Duofold Af Advice Needed

[Vespagirl]

I recently won an 1948 Parker Duofold AF on eBay. I know the risks, but I have used the seller before and he is usually pretty good. Yesterday, when my Duofold arrived, however, I was shocked to see that the nib was misaligned. Nothing was mentioned in the description, so I queried the seller and he has offered to take the pen and give me full refund, but I wanted this.

 

So my question is this: is it worth trying to repair the nib myself? Should I send it out? At what point does the repair outweigh the value? Or should I just pack it all in and send it back for a refund?

 

It's a pretty little pen. Great filling system. Writes wetter than I'm used to, but that could be the ink or the nib. Bit of a hard start (probably nib). Good writer but smaller sweet spot due to the nib.

 

I adore my other Parkers which is why this is so hard.

[Kenlowe]

This level of misalignment is relatively common, not even sure I would call it a fault.

 

If you have a reasonable nail on your right thumb, ease the tine on the right up a little, passed the one on the left by a couple of millemeters, then let it settle back and see if it all aligns as it should.

 

Some people would say press down on the left, yours looks like it is a tiny bit down on the right.

 

There is a useful youtube vid from penhabit on this issue, search nib alignment and you should find it.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Bagdatapolous

[mitto]

Nib looks good. Just needs realignment.

[Vespagirl]

"There is a useful youtube vid from penhabit on this issue, search nib alignment and you should find it."

 

Thank you. I will see if I can find it.

[Flounder]

Before you do anything else, wrap a damp piece of paper towel around the section, to check the mark highlighted isn't a split. The paper towel will stain as ink wicks up through the split, if a split is present.

 

 

The AF's section is made of BHR, which is nice and grippy, but no-one's found a good way to repair BHR splits.

 

Both the nib and feed look slightly too far out of the section to my eye. Together with the misalignment and the hard starting, I would be thinking that the nib needs both tine alignment and resetting with the feed. Base your decision on whether you're comfortable with this.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Flounder

[Vespagirl]

Badatapolous: I found the video was was able to align the nib. Thank you! It still has a tiny bit of a hard start, but the other issues are gone.

 

Flounder: the section marked is a tool mark (there is a matching one on the other side. I feel pretty safe in saying it is not cracked, but I greatly appreciate the warning. As for the positioning of the nib and feed, I will attach an underside photo, let me know what you think. Most of the Parkers I have are hooded so this looks way out compared to the tiny tip of a 51 😊

 

Again, thank you to everyone for helping out! You have been fantastic!

[mitto]

Lookink at the last picture there seems to be no gap between the nib and feed. I am pretty sure you would also manage to smoothen the nib so that it is no more scratchy.

[Kenlowe]

Badatapolous: I found the video was was able to align the nib. Thank you! It still has a tiny bit of a hard start, but the other issues are gone.

 

 

Again, thank you to everyone for helping out! You have been fantastic!

 

 

You are welcome, it is what we are here for, sharing what education and experience we have and encouraging the use of fountain pens.

 

In terms of the hard start I would firstly use an ink that you know works well in other pens. Assuming thats ok I would ask you about the nib. Firstly it looks very broad, which would be quite unusual for an AF, more often they are F or M.

 

Is it the correct nib, the reflections from the light make it hard to see.

 

The nib also comes out quite a long way from your section which suggests that if it is the correct nib then it needs to be pushed back a little, if you havent done this before there another good youtube vid on resetting the nib and feed, search for 'How to remove and replace the nib and feed' by fountainpenrevolution.

 

When you reset the nib have the feed higher up the nib, if possible, there is quite a long gap on your pic between the end of the feed and the tip of the nib. One expert pen person suggests that the best position for the feed is to have the feed tucked away - but only just.

 

 

Finally, one possible means that the nib could have become mishapen is the filling process of the AF. The spring bar on the AF is quite stiff and needs firm pressure from your thumb to make it work. Some people fill the pen with the nib resting on the bottom of the bottle and then they press down on the button, this action twists the tines on the nib. I know that it is awkward but try to use two hands, one to hold the pen with the nib 1/2 inch off the bottom whilst the thumb on the other hand presses down on the filler.

 

 

Come back and tell us how you get on ok?

[Flounder]

I use pretty bog standard Diamine inks, mostly Presidential and Royal blue. They're not especially wet inks, and my Duofold AF nib is fairly comparible with Vespagirls. Hard starting is not an issue. Photos of nib & feed set depth below.

 

My penny's worth: I think the nib has been pulled in the past by someone not especially au fait with fountain pens (marked section, nib & feed set depth, misaligned tines). Heat will help insert the nib & feed further without undue pressure.The feed being set to the nib so that it is a flush fit throughout its length is also important.

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Duofold%20AF/feed2.jpghttp://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Duofold%20AF/nib.jpghttp://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Duofold%20AF/feed1.jpg

[mitto]

That is a beautiful stubbish nib.

[Flounder]

That is a beautiful stubbish nib.

 

The funny thing is a few AFs have passed through my hands now, and they've all been either broads or stubs. Go figure!

[mitto]

The English Duodolds pens have often quite interesting nibs. I too have a AF with a stub nib. Another NS of mine too has a broad stub nib. The others, as you say, are with broad nibs.

[Kenlowe]

I use pretty bog standard Diamine inks, mostly Presidential and Royal blue. They're not especially wet inks, and my Duofold AF nib is fairly comparible with Vespagirls. Hard starting is not an issue. Photos of nib & feed set depth below.

 

My penny's worth: I think the nib has been pulled in the past by someone not especially au fait with fountain pens (marked section, nib & feed set depth, misaligned tines). Heat will help insert the nib & feed further without undue pressure.The feed being set to the nib so that it is a flush fit throughout its length is also important.

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Duofold%20AF/feed2.jpghttp://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Duofold%20AF/nib.jpghttp://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Duofold%20AF/feed1.jpg

 

 

You havent really brought much to the party in terms of advice there, just an attempt to contradict perhaps? Also not sure what the relevance is to what Founders nib looks like? Perhaps just trying to be confrontational and devisive so we can let that go, thanks for your contributions.

 

I have three AFs in front of me and all have the nib set further into from the section than the OPs and also the feed reaches further to the tip, I suggest, OP, that the feed and nib need resetting with a little care, I am sure that you will have a well performing pen.

 

All the very best to you.

[Flounder]

Um okay you need to take a chill pill bagdatapoulos you're seeing offence where none is offered.

 

The relevance of my nib's appearance is this: it offers the OP clear photos of the nib & feed set depth in an AF with no issues, especially helpful when the model in question has no physical stop for either nib or feed. I hope you find that a more plausible motivation for taking these pictures than 'trying to be confrontational and devisive'!

 

We do differ on your consideration of the width of the nib being a possible cause of the hard starts, hence my assurance to the OP that my similar nib regularly used with not-especially-lubricating inks does not suffer from hard starts.

[mitto]

The feed tip to nib tip distane/adjustment looks ok. The nib+feed, however, need to go a bit further deep into the section.

Edited March 26, 2017 by mitto

[Vespagirl]

It seems I have stirred a bit of controversy, for which I am sorry.

 

There where many ideas put out there as well as questions asked, but I hope that these responses get to the heart of it: the nib is a stub. It would not surprise me in the least if the pen has been over worked or poorly work upon, the nib lines just don't seem right. I can tell you that, out of fear of damaging the nib as described, I do fill it with two hands. The only time it rests on the nib is when soaking (there was old ink I there).

 

I will look into resetting the nib and feed. I have done this with other pens, but I have not heat set before. I guess in some ways this is a good thing because I can practice before I have to use heat to free up my grandfather's Doric (damaging that is my greatest fear).

 

I think I will look into my repair book and view some more videos online before I start trying to heat anything. It might be a little while before I respond with an update, but it will come.

 

In case some feel heat is not necessarily, I will be sure to look for that option. I do know that the nib and feed are tight because I gently tried removing them with cleaning. I guess I am assuming heat will be required only because I found that to be the fix for the Doric.

 

Again, thank you all for your advice and support!