The piston on my Pelikan 600 has become quite stiff and has also caused the turning knob to develop considerable give. Is there anything I can do to alleviatethe problem short of sending it to Chartpak?

Thanks

You can buy silicone grease and grease the piston yourself. I'd recommend buying from one of the sellers that specifically sells such for pens. I know you can get a 15-lifetimes supply of the stuff from a dive shop or some plumbing supply places, but I've had the same tiny pot of silicone grease for several years now and unless you have hundreds of piston pens, you'll never be able to use it all. I even sent a significant blob of it to someone and still I doubt I'll ever run out. Most of the time you rarely have to grease a Pelikan piston. Sometimes too much flushing with cleaners will wash away the original lubricant from the factory.

make sure it's 100% silicone grease. There are numerous threads on the topic - in short, tiny tiny amount applied to inside of barrel then work piston up and down.

Pendemonium and Tryphon enterprises both sell the appropriate product. If you want to go another route and know of a nearby shop and can be sure that it has no additives, then that's okay, too.

It would seem logical that this is the place to put the grease, but doesn't that screw up your ink?

Thanks for the advice. If I understand you correctly I should unscrew the nib and inseert a bit of silicone inside the barrel and work the piston. Should I let it sit a bit and then flush? How might I accomplisj this with some Omas whose pistons are often stiff?

nope. if you put in a big glop of the stuff it might make for a mess and clog the feed, but that's why I said "tiny bit" - the tip of a toothpick's worth. You've got too much of the ink window shows smears. That's why a small amount lasts so long. you shouldn't need to do this often and when you do it you use an itty bitty amount. If you do apply too much, a quick swab out with a q-tip before replacing the nib will clean up the excess but leave plenty of grease behind to get the job done. Ultimately, you want the piston working smoothly but the barrel sides should appear clear and clean.

eytim: yes, you understand correctly. take out the nib, get a tiny bit of grease on a toothpick, about halfway down the barrel or further if you can. Run it around the barrel gently then work the piston. No need to let it sit or flush. Sorry, don't know anything about Omas pens but I think this came up recently as well and I don't think they're as straightforward as Pels. If no one answers here, try the Italian regional forum for that one.

Thanks. Appreciate the advice.I will try to get some silicone from Tryphon and give it a shot