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Vac700R Writes Inconsistent/dry. Feed Issue?


Honeybadgers

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I pulled the trigger on a VAC700r because I heard the feed issue with the plunger causing sealing/surface tension issues was fixed. I got it in broad, the only nib available from Goulet when I bought my visconti divina (I'm also reaching out to visconti because that pen seems to hard start and write very dry at random times)

 

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of smooth, broad nibs. I do like stubs, but I mostly prefer a nib with some feedback, so that puts me squarely into the fine/medium territory. I found the pen wrote fairly dry out of the box, even with a flushing, and running the feed/nib through an ultrasonic cleaner. I figured maybe it was me just disliking the nib, but it felt like the nib was writing "spotty" sometimes nice and wet, but sometimes too dry. Very inconsistent, and it drives me insane. I don't mind a medium to dry nib sometimes, but what I really need is a consistent flow. I figured the nib was too tight, looking with a loupe it didn't look TOO bad, the tines were dead on, no baby's bottom, so I opened the shoulders a bit and it became even more inconsistent, writing really juicy and again, back to dry. No real skips or hard starts, just not consistent.

 

I wondered if it was maybe the nib. Tried a goulet 1.1 stub. Nope. Nemosine 0.6 stub. Nope. Jinhao medium. Nope. Ranga fine. Nada. Same issue. it writes well, dry spot, writes well. the dry spots seem to only last mid-word but will come and go nonstop. priming the feed causes it to be nice and wet for all of one sentence. I can see there's no surface tension issues keeping the ink from the feed in the barrel. Tried different inks, three different sailor jentles, noodlers black swan in aussie roses, they all behave identically. Never dries up completely, so it's definitely not being starved by the plunger.

 

I love the pen, actually buying a customized 14k jowo gold mild semi-flex nib for it tomorrow, and I love the shape, style, and filling system, but I can't stand an inconsistent feed, and desperately want to get it sorted.

 

Has anyone else noticed an inconsistent flow with their VAC700/700R and had it be the feed? Has anyone messed with the VAC700R feed to increase flow?

 

Is it possible I just got a pen with a bum feed, and should just buy another nib unit from TWSBI? If so, does anyone know if the TWSBI feed units have different flow rates based on the nibs they come with? Wouldn't mind having a spare extra fine, but if the stub or broad comes with a wetter feed, I'd definitely want to go that route.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Honestly, I consider the vac700r to be a grownup noodlers ahab, to be played with and customized, and beyond the videos TWSBI posted on making their pen write wetter (which I followed) I haven't bothered Goulet about it, nor would I for something that I'm 99.995% confident can be solved myself by, at worst. purchasing a new nib/feed unit (and it's not like goulet could help me out by exchanging it for a different pen, they only had broads left, and all they could do is have me send it back - I'd rather not wait two or three weeks either.)

 

If it winds up being completely hooped, I am willing to just buy another. I really love the design and style now that I have it in my hands, and I found a seller that carries an actual JOWO gold nib for it (along with customization,) further increasing my interest in making it into a perfect daily carry.

 

So call it a dummy move, but I did think about it before I started messing with it, I just decided that this is, like any issues I've had with noodlers pens in the past, something I want to learn to fix myself. I do like fiddling with my pens.

 

I haven't messed with plastic feeds, but I have opened up several noodlers and ranga ebonite feeds, so I was curious if anyone had seen this issue before (the plunger seal issue is well known, but I couldn't find anything on the feed itself) and/or if anyone has any experience widening the feed if it's just inherently a somewhat inconsistent writer. It's not -bad-, per se, just enough that it bothers me, so it could very well be working as intended.

 

Now I haven't done a thing with the visconti beyond flushing it with mild soapy water and trying different inks (haven't even put it into the ultrasonic) without hearing back from coles of london. That's not something I am going to fix myself.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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My 700r has been really wet from the start. I had ordered it with the 1.1 stub and maybe the feed on those is wetter. They use a wetter feed on the eco 1.1 stub that is different then the other size nibs.

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Interesting - good to know. Could you by chance take a picture of the feed on yours that I could compare mine to?

 

Heck, I could just try comparing mine to yours directly, I'm over in renton!

 

Is the feed on yours extremely consistent in its flow, too? or does it have periodic dry spots?

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Important question - forgive me if I'm asking an obvious question: are you drawing back on the plunger and leaving it open? If the head of the plunger is engaged with the rear of the nib unit, it will prevent ink flow by design.

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I've tried simply unscrewing it like it says to - the plunger isn't touching - no change.

 

I've tried pulling it back slightly until i feel a little pop - that actually can cause enough surface tension to prevent ink from falling and a visible bubble is created - that obviously stops inkflow

 

I've tried unscrewing it and drawing it back just a smidge. No difference from simply unscrewing it. It seems like the barrel and plunger seal are set well.

 

I always leave the plunger unscrewed - only ever close it when I leave the house, but that still causes no change.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I've tried simply unscrewing it like it says to - the plunger isn't touching - no change.

 

I've tried pulling it back slightly until i feel a little pop - that actually can cause enough surface tension to prevent ink from falling and a visible bubble is created - that obviously stops inkflow

 

I've tried unscrewing it and drawing it back just a smidge. No difference from simply unscrewing it. It seems like the barrel and plunger seal are set well.

 

I always leave the plunger unscrewed - only ever close it when I leave the house, but that still causes no change.

Fair enough - for the 'uninitiated', ensuring the plunger is pulled is always the first port of call. If you've got that covered, I'm not sure what else could be causing the problem. You could order a replacement nib unit (if they're available yet!), but that's an expensive way of trying to trouble shoot. Might be worth contacting TWSBI? They're generally pretty good with customer service, even when you've tinkered around...

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I guess I can do that - Essentially, shipping the pen out to be "inspected" isn't worth the trouble when I could just order a new nib and feed unit (TWSBI is selling them directly on amazon)

 

Like I said, I just want the feed issue sorted, and today once nibs.com is back for the week, I'm ordering a Jowo 14k gold nib ground fine with added flex for it.

 

will cost as much as the pen itself, but I just can't get over how good this pen will be for my daily driver once it's sorted - with the VAC20 inkwell it's going to just be my perfect travel pen as well.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Reached out to TWSBI. almost completely useless.

 

I explained my situation and asked if they had any input. I've been working with FPnibs.com in spain for the gold nib, and even with the language barrier, have been getting far better service. Really disappointed, honestly.

 

I got this essentially canned response, despite stating in my email that the plunger position didn't matter. she basically told me to pull the plunger until it "pops" which is actually the only position that literally causes a complete block of ink. Also kind of denying that there could possibly be a feed issue because it was tested. Sure, but the situation I explained in my initial contact was one not pertaining to something that can be tested for in a quick 30 second - 1 minute QC check. It writes fine for a minute or two, and THEN gets inconsistent as the feed dries up.

 

I'm left to believe that the feed is simply not drawing ink consistently. I'm going to test it by dipping the base into some noodlers whiteness of the whale to test the capillary action.

 

She did give me the detail that the B nib indeed has a more substantial feed, according to her the broadest. Kind of weird, I'd have expected the stub to have a different feed if anything, seeing as it costs several more dollars.

 

My visconti's inconsistent writing (much, much worse, it actually stops writing and has nasty hard starts and skips) has been handled quite nicely by coles, and I'll be sending it in this week.

 

I had no expectations from TWSBI of offering to fix a pen I'd messed with, but the response I got was the typical "have you tried turning it off and on again" (bleep) and didn't bother answering anything I asked in any detail.

 

 

All of our pens are tested and checked before they are packaged so flow is not really an issue. If you are having trouble with flow, after you unscrew the end cap all the way, pull the end cap up slightly until you hear a click/pop sound. That will open up the flow further.
If you want to get a custom nib, get one of the B nib sets. That feeder will have just a tad bit more.

 

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Interesting. the feed test looks like it indeed is not drawing up as much ink as it should. While ink is reaching the tip, it is a hair thin line and really not being pulled up well

 

I'm going to run a razor blade very gently down it and see if things improve.

 

*edit* I think, on preliminary results, that I got it sorted. Maybe there was just an area where it wasn't cut deeply enough on the long channel, but gently running a feather razor blade (proper double sided blade, not a box cutter) down it, followed by a brass shim, followed by the razor, about 5 times (not removing any material) and finishing with the brass shim, seems to have solved it. It looks like it draws ink up to the tip as fast as the TWSBI video showed.

 

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Interesting. the feed test looks like it indeed is not drawing up as much ink as it should. While ink is reaching the tip, it is a hair thin line and really not being pulled up well

 

I'm going to run a razor blade very gently down it and see if things improve.

 

*edit* I think, on preliminary results, that I got it sorted. Maybe there was just an area where it wasn't cut deeply enough on the long channel, but gently running a feather razor blade (proper double sided blade, not a box cutter) down it, followed by a brass shim, followed by the razor, about 5 times (not removing any material) and finishing with the brass shim, seems to have solved it. It looks like it draws ink up to the tip as fast as the TWSBI video showed.

 

 

 

Excellent you found a fix! It's too bad they did not just send you another feed.

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I am a little disappointed in the responses I got - TWSBI does have a good reputation for quality control and customer service.

 

Oh well, 18k JOWO gold nib, customized for flex here I come!

 

http://www.fpnibs.com/en/nibs-for-twsbi/193-jowo-gold-nib-18k-for-twsbi-vac-700.html#/

 

http://www.fpnibs.com/665-large_default/jowo-gold-nib-18k-for-twsbi-vac-700.jpg

 

They only have two left if anyone is interested - One gold tone, one rhodium plated, both broad, but they are happy to regrind any which way, oblique, architect, XXXF, 0.6/0.8 stub, sky's the limit. Including $26 shipping from spain, mine totaled at $136 for re grinding it fine and adding flex (just the fine grind would have made it about $80 shipped), but if you are interested in a broad gold nib for a VAC700/700R, $70 shipped is freaking phenomenal.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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  • 5 months later...

I just got a vac 700R and had this very problem. I contacted Goulet. Rob in customer service recommended I try a different ink. I inked up with Noodler's Heart of Darkness. Problem seems solved. I will let you know if I change my mind after a weekend of writing.

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