Just loaded my new M600 with an adjusted fine nib from Richard Binder, but I notice that this runs very wet. I'm using Aurora Black, which may be part of the problem but the line is much broader than the firm stainless steel medium Conklin nib that I'm using as my daily pen. I'm thinking that I may need an extra fine nib (which Richard Binder offers as a custom nib because of quality control problems with the stock XF).

Before I make any decision I will try using a drier ink, such as Pelikan blacks. Any idea how much of a difference this should make?

TIA
ctakim

How much did you write with it after you filled it? When you fill from the bottle, the pen's feed will really have a ton of ink in it and the pen may well write a bit more wet than it will under normal use.

Maybe turn the piston and expell a few drops, turn it nib up and carefully touch a soft tissue paper to the nib to pull off the excess ink that has collected. Then see how it writes.

Did you flush the pen before you filled it and if so did you use a soapy water? A soapy water will increase the flow a lot in many pens. If you rinsed the pen out at home, maybe it needs to be rinsed with clear room temp water?

I think some inks, like the pelikan and mb burgundy, do cut back the flow a little bit, but not so much that suddenly a heavy flowing pen will write a significantly different line. Now, that statement is based on my admittedly limited experiences, so maybe I just have not see this happen.

Then, of course, you should contact Richard and see what he thinks. He is easy to work with. J

Thanks, all excellent points. I've been writing continuously with the pen on multiple types of paper to see how this changes. The pen was not flushed with anything but ink and after several hours of writing and multiple pages, it still is quite broad and fast flowing. I will contact Richard, but first I want to try several different inks as to not be too hasty. The pen writes well in other regards (nib firmness, very smooth, etc.)

Thanks for the thoughful suggestions!

Sounds like a change of ink may help, but you will probably end up contacting Richard. If you do send the pen back for adjustment you will probably only have to send the nib and it should not take much time.

Good luck. Once you get it as you want, the pen will be a keeper. J

I find Aurora Black and Pelikan's 4001 Brilliant Black, to have the same flow characteristics.

Thanks, on the ink forum and many reviews, Pelikan inks are referred to as dry. Any recommendations for specific Pelikan inks with this characteristic? I need a blue or black or blue-black.

the blue-black in a bit dry and may make the line a bit thinner. j

Here is a picture that shows the line widths. The bottom two pens are medium nibs and the Pelikan M600 is a fine nib. I changed the ink to Waterman black but you can see clearly that the Waterman medium is almost exactly the same as the Pelikan fine and the Conklin medium is in fact narrower than either! I prefer a narrower line!

Richard stands behind what he sells. I strongly encourage you to contact him directly to discuss this... it is the fastest and surest way to be satisfied with how your pen writes.

good luck and good writing
Bill

I have done some experimentation with different inks including Waterman Black and multiple different paper stocks. The type of paper has a huge influence on the line of writing (no surprise) but I plan on using this Pelikan at work where I cannot control the documents I write on. The ink change helps a bit as the Waterman Black does not flow quite as rapidly as the Aurora, but this effect is modest compared to the paper.

I'm striving for the approximate thickness of a Pilot G-2 gel pen 0.7mm (fine) line. I would be happy to pay more to customize the nib to an extra-fine to get the thickness I desire. I will see what Richard reommends. Again, I did not want to be too hasty, which is why I wanted to get people's input and to experiment a bit before making any decisions. This is the first "expensive" (a relative term, I know) fountain pen I've bought so I'd like it to fit my needs as much as possible.

ctakim

Just to update the status of things. As suggested, I contacted Richard Binder about the M600 nib and he immediately suggested sending it back in for adjustment. I sent it in and he quickly adjusted the nib and decreased the flow. I've been using it for a couple of weeks since it was returned, and it is much improved. The line is a bit finer and the nib is slightly drier, but still flows well. Both Richard and Barbara were very good about keeping me informed and they clearly stand by the products they sell. For me this reinforces my decision to pay a bit more for the pen than the eBay discounters, but to get it in a condition that I am happy with.

No connections to Richard's Pens, but just a very satisfied customer. They will get more of my business in the future!! Thanks Richard!

ctakim