I have been drooling after a Marlen Basilea after seeing one here on the forum.

Took the plunge and ordered one, following a lead from a fellow forum member (thanks).
Plunged in even deeper, and had the pen sent to Richard Binder for an Italfine conversion.
This came from forum education, prior to this I had been a happy FP user and abuser. I was not even aware that a nib could be tweaked.

After some time I got the pen, and ooh! even more gorgeous in the flesh!

Flushed it out with soapy water, clean water, dry.... (More forum education)

Filled up with Waterman Florida...

And this is where the disappointment sets in.

I am in no position to evaluate the Italic nib, but the fine nib is rather dry and scratchy. After 3 refills with ""easy"" inks I do not detect much improvement.

Is the Italfine primarily an Italic and secondarily a fine? Am I in my ignorance using it the other way round?
Maybe I should ask Richard, I have not brought my gripe under his attention yet.

I have e-mailed Marlen for a fine replacement nib. Sure sir, we can send you one.... 40 Euros for the nib and 40 Euros to have it sent to South Africa..... schucks!

Tonight I`m trying Noodlers in the Marlen. Maybe I`m lucky.

Meanwhile, does anyone have advice/80 euros/Fine Marlen nibs?
Please forward

Regards

Mike

Contact Richard, Mike.

IMO, though I've never used one, a nib that is advertised as both Italic and Fine should write smoothly on both sides and there's no reason that I know of that one has to sacrifice one for the other. If there is (because a particular pen's tipping let's say), then you would have been warned about it by Richard, I'm sure.

I would certainly contact Richard. I have several pens I bought from him, and has been very responsive about working with me about a couple of nibs that needed tweaking.

His reputation is well deserved.

Well.....

The problem kind of solved itself. The pen fell on its nib.

Now to get that fine nib here. Does anyody have any cheaper sources?

Regards

Mike

will it not be possible to send the damaged nib back for repair and adjustment?

If it helps at all I had a similar experience. I had a Waterman Carene modified by Richard to an Itallifine. When I got it, I was really unhappy with the nib - the cursive itallic side was particularly scratchy and just didn't work for me. I almost sent it back, but decided to hang on and see how it worked out. Sometime later I picked up another pen that had been reground by Richard to a cursive itallic, and found the same thing - it just didn't work for me - too scratchy. I finally realized that I just don't like a straight cursive itallic - I have an oblique cursive itallic that Richard did for me that I just love. The cursive itallic works with how I hold a pen - the straight itallic requires that I hold the pen at an uncomfortable angle. So I stick to Oblique itallics and I am happy as a clam (if a clam could write).

John