Noodlers Boston Safety Pen

[inkstainedruth]

 

I'm confused. You tried it last month but didn't notice the length until this month?

I inked it up. It's much drier than I expected. Though I didn't put all that much ink in. I don't know what volume "One and a half eyedroppers" is. My syringe is 1ml. I can say that I don't see the ink inside the pen, even while tilting it almost level.

I do have a problem that mine is maybe faulty. There's a little seepage out the rear, past the piston. I have tiny droplets on the shaft, which gets on the sleeve, which gets on the barrel, which gets on my fingers.

IMG_20180225_112510579.jpg

 

 

And there's ink on the section collar and threads, although that may not be an issue.

 

 

No, that's what HE said, that it was too long to put in his shirt pocket. Given that I don't generally put pens in shirt pockets much, that's less of an issue for me (although there was an incident a few years ago with clipping a pen to my favorite cardigan when said pen had iron gall ink in it.... ).

As for me, I bit the bullet and pulled the nib and feed and scrubbed them with soapy water and a toothbrush, then flushed out the rest of the pen as best as I could with the rest of the soapy water and scrubbed a bit with a small craft sponge. Definitely saw some residue on the interior of the barrel ending up on the sponge. Rinsed everything well with distilled water and the parts are now draining on paper towels in a straight-sided votive candle holder. Hoping I can get the nib and feed back together at the same amount of offset between tipping and the point of the feed (I did note how far into the pen the feed seemed to be set).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[wallylynn]

Thanks for the tip. I did see what happens during an overfill when I was rinsing it out... But mostly, I don't write a lot anymore so I don't want to be saddled with the same ink for months. It also has the positive side effect of being able to be uncapped at a normal angle without spilling.

 

Gotta use up the ink and pop the oring out try to see why it's seeping from the back.

[Lelouch]

 

 

 

I'm confused. You tried it last month but didn't notice the length until this month?

 

 

I inked it up. It's much drier than I expected. Though I didn't put all that much ink in. I don't know what volume "One and a half eyedroppers" is. My syringe is 1ml. I can say that I don't see the ink inside the pen, even while tilting it almost level.

 

 

I do have a problem that mine is maybe faulty. There's a little seepage out the rear, past the piston. I have tiny droplets on the shaft, which gets on the sleeve, which gets on the barrel, which gets on my fingers.

 

IMG_20180225_112510579.jpg

 

 

And there's ink on the section collar and threads, although that may not be an issue.

Thats the same issue I have with mine

[inkstainedruth]

Well, I've now filled the pen (with Kung Te Cheng) and have used it a bit. At first it was fine, but now after letting the pen sit a bit I had trouble getting the pen to start (weirdly, it worked if the nib was upside down, until the feed got re-saturated). I had a bit of ink on the threading below the nib opening although so far it hasn't really been an issue. I *was* getting a LOT of railroading when I attempted to flex the nib. But I also noticed that the tipping seemed a bit odd, so I may need to get a different nib.

So, not a perfect experience, but I've had worse ones with new-to-me pens. So, at the moment I'll give the pen a grade of B.

My first Konrad? I watch BSiAR roll off the nib in droplets the size of my thumbnail when I inked it up the first time (I had ink bleed through two pages onto a third in the Piccadilly sketch pad I use to test inks with). Then, the next day, after refilling the pen? Worked fine. Well, until I lost the pen that is, a few months later....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[KKay]

Ruth you may have to play with the adjustment on the nib and feed, to make it more wet. Cap it slowly starting out, to make sure you've allowed plenty of room for the tip of the nib when you close the cap. Kung Te Cheng might not be the best ink to start with. I used Franklin Christoph-Midnight Emerald to start, and had zero issues. I cleaned the pen again. Then I switched to iron gall.

[wallylynn]

My nib had tines that were too tight, had to spread them.

 

I put more grease on the orings and that seems to have stopped the leak out the back.

 

I've had the dribble. It happens most with a clean dry feed. With my demonstration creeper, I could see a dry air channel that ink didn't fill up. The feed only 98% wet. So after pointing down, air would go up the channel and ink would dribble.

[Bold2013]

Excited to say I'm expecting my first safety pen in a couple days. I'm going to use my noodlers black which has a few suspicious floaters, should be able to handle it....

[wallylynn]

 

Excited to say I'm expecting my first safety pen in a couple days. I'm going to use my noodlers black which has a few suspicious floaters, should be able to handle it....

 

Just be careful that you don't contaminate any of your other inks.

[KKay]

I wouldn't put suspicious looking ink in ANY of my pens. (much less a Boston Safety Pen!!!)

[inkstainedruth]

I wouldn't put suspicious looking ink in ANY of my pens. (much less a Boston Safety Pen!!!)

 

Agreed. Floaters sound like SITB. SITB is bad juju.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[wallylynn]

So, it seems that pulling the piston to retract the nib squeezes ink out the back. In this case, through the threads. In other cases, I guess it (also/alternately?) squeezes onto the shaft. I already regreased the threads and it still happens. Mostly when I retract fully, that last compression. Though I haven't experiemented a whole lot so I don't know if it's cumulative. It does explain the ink on the sleeve. Ink from the shaft hasn't been enough to touch the sleeve, but these drops are in immediate contact.

[Donald2]

Could there be a problem with the seam on the barrel? I see ink drops coming out of the seam.

[WhatTheFlex]

I had the same problem with ink getting behind the sleeve, onto the barrel and into my palm. What worked for me is to remove the original orings and replace them with two that gave me a tighter seal (no.36). It made it more difficult to extend and retract the nib, but I have yet to have another leak so I will gladly take the trade off. Make sure you are also applying a touch of grease to the orings and a slightly more liberal amount to the threads of the barrel end cap that wallylynn has pictured above (the one that the rod travels through). Let me know if this helps!

I know the demand has been incredibly high for this pen since its first mention, and there has been plenty a buzz of production issues..As with all Noodlers, you may have to do a touch of tinkering. I can honestly say for me, its part of the fun. I get acquainted with the pen and all of its pieces and parts. I get a feel for its durability and build quality. This has definitely become my favorite edc and I dont foresee another pen taking its place any time soon.

[Lelouch]

So, it seems that pulling the piston to retract the nib squeezes ink out the back. In this case, through the threads. In other cases, I guess it (also/alternately?) squeezes onto the shaft. I already regreased the threads and it still happens. Mostly when I retract fully, that last compression. Though I haven't experiemented a whole lot so I don't know if it's cumulative. It does explain the ink on the sleeve. Ink from the shaft hasn't been enough to touch the sleeve, but these drops are in immediate contact.

 

IMG_20180303_183055547.jpg

That was what was happening to me the first time, the second was droplets on the shaft. This go around I have greased the shaft before adding the part it goes through, then greased it again (also did the threads) before adding the o rings. I spread those apart a little bit and added some grease between them. After reassembling (and making sure the back end was screwed in tightly) I put the sleeve on and filled it up (with Pelikan royal blue, because it doesnt stain my hands/clothes as much as BSB would and is easier to wash out).

I also put a different nib on here (from a swan), and have almost written it empty or am at least halfway. No issues so far

[wallylynn]

 

remove the original orings and replace them with two that gave me a tighter seal (no.36)

 

Thanks for the part number. Do you know the dimensions of the original vs the #036?

 

I bought the pen because I wanted to tinker. I was not expecting to need to replace parts on a brand new pen.

 

For now, I'll try regreasing the orings. Before, I used some plumbing silicone grease. But its less sticky than the grease I got from the pen shop. Maybe that'll work better. I have some beeswax. I wonder if that can serve a purpose.

[fountainpen51]

ok, new color.... https://nibsmith.com/product/noodlers-boston-safety-pen-chestnut-ebonite

[inkstainedruth]

ok, new color.... https://nibsmith.com/product/noodlers-boston-safety-pen-chestnut-ebonite

 

Oh man. If I had known they were coming out in that color I might have waited and not gotten the black ebonite one.... And no, I can't afford to buy another one at the moment.

Of course if Noodler's came out with some of the colors that the ebonite Neponsets were made from....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[KKay]

THANK YOU!!! I love that color.

 

Update: I told my buddy about the new color. He just ordered 3, and one of those three is for me! He has vintage safety pens, and the black Boston Safety Pen too. He loves this pen as much or more than I do.

Edited March 10, 2018 by KKay

[Donald2]

THANK YOU!!! I love that color.

 

Update: I told my buddy about the new color. He just ordered 3, and one of those three is for me! He has vintage safety pens, and the black Boston Safety Pen too. He loves this pen as much or more than I do.

I ordered 2 in the Chestnut color with free shipping from Indy Pen for myself. Indy Pen has sold out on them right now.

[fountainpen51]

I think the same, if I had known that it came out in this color I would have expected it.