Help! New Twsbi 580 Stub Nib Driving Me Nuts

[Mike_Dowling]

My 580 with a 1.1 italic writes like a dream - not too wet. Perfection. Must be user error.

 

Yeah must be, we all know here is no possibility that the nib TWSBI uses has an issue, or a one off manufacturer defect, must be the user.

[jhass]

I'm pretty sure it is not user error. I've been testing this nib VERY carefully, making sure to hold the nib even against the paper, at the proper angle, etc. It works fine . . . for a while. Then it just shuts down.

[sh0ebox]

Just an update on my situation. I tried flushing out the pen and changing inks, but the issue still persists. I did some very rudimentary tests and now it makes me feel like it's actually a little worse than I suspected, but occurs the majority of the time with downstrokes. It isn't solely limited to getting the pen to start inking... it does happen in the middle of writing as well.

 

In the first half of the image below, I was just repeatedly making downstrokes across the page. Going at my normal rate, increasing speed, and decreasing speed. Also I would occasionally pause for about 5-10 seconds to see if that resulted in start up issues.

 

On the bottom half, I just wanted to see if the pen was mostly having start up issues. Here you can see that the pen would not ink for the first 1-4 strokes, but once it got started it had no problem keeping up as long as the pen stayed in contact with the paper.

 

http://f.cl.ly/items/040Z41170o0E2k3O3D0V/Scan%204.jpeg

 

Not really sure what to make of it

[yolrgrand]

My 580 with a 1.1 italic writes like a dream - not too wet. Perfection. Must be user error.

 

Yeah must be, we all know here is no possibility that the nib TWSBI uses has an issue, or a one off manufacturer defect, must be the user.

Quit being so serious - just bs'ing

[caelyx]

Flushed out the Noodler's Navy and put Noodler's Black in instead. The problem's still there, but very much reduced -- it only fails about 5-10% of the time on an initial downstroke now.

[UDog]

My new TWSBI 580 (my first TWSBI) arrived Friday, and I've been trying all weekend to get it to write well. It has a hard start after being unused (capped or uncapped) for even a few seconds. Sometimes between one letter and the next (I write in print, not cursive), it will partially stop flowing, so that the next stroke starts with a "ragged edge." I've cleaned and flushed the pen multiple times, to no avail. The slot between the nibs seems perfect: ever slightly tapered toward the tip, but never touching. I don't have a magnifier to examine the nib more closely.

 

Having waited eagerly for months for this pen, I'm terribly disappointed. I really wanted to like this pen, but, at present, I can't stand it. I'm hoping I can get some advice from the FPN members. Thanks!

 

Send it back.

[cnjackson]

I don't know if this will be relevant--

 

I have a 540 1.1 stub. It worked pretty well out of the box--but not as wet as I usually like a pen. On a whim I started opening the piston a few turns.

 

This of course pushed more ink into the feed--and increased wetness.

 

But then I just leave the piston opened a bit--and since then, the flow has been wet, just as I like it.

[icevic]

My Mini was like that for a while. I gave it a good cleaning but I think there were residual oils that had to be worked out. Each time I used it, it got a little better, until after a few refills it was working normally. It's fine now and lays down a beautiful wet line.

 

If it is being sticky you can just forward the ink slightly using the piston. That's my favourite feature of piston pens.

 

 

Sounds like your experience will be just like mine. After you go through a few refills of ink the problems will disappear, as mine did.

 

Mine is a very consistent, wet writer now, and it started out just like yours.

[79spitfire]

I bought one of the replacement nibs (1.1 stub) for one of my older pens, and it was also a dry starter. Mine straitened it self out after flushing it with JB's and writing with it. I think I also used PR Midnight Blues, one of my favorite colors!

[Fivephases]

Hi,

 

This is my first post here on FPN after couple of months of lurking. I too received a TWISBI 580 1.1 STUB nib last Saturday and I'm really frustrated like the original poster. After flushing the pen with water and some detergent to remove any residual oils left, I'm experiencing hard starts and occasional skipping on down strokes. I've been in contact with Philip and he made some suggestion to widen the slit and I tried but it is still having the same problems. I just picked up a 10x loupe from LI pen show and looked at the nib and saw that the part of the nib that touches the paper is ever so slightly convex. Is that supposed to be normal?

 

I really want to like this pen because it's well made and offers a good value but it should write well all the time.

 

Taehoon

 

Here's a letter I've written to Philip with the pen.

TWSIBI 580 1.1 Stub Nib.pdf

[supermitch365]

I bought one of the replacement nibs (1.1 stub) for one of my older pens, and it was also a dry starter. Mine straitened it self out after flushing it with JB's and writing with it. I think I also used PR Midnight Blues, one of my favorite colors!

 

I bought it on a whim, since I was re-getting into fountain pens (lost my ink, and for a bit my pens, in a move). I always loved the blue/blacks and "fun" blues, and the PR Midnight Blues is just awesome. Bonus that is seems really, really well behaved, even on crappy office paper, and looks amazing out of the 1.1 stub.

[Fivephases]

So initially I used a very diluted concentration of detergent with water to rinse out the pen and I experienced skipping issues. I just now thoroughly rinsed out the pen with a much more concentrated detergent solution with warmer water and the skipping issue seemed to have resolved. To all the folks here who are having skipping issues, I recommend rinsing out the pen with JB solution or just detergent water VERY THOROUGHLY and see if that resolves the issue. If that's the case, the skipping problem may be due to excessive manufacturing oil residue.

 

Taehoon

[fotographik]

I ordered one yesterday...TWSBI 580 with 1.1 stub (shipped this morning). Can't wait to get it. Hopefully it won't have this issue but I'll report back either way.

[Fabienne]

So initially I used a very diluted concentration of detergent with water to rinse out the pen and I experienced skipping issues. I just now thoroughly rinsed out the pen with a much more concentrated detergent solution with warmer water and the skipping issue seemed to have resolved. To all the folks here who are having skipping issues, I recommend rinsing out the pen with JB solution or just detergent water VERY THOROUGHLY and see if that resolves the issue. If that's the case, the skipping problem may be due to excessive manufacturing oil residue.

 

Taehoon

 

Thanks!

[LostInBrittany]

I've received my 580 B today. After cleaning with soapy water I've loaded with Noodler's Ganges Blue, and it writes wonderfully, a wet, generous line, without any skipping or problem.

I guess that cleaning with soapy water helps

[Malcy]

Just received my 580 1.1mm stub. I was worried after reading this thread but it's fine, even a bit too wet. No cleaning with magic potions or otherwise was needed. Another point is that the ink in the tank is properly wetting the walls, the 530 plastic was inkophobic which I think led to a lot of the flow problems on that pen.

 

It's the Northern Pen show soon, so I may look for a nice flex or semi flex nib to fit it.

[Tycho Brahe]

Got mine today, also a 1.1. This video should sum up my feelings in less than 10 seconds. http://youtu.be/QFIGCQ-XmGY

Edited March 20, 2013 by Tycho Brahe

[UK Mike]

My 580 has a plain medium nib and it hard-starts every time on the downstroke. Irritating, but once it gets going it is very nice.

 

Hopefully it will get better with use - or it goes in the bin. Very nice pen for £41.99 - would love it better if it wasn't a demonstrator of course. Just my taste.

[moylek]

I've received my 580 B today. After cleaning with soapy water I've loaded with Noodler's Ganges Blue, and it writes wonderfully, a wet, generous line, without any skipping or problem.

I guess that cleaning with soapy water helps

 

What sort of cleaning? Just a swish in soapy water? Or a flush?

 

I've got a 580 on order, you see

[jhass]

Here's an update. The nib is improving. I originally flushed out the Waterman ink, and refilled with J. Herbin. After a day or two, I flushed with clear and then soapy water, rinsed, re-lubed the piston seal, and filled with Private Reserve (Orange Crush). It is much better, but still not perfect. The first stroke after the pen has been sitting (especially if clipped in pocket) is almost always a dud, unless I remember to touch the nib to the paper and then wait a split second before writing. Also, while writing there are still occasional skips, always on the down stroke of a new letter.

A new feeder is en route from TWSBI, and I am hopeful that will fix the problem once and for all. I will give the feeder a thorough cleaning in soapy water before installing it.