Baby Bottom Nib In My Cross Medalist

[sriramoman]

Hi, I recently got a Cross medalist (Medium tip) fountain pen as gift for academic performance. Unfortunately, it skips due to baby bottom. Is it imperative that I fix this problem before continuing to use my pen? Or will it perform fine after few months of regular usage?

[sriramoman]

Update:

Skipping is prevalent when I use Private Reserve American Blue bottled ink (I learnt that this is a "dry" ink). Cross blue cartridge seems to be wet and bleeds through pages when I write with this pen, but it doesn't seem to skip. Is it worth purchasing a Cross blue bottle of ink? I am asking this question because I read somewhere that Cross bottled ink isn't the same fluid as the Cross cartridges. Thus, is there chance that I could anticipate skipping when I use Cross bottled ink in this same pen?

[RMN]

AFAIK the ink in Cross cartridges is made by a different manufacturer. The (old) bottles came from Pelikan. They now have a new form of bottle, not sure if the ink is different too. Might have to do with Cross acquiring Sheaffer some time ago. Pelikan ink is dry too.

 

Really each pen/nib/ink/paper combination behaves differently.

 

 

Cross has a very good after service, so far. So if your pen is new, and you have found that there really is a babybottom showing by loupe, you might send it back.

 

Nibs do wear down after use, but today's blob-material is very hard, so that might take some time.

 

But there is another thing: cartridge versus converter. Some converters really are bothered by air bubbles hampering flow.

 

So be sure the problem really is the nib, not the converter.

You could check that by refilling a cartridge with your "dry" ink.

 

 

D.ick

[sriramoman]

That's a really insightful and detailed advice, thanks. There is indeed a "cushion of air" that fills the first mililiters of my convertor when I screw in the ink, so I guess I shall try filling my cartridge with my "dry" ink and see.

As for the baby bottom, I didn't use a magnifying glass to check the nib; I just guessed the problem based on the symptoms so I shall try using PR ink in cartridge before sending the pen to experts.