Waterman Carene FP leaks!

[ayjayar]

No Waterman Forum, eh?

 

I have this absolutely gorgeous Garnet Red Waterman Carene FP. Filled it 3 times. It leaks. Always did. I thought that it doesn’t like being in my shirt pocket, so I laid it horizontally on my desk. Still leaks. As is, it’s useless. It is leaking through a "breathing" hole in the section/hood. I saw that vent hole and wondered how it will affect performance, but I was hoping that ink drawn into the FP via the nib section somehow would be "sucked" in by capillary or some infusion action. Now I don't know if I am filling the pen incorrectly - I point the nib into the inkwell about 1 inch and pull up the piston and wait 5 seconds, or whether this is just a poor design, or I have a "lemon." So many new-fangled fancy ways to fill an FP that I no longer know what's up.

 

Any suggestions that would make this pen usable?

[acj27]

I'd try this before saying it's a lemon...

 

I had a similar(ish) problem when I first got my carene, I was getting lots of ink bombs after filling it. Anyway I realised that the problem was that after filing I wasn't blotting the excess ink off the feed (as it's encased in the section) and hence I was getting these ink bombs as the excess ink blobbed out.

 

Solution:

1. Fill the pen, as you are doing.

2. Next hold the pen, in the air, nib down over your ink bottle and twist the converter (as if emptying it) and drop 5-6 drops of ink back into the bottle.

3. Now twist the converter (as if filling the pen) with the nib still in the air and magically watch the converter fill with the ink from inside the section.

 

Result:

Full converter, no excess ink in the section and no ink bombs.

[John Cullen]

HI You say you pull up the piston and wait a few seconds. Isn't the waterman converter a twist converter? Is there some other kind of waterman converter? Is it possible this converter is not the correct one?

 

JC

[ayjayar]

acj27 is absolutely correct. Filled with a bit of care the Carene is a fine, fine Waterman pen - no leaks, no fuss, no muss, in or out of pocket. It has a wonderful feel when I hold it (good balance and heft) and I really like the shape and finish. The M nib a bit broader than average Ms (definitely broader than Japanese nibs) and it is a truly smooth writer.

 

Thanks, acj27, for the advice. The pen has been languishing on my desk for several months, but now it has taken its deserved place in the rotation of daily writers.

[Dillo]

HI You say you pull up the piston and wait a few seconds. Isn't the waterman converter a twist converter? Is there some other kind of waterman converter? Is it possible this converter is not the correct one?

 

JC

Hi,

 

There is also a slide Waterman converter (or at least used to be).

 

Both converters are supposed to work.

 

Dillon

[acfrery]

Solution:

1. Fill the pen, as you are doing.

2. Next hold the pen, in the air, nib down over your ink bottle and twist the converter (as if emptying it) and drop 5-6 drops of ink back into the bottle.

3. Now twist the converter (as if filling the pen) with the nib still in the air and magically watch the converter fill with the ink from inside the section.

 

Result:

Full converter, no excess ink in the section and no ink bombs.

Hi,

 

I would have not sold my Carène had I known this trick! I had the very same problem, and exchanged the pen.

 

Alejandro

[amurphy1]

Interesting. Had the same problem with my Carene. Switched from Diamine ink to Skript and seems to have solved the ink bomb (love that word) problem. Probably coincidental but I don't get the shooting ink problem.

 

However, mine never "leaked" like the poster described. It would just be a little too wet and would occasionally drop a blob of ink out if I moved my hand slightly faster or jerkier than normal.

 

Have another Carene on the way, will have to see if it's the same.

 

I've grown to really like this pen. Send me any defects, please!

[Armchop]

:meow:

 

Thanks acj97 I remebered reading your post just after I was sitting here witn my new Carene nearly crying because the cap was filling with ink and I thought I'd had a dud .

Will now have to find a use for my nice new Sable/Sand model. Soooo many pens!

 

Armchop

[petra]

I've been using up ink cartridges in my Carene ever since I got it, no leaks or blobs at all... but the ink-in-the-feed thing makes perfect sense, so I'll keep it mind when I switch to the converter!

 

 

Thanks for the advice!

Petra

[two2tone]

My filling technique with my Carene (and all FPs) is

 

1. fill the converter directly from the ink bottle

2. Wipe any excess ink from the tip of the converter

3. put the converter on the nib

4. twist the converter (toward empty) and drip one or two drops back into the bottle

5. twist the convert back toward fill

6. put nib on barrel.

 

I find this method results in a cleaner nib and fewer writing problems.

Hope this helps.

 

Twotone

[marcelo]

The FPN is such a great forum! I'm having this exactly same leaking problem with my Carene but now have two ways of solving it.

 

And this topic is almost 6 years old. Cool!

 

Best Regards!

Marcelo

[foxtail1]

And, a year later, I too found this thread very useful! Love my Carene, but it's been a problem child.

[Romegabe]

I am new here but joined to try to see if I could solve this problem. I will give it a go!

[RMN]

I am new here but joined to try to see if I could solve this problem. I will give it a go!

 

Hi, new but not new.... you waited in the wings for two years for this entry

 

 

Hope it will work out.

 

Good luck

 

 

D.ick

[DavidD62]

Very interesting... I just bought a very gently used Carene and am also experiencing a drippy nib and ink in the cap. I have just tried ayjayr's method and it has reduced, but not eliminated, the tendency for some ink to ooze out of the nib when the pen is capped. I'll try two2tone's technique next.

 

The odd thing about the Carene is that to me, the Medium nib seems to write on the narrower rather than broader side. In fact, I would characterize it as very close to a Japanese Medium.

Edited September 10, 2017 by DavidD62

[dallaspen45]

Four years later, and this post just helped me. Thank you!

 

[MAKL]

Thank you so much - I love my Carene but was on the brink of selling it. This thread has solved the problem - wonderful!

[senzen]

This is the sort of post headline that kept me away from Carènes for years; acj27's tip work perfectly, I now have three gorgeous, reliable Carènes.

 

Any problems have been due to cracked converters, you need to hunt down the metal mouth model.

 

That same initial excess of ink might also be responsible for the other false myth of way broader nibs; my two F and one M exhibit their stated sizes.