Long Lamy Nib Break-In Time

[Tedium42]

Hey Guys and Gals,

 

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've done a search for break-in periods and read several threads. I have three Lamys: two Safaris and a 2000. All three have EF nibs, and I use converters for the Safaris. It took forever for my first Safari and the 2000 to get to a point where they write smoothly and the ink actually flows well. Now, they are great. I should also note I use Noodler's exclusively, and I'm a lefty.

 

I bought a new Safari a few months ago, along with some lubricated ink, and figured that maybe I had flow issues before because I was a fountain pen novice. Since it's been some years in-between pen purchases, I thought this would be a lot smoother process now that I'm older and wiser. I was wrong. The new Safari does not flow well at all. I'm having to put too much pressure to get a solid line. I've flushed and switched inks. No Bueno.

 

So, I went back to the conclusion that I was just FPing wrong. Then my new Karas Kustoms Fountain K EF nib came in a few days ago. It was buttery smooth out of the box with the converter. Then I started thinking that it wasn't me, maybe Lamys are the real culprits.

 

Has anyone else experienced this with their Lamy pens? Is the Karas Kustoms just a more forgiving pen? Am I doing something wrong? Does it just take time with some pens? Am I being impatient?

 

Any input would be appreciated. My first two Lamys are fine, but my new one still needs help.

[her]

Maybe the nib is scratchy (tines misaligned, etc.) or just not a good fit for you.

I doubt that there is something like break in time. I have to accustom myself to every new pen, so I change the way I write over some time, but the nib and the pen is the same. But sometimes it is not a good fit. There are pens in my collection with perfect nibs, but they just don't work for me.

 

An idea for the Lamy Safari: Buy just a new nib and exchange it. In Europe Lamy nibs cost around 3€. I doubt they are very expensive wherever you live.

[Tedium42]

Maybe the nib is scratchy (tines misaligned, etc.) or just not a good fit for you.

I doubt that there is something like break in time. I have to accustom myself to every new pen, so I change the way I write over some time, but the nib and the pen is the same. But sometimes it is not a good fit. There are pens in my collection with perfect nibs, but they just don't work for me.

 

An idea for the Lamy Safari: Buy just a new nib and exchange it. In Europe Lamy nibs cost around 3€. I doubt they are very expensive wherever you live.

 

I thought it might be a case of wrong pen with the Safari, because of the grip and the fact that I'm a lefty, but I had the same issues with the 2000 when I first got it. What is confusing me is that my older Safari is a great writer now, but I'm still having issues with my new one. If it is a case of adjusting writing styles to a certain type of pen, you would think my years of writing with the older Safari would have cleared that up.

 

I did actually purchase a new nib for the Safari, but am having the same issues. I might try moving up to a Fine nib, but I'm afraid that with my handwriting the nib would be too broad. I do have one I can try. I might do that when I get home. But that still leaves me puzzled about why I'm having issues with all the Lamy EF nibs, but the Brock EF that came with my Karas Kustoms is working great.

[her]

 

But that still leaves me puzzled about why I'm having issues with all the Lamy EF nibs, but the Bock EF that came with my Karas Kustoms is working great.

 

 

I know that feeling. Every time I buy a Lamy, I buy also three nibs extra. In my collection are around 20 EF nibs and just one works for me. Most of the time I got more luck with an F nib or the 1,1 italic/stub. Lamy has also an extra nib for lefties.

[Tedium42]

 

 

I know that feeling. Every time I buy a Lamy, I buy also three nibs extra. In my collection are around 20 EF nibs and just one works for me. Most of the time I got more luck with an F nib or the 1,1 italic/stub. Lamy has also an extra nib for lefties.

Wow, I didn't know about the lefty nib. Going to have to look for that. Thanks for the tip!

 

I may buy a few more EF nibs and see if it is not just a quality control issue. I know Lamy has issues with that.

[tamiya]

I may buy a few more EF nibs and see if it is not just a quality control issue. I know Lamy has issues with that.

I wouldn't call it "bad" QC but there is a big variance IMHO in the size, shape & position of their sweetspot on Lamy steel nibs.

 

These days when buying in person I usually go thru 5-10 units to find one I like, sometimes up to 20. Then once home, check alignment & they get a quick buff to remove rough edges.

 

If a Lamy has been acquired without personal instore choosing, usually takes a lot more work "fixing" it to get it how I like them. Not unknown to spend 2-3hrs tinkering.

 

Feeds should be removed & properly washed (especially if your intended ink is paler than factory-test Blue!!) then dried & reassembled. Wet/dry behaviour can be adjusted somewhat thru flossing the nib &/or the feed's channels, mostly depends on ink used.

 

Helps to have other Lamys lying about already inked, I switch nibs with the nicely-working unit to see if it's the new nib or the new feed that needs further work.

[ac12]

This is a manufacturing tolerance issue, of both the feed and the nib.

As a result, some Lamy nibs write dry, and you need to adjust the nib to get more ink flow.

It is not difficult, but you need to be VERY CAREFUL.

 

- First check if there is space between the nib and the feed. I use a .001 inch sheet of brass. If that goes in smooth, I have enough space.

 

- If there isn't space, which is usually the problem, then you need to VERY CAREFULLY lift the tines. You can do this by pressing down on the nib, like you are writing, but with more pressure. But do this a TINY bit at a time, as it difficult to fix if you spring the nib.

 

- Then test the ink flow. CAUTION. You will get more ink flow just after doing the above, so you have to write enough to use up the 'extra' ink that was drawn down by lifting the tines.

 

- If you do not have enough ink flow, repeat the process.

 

Remember just a tiny bit at a time.

If you press too much you will get too large of a gap, then you have to bend the tines the other way.

 

After you do all this, you have to align the tip of the nib.

You need to have a 10x loupe to do this, so that you can see the tip of the nib.

[Tedium42]

Thanks very much for the advice. I have some nibs I can try out and a Goulet pen fixing kit coming. I'll have to try some of this out and see if I can't find a good solution.

[Fuellerfuehrerschein]

One of my friends inherited a Lamy Accent with a F nib. He asked me how to take care of the pen and got used to writing with a fountain pen again. When trying my Lamy Studio he noticed my EF nib wrote smoother. I explained that especially finer nibs often need optimization before they write smoothly as tiny nib misalignments and other generally rarer defects can be noticed during writing. I used my Belomo 10x triplet loupe – a decent triplet is a must for nib review and work – to review the Lamy F nib and saw a slight tine misalignment. I very gently bended the highest tine downwards to the feed in small increments with my fingernails whilst constantly checking my progress, until I saw the tines were perfectly level. My friend now enjoys smooth writing with this nib. When checking new nibs of various pen manufacturers I often see cause for minor nib alignment improvements, so this is nothing Lamy specific.

Edited August 20, 2016 by Fuellerfuehrerschein

[ac12]

BTW, nibs don't really break in like a shoe does.

The tipping material is SO HARD that you will likely never wear it in your lifetime. . . as long as you don't write on sandpaper.

If the pen does not write properly in the beginning, it needs to be adjusted.

 

This presumes that you know how to write with a fountain pen, because undiagnosed writer error can be thought of as a pen problem.

[sanjitc]

Gently lifting the tines and adjusting the alignment worked for me. There's a How-to video on Youtube published by "The Pen Habit".

 

I will repeat what the video's author said... "If you end up hurting your pen more than fixing it, it's on you"

[TomFPN]

Maybe you just got a fake pen.

[countrydirt]

I've taken to running all of my Lamy Safari feeds through my ultrasonic cleaner before I ink them up. Cleaning out any manufacturing oils and resident left seems to help quite a bit. I slip the nibs off the feeds before I drop them in the cleaner with a water and a little Dawn dishwashing liquid.

[Itsallstraw]

Hello! I have a lamy with a medium nib but it is way too broad for me. Would you be willing to send me an EF nib of yours to try?! I can't even use my lamy which makes me sad! Thanks

 

 

I know that feeling. Every time I buy a Lamy, I buy also three nibs extra. In my collection are around 20 EF nibs and just one works for me. Most of the time I got more luck with an F nib or the 1,1 italic/stub. Lamy has also an extra nib for lefties.

[gammada]

I used to have a dry Safari that I thought had a faulty nib. Tines were aligned, tip showed no baby-bottom or any other defect so I tried widening the tine slit, yet it didn't work. I then unmounted the nib and started messing carefully with the feed channel with a thin knife. Turns out this helped the pen attain proper flow. Be careful thou, Lamy plastic feeds are very flimsy and easy to damage.