Hi, all. Once again I turn to this invaluable forum... I just bought a Pilot 823 from an FPNer in India (which was a great experience - more on that in another post). Unfortunately it arrived without instructions, and I've never used a vacuum pen before. I followed the directions in the article in Stylophiles: I unscrew the end of the cap and pull out the plunger, put the nib in some water (just to test it), push the plunger back in and count to ten. But nothing happens - the pen barrel doesn't fill with water. What am I doing wrong? Any advice gratefully received!

Many thanks!
Tom

You did exactly the right thing. The only think I can think is that the nib may not be submerged enough in the water. Try getting the nib covered all the way up to the section and push the plunger in. And you don't have to count to ten, it's almost instant in filling. If nothing comes up immediately then either the nib is not far enough in the ink or the seal on the plunger is damaged and the vacuum isn't being created. I doubt it's the latter. Let us know how you get on.

By the way, don't expect the whole barrel to fill with ink - you'll probably only get 2/3 of the barrel at best doing it this way. The only way to get the thing completely full is to use a Visconti traveling inkwell or equivalent.

Thanks, Siv. I did track down a post where they suggested pushing the plunger down quickly - and that seemed to do the trick. You're right, it doesn't fill all the way - a little disappointing. But the nib is so smooth, it makes up for it.

Thanks for your advice!
Best,
Tom