First Fp - Filling Issue

[johnross2007]

So I just bought a Lamy Safari and converter - first FP ever. The first ink up was with an ink sample I got from Goulet - Sargasso Sea. Beautiful! But, when filling the pen up I absolutely could not figure out how to get much ink in at all. In my attempts to do so I spilled a good bit down the ol' sink. I'm wondering if there is a "method" to filling these babies up from the sample vials. I did a forum search for this and there appears to be solutions,but not ones that work for my Lamy Safari. I don't believe I could do the eye dropper thing since it has to go through the little hole on the feed. I doubt I could be so accurate - I have a vision of it splattering everywhere!

 

[Namru]

Get a couple ink syringes, take out the converter and "inject" the ink into the converter nipple. Best way to get the most out of ink vials.

[c4bb0ose]

Assuming you have an actual converter, you should first and foremost place the converter into the pen, dip the pen so the whole nib is submerged in the ink and draw up the ink with what ever kind of method the converter has (either twist action, conventional syringe action or a squeeze type action or another one). Might I ask what converter you got?

[johnross2007]

I think it was the z24. The only one that works with a Safari I believe. You twist it to raise the o-ring thing which creates pressure and pulls in liquid. So I need to get a syringe and just inject it straight into the converter before attaching the converter to the pen?

[iliadodyssey]

Check to be sure that the alignment nubs on the converter are in the correct slot, not in the ink window.

[johnross2007]

I checked - the converter is in appropriately.

 

Before I inked it I filled with filtered water. It picked up the water just fine.

Edited October 19, 2013 by johnross2007

[Namru]

I think it was the z24. The only one that works with a Safari I believe. You twist it to raise the o-ring thing which creates pressure and pulls in liquid. So I need to get a syringe and just inject it straight into the converter before attaching the converter to the pen?

Pretty much the cleanest way. The Goulet's sell a nice little kit.

[johnross2007]

Thanks. I'll fill awkwardly for a few days till the new order comes in. 'preciate it guys!

[Namru]

Thanks. I'll fill awkwardly for a few days till the new order comes in. 'preciate it guys!

Just remember when filling a fountain pen normally, the entire nib needs to be submerged up to the beginning of the grip section, so filling from a large full bottle of ink shouldn't be a problem.

[ac12]

I do not have a Safari, so I am saying this w/o reference.

 

If the front of the grip can go into the vial, then as was mentioned you need to get the nib down far enough so that the entire nib is covered.

 

If however the tapering contour of the grip prevents you from getting the nib down far enough, or if the front of the grip of the Safari cannot go into the ink vial, then you have to either

• use a syringe to load the ink converter
• stick the ink converter into the vial to suck the ink directly into the converter

You also need something to hold the vial from tipping over.

I stick my vial into an inkwell then put tissue paper around the vial so it does not move. This keeps the vial upright and it won't tip over on me. You can get a chunk of wood and drill a hole just larger than the vial and stick the vial into the hole.

[johnross2007]

I just switched to a different ink sample. I just dropped that baby all the way in and made sure the little hole at the top of the black understand was low, tilted the vial and filled. VERY small air bubble. Today is a good day.

 

Very impressed with this Safari being able to write on cheap copy paper with no noticeable feathering! It is a bit disconcerting however that the experience on any, even clairfontaine paper, is more scratchy than I had anticipated. It makes me wonder if this isn't a drastic an improvement over ballpoint as I had thought. Still get awesome ink choices though! Would a bigger nib get rid of that scratchiness?

[Sailor Kenshin]

I do not have a Safari, so I am saying this w/o reference.

 

If the front of the grip can go into the vial, then as was mentioned you need to get the nib down far enough so that the entire nib is covered.

 

If however the tapering contour of the grip prevents you from getting the nib down far enough, or if the front of the grip of the Safari cannot go into the ink vial, then you have to either

 

• use a syringe to load the ink converter
• stick the ink converter into the vial to suck the ink directly into the converter

You also need something to hold the vial from tipping over.

I stick my vial into an inkwell then put tissue paper around the vial so it does not move. This keeps the vial upright and it won't tip over on me. You can get a chunk of wood and drill a hole just larger than the vial and stick the vial into the hole.

I use a shot glass.

[ac12]

Very impressed with this Safari being able to write on cheap copy paper with no noticeable feathering! It is a bit disconcerting however that the experience on any, even clairfontaine paper, is more scratchy than I had anticipated. It makes me wonder if this isn't a drastic an improvement over ballpoint as I had thought. Still get awesome ink choices though! Would a bigger nib get rid of that scratchiness?

 

First you need to determine if the tip of the nib is in alignment.

The easiest way is to hold the pen and draw lines Left to Right, Right to Left.

If it is scratchy in one direction and not the other, then the tips are probably out of alignment, and you need to get that taken care of.

 

In my experience a wider nib will handle less than smooth paper better than a fine tip. The wider nib handles the rougher surface better than the fine tip. I have some paper that I will NOT use a Fine tip on, too scratchy. But I can write with a Medium tip pen.

 

But if you want smooth writing with a Fine tip, you NEED to write on SMOOTH paper. Even better a HARD SMOOTH paper. I have not found a way around this.

 

Some tips are inherently more scratch prone than others. This has to do with the profile of the tip and the degree of smoothness and polishing of the tip. I do not know enough about Lamy tips to make a judgement call.

[Bo Bo Olson]

A once in a life time buy of a good & good coated glass of 10-12 or 15 X loupe will tell you if the tines are aligned. 95 % of scratchy is misaligned tines or holding the fountain pen wrong. Do Not hold a fountain pen like a ball point before the big index finger knuckle, but behind it at 45-40 or even in the pit of the web of your thumb at 35 degrees.

 

If misaligned.

Press down the up tine from the breather hole a couple of times for @4-5 seconds. Check with loupe, and no magnifying glass is strong enough.

 

The loupe is 100% needed, can be used through the decades to look at hallmarks on silver and gold, stamps or grade coins.

 

Buy cheap and you will end up buying it again, quality lasts a life time.