned properly, so all of this is just a mere guess.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Thank you Wim and Raffaella, for improving my understanding of the Stipula Davinci.

Edited December 18, 2005 by Blorgy

[wimg]

Hi Blorgy,

 

Just to add a note, because I couldn't let it rest, of course . I visited the B&M store to find out more .

 

The mechanism consists of two tubes (cilinders). The outer tube turns when you lower the nib/feed assembly, or retract it again. Inside this tube there is another tube, which moves straight up and down inside the rotating tube, and does so when turning that outside tube. The barrel activates the outer rotating tube. It does that because the barrel catches onto the outer, rotating tube by a click-on bayonet system, and locks into place that way, so turns with the outer tube.

 

Now, there is a nib feed assembly after all, which consists of a metal jacket (also a cilinder), which holds the nib and feed on the one end, and has an opening on the other for a cartridge or converter. The nib doesn't screw out, because the hole in the cilinder it sticks through is way too small. It s somehow attached from the other, open ended side.

 

Now the cilinder/tube holding the nib/feed, has at its open end two notches for fingers, a little slit, and a notch. IOW, something that works all of this like a bayonet fitting. And the inner tube of the mechanism into which it goes, has a receptacle for the notch. You turn it about 180 degrees anti-clockwise, while holding the outer tube, to unlock the nib/feed assembly and get it out. It is that simple.

 

Putting it back is the same in reverse, however, you may have to turn the nib/feed assembly a few times, before you pick up the catch of the bayonet, and then turn it again until it clicks into place.

 

Simple but very elegant. It also means that the nib/feed assemblies between Da Vincis are easily interchangeable.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim (who should be called the Obsessive Mad Dutchman by now )

 

And yes, I had the people at the store in a slight panic again

[John Cullen]

Wim, did they actually let you attempt to dismantle the pen? Or did you just look it over thoroughly and explain how it might be done?

 

Either way, I guess they probably were a tad nervous. Gorgous pen, huh. John

[wimg]

Hi John,

 

Since I have shown their staff how to exchange nibs on a Stip, and how to check whether it can be done at all, and after selling an Etruria to one of their customers while biding my time for assistance on something else, they completely trust me... So I actually dismantled the pen .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[southpaw]

Hi John,

 

Since I have shown their staff how to exchange nibs on a Stip, and how to check whether it can be done at all, and after selling an Etruria to one of their customers while biding my time for assistance on something else, they completely trust me... So I actually dismantled the pen .

 

Warm regards, Wim

And how much is your commission rate again?

[wimg]

Hi John,

 

Since I have shown their staff how to exchange nibs on a Stip, and how to check whether it can be done at all, and after selling an Etruria to one of their customers while biding my time for assistance on something else, they completely trust me... So I actually dismantled the pen .

 

Warm regards, Wim

And how much is your commission rate again?

Hi Southpaw,

 

I actually get a 10% discount on all the stuff I buy there . But then, since I started talking about Stips here, they are continually out of stock. They get some in, and out they go again. They only have a few LA91s, one Novecento, and a few I Castoni left right now...

 

Of course, anyone who opens his mouth to ask for it, will get a 10% discount with a bigger purchase .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Dan308]

Wow!

You should be more optimistic!

 

Anyway...if this happens you can easily take all the writing section out from the barrel.

It is not easy, though, to take out the nib itself from the whole writing section, because it is not screwed in, as other nibs and feeders. If you therefore do not manage to do it you should contact the Stipula Customer Care and they will change the nib for you.

 

Raffaella

 

Any chance you have more insights on how to remove the nib from the rest of the assembly? I would like to replace the nib on my davinci, and would just like some pointers first if possible.

[wimg]

Hi Dan,

Wow!

You should be more optimistic!

 

Anyway...if this happens you can easily take all the writing section out from the barrel.

It is not easy, though, to take out the nib itself from the whole writing section, because it is not screwed in, as other nibs and feeders. If you therefore do not manage to do it you should contact the Stipula Customer Care and they will change the nib for you.

 

Raffaella

 

Any chance you have more insights on how to remove the nib from the rest of the assembly? I would like to replace the nib on my davinci, and would just like some pointers first if possible.

As Raffaella is currently on maternity leave, I guess I better answer this question .

 

The nib assembly of the Da Vincis consists of a metal tube with bayonet fitting and a special feed, plus nib of course. The entire nib assembly can be removed from the section on the barrel side of the section, when the nib is completely retracted, by turning it and pushing it in a little - it should click slightly when the bayonet disengages, you can feel this happening. It isn't easy to do, because there is only a very little area to grip it. It needs to be done manually, however, as you don't want to destroy the the assembly.

 

Once the assembly has been removed, it is just a matter of a friction fit nib and feed. The reason for removing the nib assembly first, and only removing the nib from the assembly itself, separate from the pen, is that you don't want to detroy the trap door mechanism.

 

HTH, warm regards, WIm

[Dan308]

Thanks WIm.

No problem removing the section, but it seems like a dangerous amount of force is required to remove the feed and nib. I even tried heating the section with hot water. Knowing though that it is not threaded in, does help as I don't have to be afraid to pull the nib and feed straight out. I need to replace a titanium t-flex nib though as I really do not like it at all. It seems impossible to polish satisfactorily among other properties that I'm not happy with. I was surprised that he T-flex doesn't even seem to have any tipping material...

 

Does anyone know of where I could purchase a replacement, or does anyone here happen to have one they would like to sell? Even stainless would be better than the titanium I think.

Edited December 26, 2012 by Dan308

[wimg]

Thanks WIm.

No problem removing the section, but it seems like a dangerous amount of force is required to remove the feed and nib. I even tried heating the section with hot water. Knowing though that it is not threaded in, does help as I don't have to be afraid to pull the nib and feed straight out. I need to replace a titanium t-flex nib though as I really do not like it at all. It seems impossible to polish satisfactorily among other properties that I'm not happy with. I was surprised that he T-flex doesn't even seem to have any tipping material...

 

Does anyone know of where I could purchase a replacement, or does anyone here happen to have one they would like to sell? Even stainless would be better than the titanium I think.

You could try and pull just the titanium nib, but you'll need a piece of rubber matting or anti-slip mat to accomplish this. It doesn't require a lot of force in principle to do this, but it is very hard to grip just the nib and nothing else.

 

The titanium nib actually does have tipping, some ruthenium alloy just like any other Bock nib. However, the entire nib gets coated with something that gives it its dull grey look, and the tipping gets coated too in the process. These nibs, when they are not coated yet, look like a dark and shiny metal, nothing liek th efinish they have afterwards ( I have seen these nibs in "naked" form). This may be the reason why they don't polish very well at all - the coating they have is not polishable. You could remove it, but it would have to be removed completely to look reasonable.

 

Etruria S.r.l. actually does do large stainless steel nibs as well these days, basically in order to be able to supply an alternative, especially with the ridiculously high gold nib prioces these days (14K - 300 euros, 18K - 400 euros!!!). I have tried a few of those new stainless steel nibs, and they write amazingly enough almost entirely like Stipula gold nibs, from a responsiveness and springiness POV.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Dan308]

Thanks so much Wim!

VERY much appreciate the excellent information. This will come in very handy indeed!

[cstephens]

Thanks so much Wim!

VERY much appreciate the excellent information. This will come in very handy indeed!

+1

I don't plan to change the nib, but my DaVinci needs cleaning. To really get at the area just inside the trap door, it will help to have the nib and feed assembly out.

Thanks,

Chris