Does This Pen Have A Nib Alignment Issue?

[Darkbulb]

Would greatly appreciate thoughts on this please

 

After posting some image of a pen I just bought, Paul ( @Hobiwan ) was kind enough to assess the pen and had some concerns;

"From the pictures, the nib looks a bit "sprung" (tines out of alignment). May need a bit of straightening ...."

 

That was based on this;

http://i67.tinypic.com/2dwb51f.jpg

 

I checked in with the seller - and the pen hasn't been shipped yet - and she was super kind to supply with me some more photos.

Would anyone please be able to look at these additional images and see if there is an alignment issue or if the pen looks good

 

Thanks all!

 

http://i63.tinypic.com/idx6xu.jpg

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/2hn9rwg.jpg

 

http://i67.tinypic.com/167wpjt.jpg

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/jahms4.jpg

 

http://i66.tinypic.com/n686xj.jpg

 

 

Any thoughts GREATLY appreciated!!

[inkstainedruth]

It's hard to tell. Can you get us a photo of the nib in profile (i.e., from the side)? Because I saw the photos in your other thread, and honestly wasn't sure whether there was a problem or just some weird reflections (but if Hobiwan thinks there maybe is an issue, I know that I'd be inclined to believe him).

And I say that as the person who bid on an SJ with a 9218 (flexible EF) nib a couple of years ago without really looking carefully at the seller's photos. And that nib had its tines sort of bent into an "s" shape if you looked at it in profile....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Chouffleur]

[snip...]

And that nib had its tines sort of bent into an "s" shape if you looked at it in profile....

 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

That would be the Rare! Vintage! Esterbrook with the fabulous Waverly Nib! ;-)

[Darkbulb]

It's hard to tell. Can you get us a photo of the nib in profile (i.e., from the side)? Because I saw the photos in your other thread, and honestly wasn't sure whether there was a problem or just some weird reflections (but if Hobiwan thinks there maybe is an issue, I know that I'd be inclined to believe him).

And I say that as the person who bid on an SJ with a 9218 (flexible EF) nib a couple of years ago without really looking carefully at the seller's photos. And that nib had its tines sort of bent into an "s" shape if you looked at it in profile....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Here is a profile photo:

http://i64.tinypic.com/2nlxwnn.jpg

[OCArt]

That seller is very, very kind to supply so many photos.

[Darkbulb]

That seller is very, very kind to supply so many photos.

 

She has been amazing.

Will even send me an instruction sheet for how to fill the pen

[Hobiwan]

Let me apologize here for a snap judgement that may just an "angle of photography" eyeball error. Sorry to have caused unnecessary concern. Accept the pen and see how it is for you. Like Ruth, I've also been bitten by the "didn't look closely at the pics" disorder.

[Darkbulb]

Let me apologize here for a snap judgement that may just an "angle of photography" eyeball error. Sorry to have caused unnecessary concern. Accept the pen and see how it is for you. Like Ruth, I've also been bitten by the "didn't look closely at the pics" disorder.

 

Oh no need to apologize at all! You taught me the importance of looking at nibs at various angles to spot potential issues

I have already given the seller go-ahead and I believe it will go out tomorrow to me.

Very excited to check it out in person - I love the look and color of these pens.

[pajaro]

Nice pen with a nice shine. The feel of the pen should be quite nice. Until you try the nib, you won't know for sure, but it looks pretty good. I have a couple of pens like that one, and I have enjoyed them. I am sure you will enjoy your pen too.

[Darkbulb]

Nice pen with a nice shine. The feel of the pen should be quite nice. Until you try the nib, you won't know for sure, but it looks pretty good. I have a couple of pens like that one, and I have enjoyed them. I am sure you will enjoy your pen too.

 

Thanks!

Very happy to get it and hopefully it'll serve me well.

There is just something about these old Esterbrook pens......

Edited March 30, 2016 by Darkbulb

[Tas]

I'm no expert on Esterbrooks but I adore the two I have and having just spent a weekend taking a 9218 nib apart, cleaning it and reassembling I can see you may have the same issue I had.

 

My nib wasn't pushed all the way back into the feed sleeve which meant the feed wasn't in contact with the underside of the nib and the pen kept running dry after a line or two and ALWAYS failed to start.

 

I managed to pull mine out, eventually, and after much warming with boiling water managed to make the sleeve supple enough to allow me to push the nib all the way back. Phew!

 

If I'm right and you fancy having a go, please be very careful when handling the nib or you'll end up damaging or worse, snapping it like I did with my first Esterbrook repair

 

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_esterbrook_nib_issue.jpg

 

I hope it's fine and that you have fun with it. They have such personality.

 

[Darkbulb]

I'm no expert on Esterbrooks but I adore the two I have and having just spent a weekend taking a 9218 nib apart, cleaning it and reassembling I can see you may have the same issue I had.

 

My nib wasn't pushed all the way back into the feed sleeve which meant the feed wasn't in contact with the underside of the nib and the pen kept running dry after a line or two and ALWAYS failed to start.

 

I managed to pull mine out, eventually, and after much warming with boiling water managed to make the sleeve supple enough to allow me to push the nib all the way back. Phew!

 

If I'm right and you fancy having a go, please be very careful when handling the nib or you'll end up damaging or worse, snapping it like I did with my first Esterbrook repair

 

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_esterbrook_nib_issue.jpg

 

I hope it's fine and that you have fun with it. They have such personality.

 

 

Oh lord...all this is really making me very weary about buying vintage - even restored as in this case - fountain pens.

Seems like there is a never ending stream of potential issues...

[dasXFnib]

Two Esties in my collection have a 9556....I cannot see daylight through the tines of EITHER nib....

My take.....yours MAY be sprung....

If it's adversely affecting the way the pen writes...a replacement nib will run about $12-$15US..

Good luck!

 

Always try to get the dibs....on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

Edited March 30, 2016 by dasXFnib

[Tas]

 

Oh lord...all this is really making me very weary about buying vintage - even restored as in this case - fountain pens.

Seems like there is a never ending stream of potential issues...

 

Don't worry too much.

 

I have some old pens with nibs that look like dog's dinners and yet they write beautifully.

 

As dasXFnib just said, $15 shouldn't hurt too much i the greater scheme of things.

[ScienceChick]

The pen looks like a beauty and you're going to acquire more nibs anyway (trust me!) so don't fret.

[gweimer1]

When I took Richard Binder's nib class a year ago, he recommends looking at the nib, upside down, and at a 45° angle down from the tip. That should give you the view as the nib would sit on paper.

 

And everyone is pretty much correct - try it and see...the nibs are easy enough to find (PM me offline- I have 20+ NOS)...you're going to get more

[Darkbulb]

When I took Richard Binder's nib class a year ago, he recommends looking at the nib, upside down, and at a 45° angle down from the tip. That should give you the view as the nib would sit on paper.

 

And everyone is pretty much correct - try it and see...the nibs are easy enough to find (PM me offline- I have 20+ NOS)...you're going to get more

 

Thanks, I did read that changing the nibs on this pen is rather easy so that might be something I'll look into assuming of course that I like the pen itself. Seeing how many people that DO like the model J I think there's a fairly good chance I won't hate it

[Darkbulb]

The amazing seller actually took the nib and placed it on another pen and wrote several pages and said she could not find any issues with it - it wrote well, fine and smooth

 

Fantastic seller that has earned my future business.

[inkstainedruth]

That would be the Rare! Vintage! Esterbrook with the fabulous Waverly Nib! ;-)

 

Yah sure, you betcha.!

Uh, no....

I did give the seller good feedback though, because the pen *was* as advertised -- the pix were there, I was just too excited to get an Estie with one of the more exotic nibs on it, and didn't look carefully enough. I took a couple of pairs of jewelers pliers to it (on the grounds I couldn't possibly make it any worse, and then shopped it around at my first pen show trying to find someone willing to clean up the hack job I'd done. I literally had 3 different nibmeisters tell me "Just toss it and get a replacement nib unit". Then Mike Masuyama cleaned up what I'd done to straighten it, for $20 US. (I'd already paid about $26 with shipping; tell me I'm gonna luck into another 9128 nib unit for *only* twenty bucks....)

Ironically, last year I found another SJ (in the wild) with a 9128 nib on it. For less $$ than the one I originally got. Go figure. Not overly enthused by the color (black) but it's not every day you happen onto an SJ with a 9128 nib for roughly $20....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[vinniekowalski]

 

Oh lord...all this is really making me very weary about buying vintage - even restored as in this case - fountain pens.

Seems like there is a never ending stream of potential issues...

 

@Darkbulb - I generally feel the same way about most things in my life. Don't nobody got time for that! But there's something about vintage pens that grabs me more than modern pens.

 

Vintage pens all have a story, and feed less into the "gotta have the newest thing" limbic impulse animating some breathless pen sites. With a quality vintage pen, you're keeping something awesome alive (or bringing it back to life in some cases) rather than buying something that a lot of the time will just end up becoming more trash.

 

As I've gotten more into it (and I'm still pretty much a vintage n00b), the adjustments (especially with the help of FPN and other kind members of the community through other forums, sites, etc.) are usually only as often as you want them to be. In other words, if you buy from a reputable source -- Sheaffer's from Peyton St. Pens, Parker "51"s from Ernesto Soler, etc. -- you'll pay more but get a sweet pen that usually will work like it's supposed to.

 

If you try for something cheaper, or want to get your hands dirty/inky, there are plenty of pens around that just need a new sac and/or nib. And most of the time these things are surprisingly do-able and even more surprisingly enjoyable.

 

(edited because LIKE AN IDIOT I didn't realize this was a connected post until juuuuuuuust now) Do post again on how you like the new pen!

Edited April 10, 2016 by vinniekowalski