Flow Issues In Ebonite Feed Pen

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The Omas Cinema I have is by all rights in perfect condition except for what seems to be fairly extreme flow issues; it hard starts nearly on every word and despite having a fairly flexible nib cannot actually flex because it instantly railroads. Not even sure what the issue is, I've tried heat setting the feed a couple times and making sure the feed is free of sealant but I can't seem to fix the issue.

[hari317]

The Omas Cinema I have is by all rights in perfect condition except for what seems to be fairly extreme flow issues; it hard starts nearly on every word and despite having a fairly flexible nib cannot actually flex because it instantly railroads. Not even sure what the issue is, I've tried heat setting the feed a couple times and making sure the feed is free of sealant but I can't seem to fix the issue.

the nib and feed are held in a sleeve. the sleeve is threaded into the section.

 

it seems as you put nib to paper, the nib lifts off the feed and capillary action is lost, leading to what you describe.

 

is the sleeve cracked per chance?

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I don't think the sleeve is cracked - haven't really seen any issues in general with the pen, it looks like it was uninked even.

 

It won't write even under its own weight, though I can see by lifting the nib off the feed a bit that there is definitely water between the feed and the nib. What I do see is that there seems to be no capillary action between the breather hole onwards; it's just completely dry between the tines until I start getting it moving a fair bit.

[hari317]

are you able to post a picture of the nib and feed, it will give a good idea of the situation.

 

if the pen is mechanically sound, then you can try one simple thing. Fill the pen with the ink of your choice. after filling, leave just the nib and feed of the pen dipped in that same ink for a few hours. Let no other part of the pen be in contact with ink to prevent stains etc. Sometimes never used ebonite feeds need this treatment before they start flowing reliably.

[Pactagon]

There are a few possible issues I can think of. One is your nib has baby's bottom which might explain why the pen isn't writing under its own pressure. As for the railroading, it's possible the ink you're using is too dry or the grooves in the feed aren't cut deeply enough. I've heard that ebonite wears out equipment quickly so your feed might have been cut with a blade that needed to be replaced. Mottishaw mentioned this at his LA Pen Show seminar while working on a lady's Omas Milord. On the ink not going down the nib slit, I've heard that if the inner walls of the slit aren't cleanly cut and are somehow made round, ink flow can be hindered.

 

I recommend first testing wetter inks in it to see if that fixes the issue. If not, it would be best to send it off to a repairman, considering the value of this pen.