Pelikan 400N Ink Flow Problem

[Phroneo]

 

Greetings All,

 

I have a Pelikan 400N with a medium oblique nib. The problem is that the pen will write wonderfully for about a page and then start to fade. By a page and a half, there is no ink flow.

 

I have cleaned the nib assembly in cold water several times and put it through an ultrasonic bath at least twice. After I clean the nib assembly, I blow on the backside to make certain I've got air flow through to the nib. Only water comes out and there are no obstructions. And yet, I still have the same problem.

 

It seems to me as if the collector gets ink on the inital fill and no more ink gets into the assembly. Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be the problem? I am comfortable working on pens, put am not certain that I want to remove the nib from the assembly in a Pelikan pen.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me,

 

Ink2pen

[amh210]

Here are some ideas for your dilemma:

 

You don't mention if this is a newly developed problem or has always been the case. Knowing could be an important clue.

 

1, residual machining oils are left in the barrel that are impeding the flow of ink. Suck soapy water (liquid dish soap) through the whole nib assembly, feed and pen several times and then do it again several more times with clean water.

 

2, some particle is in the barrel that when filled with ink is floating down and blocking the feed tube. Is your experience that this happens with all sorts of ink? Same solution as above might help.

 

3, when you blow through the nib's backside, some tiny particle of something in your mouth is lodging in the ink channel? (remote, I know, so don't blow)

 

4, when you are re-seating the nib, something isn't lining up quite right.

 

Should none of these ideas, nor the better ones from other FPN members solve the problem, send it to Chartpack for service and let them figure it out. Alternatively, one of our repair mavens/nibmeisters should be able to sort it out.

 

Good luck,

 

Andy

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

You cannot send the pen to Chartpak since it is a vintage model.

 

I would be glad to take it in for treatment if you so desire.

 

Dillon

[amh210]

Ink2pen

 

Dillon is correct, of course. I focused my reading on the problem, which could happen to most any pen, and not on the model.

 

BTW, if you choose to have him do the fix for you, I know from personal experience that he does quality work at a fair price, and gets it done pretty quickly, as well.

 

Andy

[OldGriz]

You can send the pen to Chartpak, but they will charge you for the repair and will most likely end up sending it to Germany to have the work done.

I know of at least two friends who have had that done on older Pelikans

[Phroneo]

 

I'm sorry that I took so long getting back to the forum, but life has this habit of getting in the way of what I'd really like to do. Thank you all for your responses.

 

I did blow through the hole on the back side of the nib assembly, Andy. Then I turned it around and blew through the nib itself. With regard to particulate matter in the pen, this pen is real clean. I even checked the ink I used, an Aurora blue, which is a good quality ink with which I've never had trouble. About the lining up of the nib/nib assembly, I don't think that there is much to worry about with a Pelikan. I have not removed the nib from the feed because I'm not sure as how to release the metal ring that holds it into place. And putting the nib assembly back into the pen is merely a matter of carefully screwing it in until ti is secure.

 

Thank you for your offer to take a look at my pen, Dillon. I'm mostly over at Zoss and not too familar with the folks over here -- some names are familar because I come here to read the posts on a frequent basis and I have read yours, and Andy's and OldGriz's posts for about a year now. Why don't you contact me back channel, Dillion, and we can talk.

 

Just after I put up this post the other day, I took the pen apart once again and put the nib assembly through an ultrasonic bath and used an ear bulb to flush out the barrel of the pen. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, and most likely won't until early next week.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Ink2Pen