Help With Initial Ink Flow - Waterman Carène

[TheMarthaFather]

Hello all,

 

This is my first post and I'd like to start by apologising for not thoroughly searching the forums for the answer to my question, but, I am new to the art of Fountain Pen chat and therefore unable to efficiently review the results of my searches, and in actual fact, I'm not really sure what I'm searching for in the first place!

 

My father recently passed and I have taken on a Waterman Carène that he has had for years. I estimate it to have been purchased in the 60s or 70s. I don't know the story behind it but I know he enjoyed occasionally treating himself to quality items (I've also become a reluctant, but proud, owner of a 1971 Rolex Oyster, a 1967 Omega Seamaster, and an 1986 Mercedes 190E 2.3 16v).

 

I have carefully cleaned the Carene using the mild techniques described here and on other sites and cleaned and refilled the converter so all ink flows well.

 

My problem is when I start to write with the pen; as I have seen from others' comments and observations, the Carene tends to write with a good (to heavy!) flow but my first stroke of the nib is always 'empty'. Generally with my style of writing, I start with a down-stroke but inevitably this results in a blank stroke before flow commences from the next change of direction.

 

Do you have any suggestions for how I might go about correcting this? Would it be due to a difference in writing styles between myself and my father? Could it be the nib requires adjusting (I forget the terminology but it is adjusting the gap between the two end parts of the nib!)?

 

Your thoughts or suggestions would be very gratefully received.

Thank you,

Rob

[Left FPN]

Have you filled the feed with at least one converter load of ink.

 

I normally leave the nib in the bottle for at least 4 or 5 full strokes of the piston.

 

After drawing the last stroke, remove it from the ink and invert the nib. At this point I personally leave the unit nib up for a while to let any air rise.

 

Then wind the piston in until ink emits the breather hole...now invert it back into the ink and and complete one more stroke in and out. This to me ensures the feed and converter are full to the brim. Now holding the nib down above the bottle wind the piston in until a few drops of ink fall back into the bottle then wind the piston out a turn or 2.

 

When in use, I tend to keep the converter topped up regularly or at least before it gets half way.

 

PS Is it a fine or medium nib. Fine and EF nibs sometimes tend to be a little more temperamental.

 

Ahhhh another flying visitor reporting a Carene problem. How many is that now.

[TheMarthaFather]

Thank you for the info - I apologise if my birthday(Sunday, why thank you), 11 month old daughter, elderly mother with a twice dislocated hip, inherited car, and work combined to leave me little time to sit in front of a computer and resulted in a "flying" visit. Were you asking about the numbers of flying visitors? Or Carene problems?

 

It is a medium nib. I did try to fill the feed with ink as I filled it although not in the style that you describe. I'll give that a go and see how it turns out.

[Tseg]

If always occurring with the same stroke direction at the start of a word you may have an over polished nib causing the skip. With this nib being embedded in the pen I'd rather not give suggestion how to toy with corrective procedures. Does the nib feel super smooth on the paper?

[Left FPN]

Sorry but recently we have had a few one post visitors reporting flow and leak issues. Members attempt to help but get no feedback.

 

The Carene commenced production 1997/98. The model you have is Marine Amber sometimes called Marine Shimmer or Amber Shimmer depending on the marketing country.

 

What make of ink are you using because some have issues with certain inks. Very few have issues with Waterman ink.

 

Ohhh and my OCD is kicking in, please align the tassie with the nib. Remove the barrel from the section. On the aft of the section you will find a plain brass nut. By trial and error screwing it on further or backing it off changes the final set position of the barrel. All Careneaholics Carenes tassies MUST align with the nib.

 

 

 

I have great difficulty with my old rubber pens trying to get the clip aligned with the filling lever when all you have is the 3 start thread. It never seems to work out right.

[Chrissy]

I regularly attempt to line my Carene nibs and tastes. Some can be more difficult than others to get exactly right. If it doesn't seem to work you can always take the nut off completely, turn it around, and have another go.

 

I don't have to worry too much about having my Carene feed full. It tends to write well all of the time.

[Left FPN]

I regularly attempt to line my Carene nibs and tastes. Some can be more difficult than others to get exactly right. If it doesn't seem to work you can always take the nut off completely, turn it around, and have another go.

 

I don't have to worry too much about having my Carene feed full. It tends to write well all of the time.

You do mean slide the threaded sleeve off and turn it around. I have always put them on with the key leading thus engaging in the deepest part of the keyway in the brass body. If the key is worn or not pronounced enough and is aft it may not engage in the shallower grove across the threading. That could result to a spinning sleeve and thus permanently attached barrel.

[Chrissy]

Yes I meant I have turned the sleeve around. I once got printed instructions from somewhere and they showed you could do that

[Left FPN]

The thread on the sleeve has a pitch of less than 1mm. Therefore only 1mm movement of the nut is required for a full turn of the barrel.

[pajaro]

I have had some hard starts and drying out with a medium Carene using Montblanc Midnite Blue ink. I have learned a little more about inks and pens through trial and error, and I switched the ink to a Sailor dark blue, which flows better and seems to resolve the issues of non starting and drying up. Of course I cycle the converter several times when filling. The Sailor seems like a wetter ink.

[TheMarthaFather]

If always occurring with the same stroke direction at the start of a word you may have an over polished nib causing the skip. With this nib being embedded in the pen I'd rather not give suggestion how to toy with corrective procedures. Does the nib feel super smooth on the paper?

 

The nib feels remarkably smooth. Definitely the smoothest of my collection (admittedly small and err, cheap )

[TheMarthaFather]

Sorry but recently we have had a few one post visitors reporting flow and leak issues. Members attempt to help but get no feedback.

 

The Carene commenced production 1997/98. The model you have is Marine Amber sometimes called Marine Shimmer or Amber Shimmer depending on the marketing country.

 

What make of ink are you using because some have issues with certain inks. Very few have issues with Waterman ink.

 

Ohhh and my OCD is kicking in, please align the tassie with the nib. Remove the barrel from the section. On the aft of the section you will find a plain brass nut. By trial and error screwing it on further or backing it off changes the final set position of the barrel. All Careneaholics Carenes tassies MUST align with the nib.

 

DSCN2462.JPG

 

I have great difficulty with my old rubber pens trying to get the clip aligned with the filling lever when all you have is the 3 start thread. It never seems to work out right.

 

I would always come back to thank people for their suggestions! Poor form not to.

 

I am using Waterman ink; Mysterious Blue

 

Ha! Sorry about that! I'll get to it this week

[TheMarthaFather]

Hopefully, I have lined it up correctly?

 

I've also gone through a few cycles on the converter in an attempt to clear any air pockets. Once I felt it was full, I backed off about a quarter turn. This appears initially to have helped so thank you for these suggestions.

 

With regards to the converter - should I be putting in a turn as the ink levels go down? I've never used one before.

 

Thanks again,

Rob

[Left FPN]

VG and yes, if you write loads top up on a regular basis.

[Tseg]

+1 for Mysterious Blue ink. My bottle recently arrived after having been using cartridges. I love the color and it writes very well on Tomoe River paper. The Carene works well with Waterman ink... it had spotty flow issues with differing Iroshizuku ink... but maybe I, too, was having priming challenges. Also, per a recommendation on a different thread I was able to acquire an older used Waterman converter with the metal screw-on base (vs. all-plastic end) off ebay for a fair price. I'm not sure it helped at all, but I was able to screw things down nicely and any time I can have more metal than plastic in a pen I'll take the opportunity.