So my new 146P skips more often than Spring rain come May..
And I wonder why.

The nib looks pretty good, round and shaped nice under Loupe
It writes wet F/M line but has the on/off skipping issue
Smooth paper has a bigger problem, but nontheless, it exists to all variety of paper

Somewhere I have seen in this forum that
if the pressure in the barrel is not correctly balanced, this can happen

Say, is that saying "Dump the recommended amount ink back to bottle after the fill",
to avoid this annoying problem altogether?
How many drops of ink should I get it out of barrel after the fill, 6 drops?
May be that is what's causing this skipping nib..

Today, however, I tried to push the ink upto the feed
until you see ink forming at the base of feed while nib facing upward,
then draw the ink back to see what it does.

It seemed to be working so far as I have not had a skip for few hours
on this pen that was skipping left and right this morning..

Any of your magic cure for this problem would be appreciated..

Alan

May i know the age of the pen? If it's bought new, then i would recommend you to send it back to montblanc for a thorough check. I would insist on a replacement nib/pen if the problem persists.

Alan, I've had a brand new 146P with the same problems. Here's a summary of my difficulties:

1) bought MB146P brand new but had skipping problems much as you describe
2) took it back to MB boutique, they sent it to a service centre
3) when it returned the problem persisted
4) I had the pen exchanged for a new one
5) same problem with new pen but to a lesser degree

In the meantime, this is what I've done:

1) in case it was manufacturer's oils left in the pen, I've given it repeated good soakings and flushings
2) I have swapped my Montblanc inks for Waterman and Diamine inks that flow much better
3) I have added Ink Safe (www.tryphon.it) to the inks that don't flow well in the pen (improvement, but not total solution)
4) I have experimented with various types of paper (seems to work best with cheap porous paper)

Its still a dry starter with the occassional skipping problem.

I also have the problem with the pen working well immediately after a fill, but then seeming to dry out as the ink gets used. And I do the same trick of priming the feed with ink. Montblanc say that you release 6 to 8 drops when filling, then turn the pen upside down when screwing it closed.

I reckon my next step is calling the service centre in Australia to demand a solution.

Let me know how you progress, it's such an annoying problem, isn't it?

Regards,

Nathan Hondros

Sadly these cases give MB a bad reputation.
When you spend Sooo much money on a new pen the last thing you want is to start sending it back and forth to their lab.
I was lucky with my MB VW that I bought brand new but I would be extremly dissapointed if it didnt work well from day one.
If their lab wouldnt help I'd probably just send it to a reputable pen tech to fix the problem once and for all.

Wow, nathan's skipping problem hasn't been resolved yet? I thought the waterman ink solved your problem?
All in all, i think a fine pen like montblanc shouldn't have skipping at all. I won't even tolerate the slightest of it, especially if bought anew

It sounds to me like the nib needs some minor adjustments.

I know, I'm pretty annoyed. Maybe I'm being really picky (even with Waterman there is a bit of dry starting), but the the guarantee promises "faultless workmanship and flawless operation".

The thing about the MB146P is that I love the design so much. Its so beautifully conservative. And it was a gift from my Dad.

I do have a Richard Binder Pelikan 215 on the way, though!

Nathan Hondros

I have a naive question. Are your nibs rhodium plated?

I have mentioned in other threads that all current manufacturers who plate their nibs with rhodium plate the whole nib, including the nib point. It is not just MB. Why they insist upon doing so I have not a clue. But one sure sign of rhodium plating on a nib is skipping that will not go away.

Of course, the skipping does go away. Rhodium seems not to adhere well to iridium (or whatever metal is used on the nib's tip) and it wears off. One way to speed up the wear is to soak the nib for a while in water, then do simple circles a swirls on a brown paper bag. The amount of brown bagging one needs to do depends on the size of the chunk of iridium on the nib's tip.

I have had to use this method on a number of non-MB pens, and it has worked for me.

that sounds like my MB145, same exact problem. Some fourm members told me to use waterman blue, used non scent soap water to rinse through. Nothing help, only cure I got to solve the problem was send it back to MB service and got another nib install. All problem went away now it is one of my best pen to write with. send it back to MB and tell them to change the nib.

Thanks for sharing all your experience.

Well, I have bought mine in October last year.
I have had tight piston and skipping issue
When I worked with nib meister, my tines were misaligned.
A dab of silicone and nib alignment did a wonderful job
This pen showed me a glimpse of what it could do, absolutely gorgeous writing..
But then, the nib started become more medium than fine nib I have bought for..
(This writes a thicker line than pelikan M800 M nib I just have replaced)

Regardless, I am using Quink Blue-Black that flows real nice.
I wrote on the plastic film, soapy water cleaning, rough paper treatment, changing ink to waterman..
All treatments I have mentioned works for a little while
and the skipping comes back..

I am going to do send the pen back to MB at Bethleham, PA for service if it is not improving..

Alan

Hello this is common thing with 146s and the solitaire range by mont blanc. They seem to not always allow the ink to flow and this can be one of two things. This can normally be done by just incresceing the flow slightly this works with many and for those broad and oblique nibs. Some times can just be a little to smooth and this does not always allow the ink to flow. I brought a William Faulkner LE with a broad nib on its release date in September. This pen had dreadful ink flow on its down strokes so what I did was increase the flow slightly and use a fine sharpening stone to edge the iridium of a little bit. And now it has been worn in the bit its writes beautifully. Also I have moved the piston back about 7mm to increase inflow easily done with the tool.

James, how did you increase the ink flow? I'm trying to do that with a Solitaire I have. Thank you, ~ Lilac