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Advice Needed - Ink Leak At Nib Collar - Mb Kafka We


Michael_V

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Hello.

 

I recently added a used Montblanc Kafka WE to my pen collection and now seem to have a problem with a slight ink leak around the nib collar. Does this require a return to MB for service or is this something that is repairable by an expert at a pen show (Baltimore is the closest next show)?

 

The pen was advertised as lightly used and then stored. This seems to be accurate as it is in very good cosmetic shape. There was some old ink in the feed and under the nib, so I cleaned it out over a few days with some flushing with water, some soaking while suspended in water/10% ammonia mix and and then more flushing and soaking with water. I have only used Waterman blue in it so far. The first fill demonstrated a few hard starts, but the second fill onward have all flowed quite well and the nib is in great shape. On about the third fill I started noticing some ink staining on my index finger. I double checked and cleaned the cap in case there was any ink stuck in there and continued on. If I look very closely, I can sometimes see a hint of ink where the nib collar joins the section. It looks very much like the area that macball shows with his Thomas Mann in his pictures in this thread at the 10th posting --> https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/261924-146-149-ink-leaking-onto-the-section/

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Michael

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Did you get a resolution to your leaking Kafka? I dithered about what to do about my Mann. If I send it to MB it will take weeks to get it back. I was wondering if I could fix it with silicon but I didn't know where to apply it. I recently purchased a MB 146R and 146, both with problems. The 146R has a broken nib collar. I have a lead on a replacement part but requires me to remove the feed/nib. I constructed a nib removal tool from a dollar store fork similar to the piston removal tool I made using instructions from the forum on this topic. Removing a feed requires less force than removing a piston, at least in the pen I tried it on. There was no pink sealant in this 146R model. It was screwed in with just a bit more than finger tightened. So, bravely, I decided to attempt to remove the Mann nib. It was just as easy. But, the construction was a bit different. There is a silicon or rubber gasket just behind the treads of the feed and it was cracked. I started to remove the gasket and it shattered in my fingers. For whatever reason it had deteriorated. I bought this pen new and sealed and never put anything in it other than tap water to clean and MB Royal Blue ink. Parts don't seem to be available and this part seems to be proprietary. So, after thinking about it for awhile I decided to use a couple of wraps of teflon plumber tape around the barrel end of the feed and a thin layer of silicon grease. It made a snug but not tight fit and I finger tightened the assembly. I will test its durability over the next couple of weeks. This design seems to be a departure from the bubble gum sealed 146 and 149 of the time. It is more similar to the Pelikan nib assembly and the new 149 that has just been released. Perhaps this was a early test of the idea. If so, the gasket needs work! The Kafka was built in 2004 and the Mann in 2009 so this may not be the root of your leaking problem. Either you will have to send it to MB for repair, or remove the nib/feed assembly and see if they were experimenting with this design that early.

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