(Silly me I guess for getting a used Sonnet on Fleabay)

I have a wide band, black lacque in M. As a used, more than 2 year old pen I realize my warranty
options with Parker are probably nil and I'm not sure from what I've heard I'd have them working
on a nib for me anyway. (Even a nib replacement may not solve the issue anyway)

The pen appears to me using all I've read here to be genuine, from a supposid collector who used
it daily and bought it from a known source.

Loaded with PR Midnight Blues I'm getting the classic intermittant Sonnet "skippidydoodah" on some
"a", "c" and "o"s. From what I've read here, that is most likely a correctable nib issue. Sorry, call me
a heretic, but I am not going to play "chase the ink" to find one that makes a (new) >$100 pen happy.
I don't (and won't) do that with my beautiful $35, like new 65 year old Esties that costs about $2 new
or my trusty $35 Phileas and I sure aren't gonna do it for what is supposed to be a quality modern pen.
Of course, Parker sticks me in the eye even deeper by making the Sonnet such a nice looking, well
balanced wonderful writing pen When It Is Acting Correctly that I don't want to just give up on this one.

It may have an inner cap issue as even with a couple hours sitting, though there is flow, it takes a couple
letters for it to kick in all the way. I will do the wax trick if it comes down to it but I'd rather not if it can
be fixed correctly for a reasonable amount.

Has anyone here had personal expeience getting a pen repair person/nibmeister to definately and
assuridly fix this "skippidydoodah" and ink pickyness situation? It'd be nice too if that person were
willing and able to correctly address the inner cap issue if there turns out to be one. If there is, I'd
also like to hear about what it cost you and what the turnaround time was (in a PM if you're more
comfortable that way on that).

I'd also appreciate hearing from any pen repair person who might want to take this on.

Thank you in advance,

(PS Please excuse the dual post of this in the Classified/Professional Pen Services area, but there may be
some one who sees this there that doesn't check the Parker forum (?).)


Bruce in Ocala, FL

Greg Minuskin (http://www.gregminuskin.com/index.htm) did wonders on a balky Sonnet F nib in just a few minutes at the Portland Pen Show. It's still writing strong nearly 2 weeks later. The problem, as he explained, is that the channel in the feed is way too narrow. Anything along the way, including tines that are a little too close, will gum it up. The tines can be pried apart. There are some instructions on nibs.com if you want to try. I appreciated the expert touch. Who knows, you may want to get it ground into an interesting stub or italic.

I don't think it matters where you buy them, judging by the number of people complaining about Sonnets here. I had the exact same problem as you-- skipping -- in addition to almost non-existent flow. Mine was bought in Japan and has a lifetime worldwide warranty (you should check your instruction/warranty slip, if you have one) so I finally sent it in for repair. I got it back in a couple of weeks. The flow problem is "fixed" now... it's actually TOO wet, and they did something to the nib that makes it writing with it feel and SOUND like scraping chalk on a blackboard. Completely unusable.

I am planning to send it in to a private nib meister for repair, I just don't know who or when yet. But I can't really recommend Parker warranty service.

I agree with you though, beautiful pens, nicely weighted.. it drives me nuts not being able to use and enjoy mine.

Neill

Before I got my Sonnet I searched on this forum and went through most every single post on Sonnets.

There were MULTIPLE posts about sending Sonnets back to Parker. When it came to nib issues, I do not recall
One Single Instance where the pen came back as it should have. Worse yet were instances of pens going back
more than once and STILL not being right. Indefensable and Unexcusable.

Even if I DID have a valid warranty with Paker, I MIGHT send a Sonnet back to them for a part replacement
situation but even if they DID put a new nib on it, I'd expect that nib to need some additonal work on it for things
to be right.

Sad it is.

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Yup. Tis sad. Sonnets are the prettiest modern pen Parker has. IMHO.

docnib had some good Sonnet nibs the other day; I wonder if he has any left?

G Lewertowski from France also has Sonnet replacement nibs...

THose might be better routes than Parker service.

Good luck, Bruce - I have three Sonnets and they can be very nice writers. Nibs do seem to be somewhat variable...

Reloaded it with Noodler's Midnight Blue (from PR Midnight Blues) and surprisingly it's actually
working a bit better with the Noodler's, but...it's still not right.

I've sent a few queries out, at this time, I'm inclined to send it to Deb Kinney and she
what she can do to it. That should be cheaper than a new nib.

Bruce in Ocala, FL

I sent a medium Chiselled Tartan back to Parker a couple of months back because it was writing finer than my fine Black ST. Within two weeks it came back writing wider than the fine Black ST. I have no complaints.

It's worth remembering that on a forum such as this, you are always going to see more complaints about a pen, whatever the manufacture, because people who are happy with their pens are less likely to spend time writing about it than those who are not.