Pelikan M200 Ink Flow Problem

[user33]

I had stated that I purchased from Richard Binder his customized cursive italic Pelikan gold nib with M200 body, I can't recall how much it cost then, but nib alone now cost $190 from Indy-pen-dance, customization I believe would cost additional $45 to $65, plus shipping, and may be plus 6 months of wait time, so a cheap steel nib unit is not my solution to this problem.

[user33]

I had just read in another post that using a datavac air blower with a small hole attachment will clear the air channel blockage problem, which I believe is the problem I have, I am going to soak the feed in ammonia for for 2 days then give this method a try. Will report back the result. Thanks so much for your help everyone, this forum is great!

[Matlock]

I had stated that I purchased from Richard Binder his customized cursive italic Pelikan gold nib with M200 body, I can't recall how much it cost then, but nib alone now cost $190 from Indy-pen-dance, customization I believe would cost additional $45 to $65, plus shipping, and may be plus 6 months of wait time, so a cheap steel nib unit is not my solution to this problem.

 

I see, so what you have, in essence, is a M250. I wasn't implying you should replace the nib but that trying another nib unit would eliminate one possible source of the problem. You could then keep the steel nib as a spare or pass it on to someone who needs it.

[Matlock]

I have had one more thought, but it is probably not the cause, worth a look though. I had a similar problem with my M600 (old type) many years ago. Someone had picked up my pen and, in using it, had sprung the nib. Check that the nib is making contact with the feed, if there is a gap you may experience the symptom that you describe.

[SpecTP]

if you can post a close up of the side profile of the nib and the front profile of the nib, it may help to identify the issue.

[user33]

if you can post a close up of the side profile of the nib and the front profile of the nib, it may help to identify the issue.

 

http://oi63.tinypic.com/2wm2988.jpg

 

http://oi68.tinypic.com/211s492.jpg

 

http://oi63.tinypic.com/1zx1d7m.jpg

Edited September 15, 2016 by user33

[Matlock]

One thing more you could try. Fill the pen as normal and then expel the ink into a small plastic measure and see how much is expelled into the measure. This will give some idea if there is a blockage or a fault with the piston.

[Bo Bo Olson]

It is unfortunate you have that custom, perhaps you should write Pelikan in Hanover, to send your pen in. and get it fixed for free..and not to US chartpack in your warrantee might be done...in it's been a few years since Richard retired.

 

You would have to state you wish at all costs that Binder nib be kept.

[user33]

It is unfortunate you have that custom, perhaps you should write Pelikan in Hanover, to send your pen in. and get it fixed for free..and not to US chartpack in your warrantee might be done...in it's been a few years since Richard retired.

 

You would have to state you wish at all costs that Binder nib be kept.

 

Thanks for your suggestion, if after I tried everything, including swapping out the old feed with a new one, I still cannot fix this problem, I will take your suggestion to send it to Hanover. Richard no longer sells these nibs and I want to keep this nib because there is no other nibs writes like it, I can't explain it, it's just "different" than other nibs.

[stephanos]

Sorry if I missed it, but have you tried using an ultra-sonic cleaner? These aren't miracle-workers, but they can help to dislodge gunk.

 

I would strongly recommend that you invest in a set of brass shims - they are not expensive and can be very useful.

 

Finally (and with the caveat that this is your pen and your nib, and any decisions you take are your own...), why not separate the nib and collar? I am not particularly manually gifted, yet I have managed it on several Pelikan nibs, using my fingers. The first time I did it was on an M1000 nib. I was a little nervous, but it worked out fine. Unscrew the nib unit, place it nib-tip-up on a hard surface, encircle the top of the nib collar with your fingers and push down. The collar should move towards the hard surface, releasing the nib from the feed and at no time endangering the nib. This approach may take a little effort - particularly if there is ink caked in there - but as you have soaked it thoroughly, this problem should be minimised.

[dk76]

I would suggest also trying another ink. Try a wet ink, like Noodler's.

 

I have found Waterman to be a dry ink. At least my two bottles are.

[user33]

Sorry if I missed it, but have you tried using an ultra-sonic cleaner? These aren't miracle-workers, but they can help to dislodge gunk.

 

I would strongly recommend that you invest in a set of brass shims - they are not expensive and can be very useful.

 

Finally (and with the caveat that this is your pen and your nib, and any decisions you take are your own...), why not separate the nib and collar? I am not particularly manually gifted, yet I have managed it on several Pelikan nibs, using my fingers. The first time I did it was on an M1000 nib. I was a little nervous, but it worked out fine. Unscrew the nib unit, place it nib-tip-up on a hard surface, encircle the top of the nib collar with your fingers and push down. The collar should move towards the hard surface, releasing the nib from the feed and at no time endangering the nib. This approach may take a little effort - particularly if there is ink caked in there - but as you have soaked it thoroughly, this problem should be minimised.

 

Thanks for your help. I had never separate a Pelikan nib from the collar before, some people had suggested not doing that but just use soaking, brushing, flossing, and flushing, and compressed air blowing, I had done all of the above, except that I had not tried soaking the nib unit in ammonia solution for 5-7 days, as someone had suggested in another thread, so before I knock out the nib and feed from the collar for further brushing/cleaning/flushing, my next step is to soak the nib unit for a week then do another thorough cleaning.

 

I that still wouldn't do it, the problem may be not be from the nib/feed, but the pen itself.

[user33]

I would suggest also trying another ink. Try a wet ink, like Noodler's.

 

I have found Waterman to be a dry ink. At least my two bottles are.

 

Before I switched to Waterman ink as suggested by Richard, I was using Parker Quink ink. Richard strongly suggested using Waterman ink for this particular customized nib/pen, he said he had sold a large number of the same nib/pen and when using Waterman ink, none of them had ever had any ink flow issues, period. Richard's diagnose for this problem was that I didn't use the Waterman ink but Quink ink, so I had switched to Waterman ink for many years but the problem persisted, despite repeated soaking, flushing and cleaning.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I would suggest also trying another ink. Try a wet ink, like Noodler's.

 

I have found Waterman to be a dry ink. At least my two bottles are.

LOL Cubed... ...before Noodlers really took over the US market.....Waterman's was considered a Wet Ink. ***

I even bought some for a dry pen...and it worked. (I believe in buying a wetter ink than trying to widen an Inlaid nib.)

Later I replaced Waterman blue with DA Royal Blue, a tad wetter and with a purple 'royal' undertone.

Richard Binder calls Waterman ink the safest.

 

Many Noodlers are supersaturated inks and need more pen maintenance that other non-saturated inks.

 

In Europe Noodlers is the very expensive imported ink.........

 

*** Pelikan had a nib set wider so had a dryer ink....one of the two Waterman nibs were US/European narrow, so had a wetter ink....so they both reached the middle by matching nib to ink.

[SpecTP]

you can try moving the feeder a bit more forward

[Witsius]

It sounds to me like you just might have a balky feed. It happens. Is it possible to simply replace the feed? Contact Pelikan in Germany and explain the issue. They may be able to install your customized nib on a new feed for you.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Witsius

[Erik Dalton]

Even experts sometimes make mistakes. Steel nibs can be had pretty cheap. If the pen writes with the steel nib, then you know it's your fancy nib.

It's possible that Richard unknowingly worked on a nib with a defective feed system. Either way, you have to know whether the pen writes as it should with a different nib. You have to start eliminating possible causes one by one.

[user33]

It sounds to me like you just might have a balky feed. It happens.

 

It was working fine for the first 1-2 years, then the flow stopped, Richard said it just needs flushing because of the feed is dirty. Not only that I flushed numerous times myself, but I had also sent the pen to a fountain pen repair service to smooth and clean the nib, and to clean the nib unit and the feed, but that did not fix the ink flow problem.

 

How could a feed grow itself to a balky feed?

[Witsius]

 

It was working fine for the first 1-2 years, then the flow stopped, Richard said it just needs flushing because of the feed is dirty. Not only that I flushed numerous times myself, but I had also sent the pen to a fountain pen repair service to smooth and clean the nib, and to clean the nib unit and the feed, but that did not fix the ink flow problem.

 

How could a feed grow itself to a balky feed?

 

 

Don't know. We are just trying to offer helpful suggestions.

 

Have you tried taking the nib unit out of the pen and soaking it in a cup of water overnight? As others have said, some clogs are stubborn (if a clog is indeed the issue). Also, an ultrasonic cleaner may help if there is a stubborn clog in the feed. They can be purchased relatively inexpensively.

[user33]

 

 

Don't know. We are just trying to offer helpful suggestions.

 

Have you tried taking the nib unit out of the pen and soaking it in a cup of water overnight? As others have said, some clogs are stubborn (if a clog is indeed the issue). Also, an ultrasonic cleaner may help if there is a stubborn clog in the feed. They can be purchased relatively inexpensively.

 

thank you very much for your suggestions. I had taken the nib unit out and soaked in ammonia solutions for several hours, also had soaked it in hot water for several hours, but had not soaked overnight yet, which is probably what I should do, I will knock out the feed and soak it for a week, as some had mentioned that would unclog even the stubbornest ink clogs.