Pelikan Stresemann M405 Issues

[Albinoni]

Not that long ago I bought a brand new Pelikan M405 Stresemann fountain pen and was using it a fair bit before I put it away and stopped using it for a month or so. Over the weekend I decided to give it a thorough clean, emptied out all the ink etc and gave it a good clean.

 

I decided to fill it with fresh new Iroshizuku ink and it did actually fill up as I can see the ink through the barrel.

 

Well I wrote with it for say two minutes and that was it, it ran dry and all of a sudden stopped working etc. I thoroughly checked the ink through the barrel and there was definitely ink inside but just refusing to write. Sorry Pelikan I'm not at all happy

[DougS]

Sounds like it got clogged. Depending on the ink left in it, one month can do it.

 

Take the nib unit out and soak in overnight in a cup of water, see what happens.

[Albinoni]

Hi Doug thanks for your feedback, I've removed the nib and soaked it in a cup of cold water with a drop of detergent, so fingers crossed it will work. My other question here is assumed its blocked, why does it fill up with ink. Thanks

[DougS]

... assumed its blocked, why does it fill up with ink?

The pressure difference is much greater when filling than writing, at least that's my theory. I've seen this before with a 140 and also with a Sheaffer lever-filler. The 140 eventually needed to have the nib and feed pulled from the collar, there was what looked like a tiny stone in the main ink channel blocking flow ... it filled fine though.

[sargetalon]

Sorry to hear that you've run into trouble. The feed does sound clogged. Hardly the fault of the pen or Pelikan though. A lot of factors that are more ink than pen specific lead to this, not the least of which was that the pen was left unused and uncleaned for a month. I would use a dilute ammonia solution. A tooth brush can sometimes be helpful. Just be persistent with soaks and flushes and it should be restored to its former ability. I have successfully left many Pelikan's inked and unused for 4 weeks time but it really does depend on the ink. I use mostly Pelikan branded stuff personally.

[pajaro]

I am amazed that I have been able to leave Pelikan M200s or M400s filled with ink for a year or two and then they write immediately.

 

I think it must have been the ink. There might have been something wrong with the first ink used. The ammonia should relieve it. The Japanese ink should be OK in a Pelikan. I have used that make of ink in mine. The Pelikan branded ink is made for their pens, and is a great ink for any pen I have used of any make.

[Albinoni]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, what I've done is unscrewed the nib and put it in a plastic container with a drop of detergent and left it in there to soak hopefully this will help.

[Albinoni]

Like you said it could of been having the ink left in there for too long

[invisuu]

Just for information...which ink did you leave it inked up with for a month?

[Albinoni]

I can't recall sorry what ink I had in there I'm certain it was an Iroshizuku one but than again might of been an Edelstein ink. I've used both inks and to be honest both inks have been excellent, love em both.

[Bo Bo Olson]

One needs two rubber bulbs, one cut to fit over the back section of a Pelikan nib. Then you can force water through it at much higher pressure than cranking the piston.

 

I use the narrow uncut one to clean the barrel. I do take care in screwing the nib out and in.

 

Back in the old days of One Man One Pen, and using one ink and cleaning the pen every three months, there was no stress on the piston. Cranking it like a mad man in today's world of changing inks every load, I think that can age a piston...especially in vintage pens. Same for new really.

[Ron Z]

As noted above, hardly the fault of Pelikan. The slits in a modern feed are remarkably and can challenging to clean out. Water alone is rarely sufficient to remove all of the ink, especially dried ink, from a feed. I recommend a solution of 10% ammonia and a few drops of Dawn dish detergent, followed by a good flush. Using a bulb to do it will keep the lubricant from being washed off of the barrel wall. A good rinse with clear water, then shaking the excess water out of the feed completes the cleaning.

 

It is also a good idea to go a good flush when changing inks, especially when changing brands. Inks are made with dyes, which are chemicals, and said chemicals can in some cases react and create a precipitate that clogs the feed.

[Albinoni]

Hi just an update here, I did remove the nib and soak it in cold water with mild detergent for a few hours, refilled it back up with Edelstein Aquamarine ink and it did start to write nicely, was a bit wet though probably due to the water. Anyhow this morning when I got up to get ready for work, after my breakfast etc I decided to give it another go, started to write again for say ten seconds than stopped, kept trying and trying etc and nothing. My other question here is how long does it normally take to start a Pelikan, most of my Pelikan'start or write immediately. Sorry but not looking good. Btw I'm in Australia

[Albinoni]

BTW will a small drop of CLR diluted with water work

[Ron Z]

Some detergents can damage a feed, which is why we specifically recommend Dawn dish detergent and ammonia - they work. You might find the series of articles pinned at the top of the repair forum on pen design to be interesting. There is one on initial dry starts, but the whole series is worth reading.

 

I would think that before you use anything like CLR, you could try vinegar. Vinegar is diluted acetic acid, which will help break down mineral buildup if that is the issue. The metal ring on the collar is stainless steel, the nib gold, but I still would not want to put CLR on it.

 

Again, try ammonia and Dawn, or at least normal household ammonia diluted in water.

[captain1796]

I've had issues with the iroshizuki ink. After about a year or so give a month or two of using a bottle my pen tends to stop writing well. I don't know if the heavy pigment starts to stick to itself or get a little gummy, but it's happened in several pens. I love the color, but went back to diamine or aurora and haven't had an issue.

[Albinoni]

Yes as for myself I do also love Iroshizuku ink and to be honest it's one of my favourite inks out there, to put it simply I've got more Iroshizuku inks in my collection than any other ink, followed by Edelstein ink. What's more surprising is that I've had a very nice brown colour Iroshizuku ink in my Pelikan M800 and it's never given me a problem what so ever, I could leave it untouched for over a month or so, go back to it and it will still write like a dream. But my latest edition to my Pelikan collection has got me baffled and to say the least I'm not happy, this is a first time a Pelikan has played up on me. The other surprising thing is when I removed the nib from the barrel of the pen it did look very clean like nothing had built up on it and it does suck the ink in when you fill it, I really like this pen and it's also a Stresemann too bit the M405 model. Ohh well I really hope that I can sort it out soon.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Have you been letting out three drops of ink after you filled it up...like the '50's instructions say?

[FPFan]

Have you had a look at the tines on your nib? I have had a few Pelikan pens come to me with the nib tines so tight that ink just couldn't flow from the nib. There are several good video's around to show you how to do this, but be very careful and take it slowly. No big moves in this procedure.

[ian1964]

What I really fail to grasp is WHY these expensive pens require so much maintenance? I have many Pelikan and Montblanc etc and I am always cleaning them (and loving them) but the box of Pilot V Fountain pens I buy every year (10 for $50 Australian) always start first time, never skip and are thrown in the bottom of my bag. They all come pre filled with ink and so must travel and be stored for a considerable time before use. The are in effect the most reliable pens I use. Any thoughts?