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Safari Lilac: Why Is It So Scratchy?

laurahead108

By laurahead108
in Lamy

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laurahead108 Near Mint

laurahead108

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Hi,

 

Newbie to Lamy here. I'm a loyal Pilot user, but couldn't resist the lure of Lamy's Lilac Safari EF. I've been writing for a few hours (in an Apica notebook) and te Safari skips! It's scratchy! (The only time it flows consistently is when I write on newspaper.) Is there some adjustment I can make, or is this the nature of an EF Safari?

 

Thanks!

Laura

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Uncial Antique

Uncial

Posted
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I've found some Lamy nibs to run dry on the Safari, but never scratchy. I'd take it back and get it exchanged.

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canibanoglu Extremely Rare

canibanoglu

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Well, it might be tine misalignment. This would explain both the scratchiness and the consistent flow on newspaper. You can tell if there's something wrong just by looking at the nib straight on. But I haven't seen a misaligned Safari nib yet, so this is weird indeed. If you don't dare do anything to the nib yourself, definitely go for an exchange.

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Mike 59 Collectors Item

Mike 59

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Hi, Obviously you shouldn't have to do anything to a new pen to make it work as it should, but there are very small differences between nibs (of any brand) which make a big difference to how they write, this is really an on-going issue, and it depends on what the problem is, and if you want to get a replacement from a shop/dealer, or fancy having a 'go' at tuning it youself.

Of course if you start tweaking your new nib, the dealer might not be too happy about it, if you then take/send it back.

 

A few things you can do without doing any damage, look closely at the nib point,'head on', do the two sides seem to be level in height, as they would touch the paper? You really need to magnify the nib to see it.

If they seem to be, then take a sheet of A4, starting at the top, draw a line all the way down the paper, pressing as you would write, that is quite gently. Repeat that a few times, say X10, and test write again.

If that seems to help, repeat it, and see if it writes any better.

This isn't much of a tweak, but it won't break anything either.

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MKeith Vintage

MKeith

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Laura,

 

Try a thorough rinse with water with a couple of drops of Dawn dish washing soap, then do a thorough rise with distilled water. I have found that some convertors such as the Z-24, which is the one in a safari, have required this method initially when purchased. I believe there is sometimes solvent residue left behind when they are manufactured. This cause problems with surface tension inside the convertor. Also if you have been writing on newspaper It would surprise me if you don't have paper fiber debris between the tines requiring a floss. Good luck.

"Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" Patrick Henry

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Cerebus Near Mint

Cerebus

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I had an issue with my first safari with skips. I tried washing it and it didn't help, I eventually put it in a drawer. Then, luckily, a pen shop opened in my town and they ran it through a sonic cleaner-- no problems since. This tells me two things: 1) these pens do have occasional clogs due to the "testing ink" used at the factory, and 2) I certainly am not doing a good enough job when I clean my pens myself!

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laurahead108 Near Mint

laurahead108

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Thanks to you all for your very helpful responses! I will start with a thorough cleaning and examination of the nib. If that doesn't work, well, back to my Pilots. Not sure it's worth mailing back to Japan for an exchange.

 

Thanks to you all,

Laura

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RMN Museum Piece

RMN

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What also could be a problem is that some nibs have a rather narrow sweet spot. Some people (like myself) tend to rotate the pen a bit so the nib does not hit the paper exactly in the spot of the slit end. Some pens are more forgiving than others for this. This will cause the nib to feel dry, because they miss some ink lubrication.

 

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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laurahead108 Near Mint

laurahead108

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I'm using a cartridge right now, but have the converter and will be making the switch soon.

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PaganArcher Vintage

PaganArcher

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I had the same issue with my black Al Star with an EF nib. For me, it was the cartridge. When I switched to the converter and bottled ink, it evened out to a nice smooth flow.

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laurahead108 Near Mint

laurahead108

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Holy cow, I just swapped the cartridge and now it's perfect! What a difference! Many thank to everybody for helping me with this.

Gratefully

Laura

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domzals1 Mint

domzals1

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Holy cow, I just swapped the cartridge and now it's perfect! What a difference! Many thank to everybody for helping me with this.

Gratefully

Laura

 

Glad to hear it! I have a dark lilac in medium waiting at home, can't wait to try it out as it's my first Lamy.

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ac12 Donor Pen

ac12

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Ink flow = lubrication for the nib.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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