Jump to content

Scratchy Nib On A New Lamy Al-Star


enipper

Recommended Posts

I recently purchased a new Lamy Al-Star with a fine nib from Goulet Pens. I already have a Lamy-Vista with a fine nib and the pen writes very smooth. This new nib on my Al-Star is writing extremely scratchy. Will my new nib become smoother with time or is there something I can do to make it smoother? I have tried different inks with it to check if it is the ink and it seems to be the nib.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 18
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • LizEF

    6

  • enipper

    4

  • Mr.Rene

    1

  • sentience

    1

The nib may well need adjusting. The first thing to do is to check the alignment of the tines under magnification.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently purchased a new Lamy Al-Star with a fine nib from Goulet Pens. I already have a Lamy-Vista with a fine nib and the pen writes very smooth. This new nib on my Al-Star is writing extremely scratchy. Will my new nib become smoother with time or is there something I can do to make it smoother? I have tried different inks with it to check if it is the ink and it seems to be the nib.

 

If it is brand new and you haven't already done anything to the nib, I'd talk to the Goulet team about an exchange.

 

If it's too late for that or you want to risk doing it yourself, the search here and YouTube for nib tuning advice. As @sentience already mentioned, step one is to get a loupe or similar magnifying tool (glass, phone app, something) and check the tines for alignment. If they aren't aligned, then you need to fix that first. If that isn't sufficient, then you move on to smoothing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They seem to look pretty aligned? Do some pens just get smoother the more you write with them? My other Lamy is more than four years old?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They seem to look pretty aligned? Do some pens just get smoother the more you write with them? My other Lamy is more than four years old?

 

It depends what's causing the scratchiness (and whether that's the correct term for this), and the surface on which you're writing.

 

Most people seem to define "scratchy" as some bit of metal physically digging into the paper (even if it's to slight to see without magnification). Thus, when tines are misaligned, it's the inner edge of the lower tine that is digging in. This could also happen with an outer edge that's not smoothed well, or with a burr or similar flaw in/on the metal that touches the page. Depending on the severity of this sort of flaw, fixing it by writing on fountain pen friendly paper could take years, if it happens at all. Usually, one needs either to align the tines so that the inner edges aren't digging into the paper, or smooth the outer edge/burr with some sort of abrasive (usually 12000-grit micromesh).

 

If you are using the word "scratchy" to describe excess feedback (i.e. the nib is not as smooth as you would like), then the part which needs to be worn smooth presumably needs less work to become so. Thus, the writing time needed to achieve smoothness decreases, but it's not going to be measured in hours or even days. If this is the case, I would generally recommend using at least two converters of a nice ink (preferably lubricated), before deciding that the nib needs work - adjust based on your own experience and therefore certainty of the cause of the problem and how to solve it.

 

If smoothing is definitely in order, I recommend getting the micromesh (rather than using things not made for this purpose, but sometimes recommended), watching several reputable videos (by people like SBRE Brown, The Pen Habit, Goulet Pens, etc. - people with a reputation in the community and lots of videos out there), and then going very slowly and gently, with frequent checking of the results.

 

Based on my personal experience, get sheet micromesh, not micromesh pads (these have cushioning between two micromesh sheets - you don't want cushioning).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They seem to look pretty aligned? Do some pens just get smoother the more you write with them? My other Lamy is more than four years old?

 

NOTE: If you haven't watched several videos telling you what to look for and where, please do. The top of the tines can seem aligned while the actual writing surface is not aligned (or vice versa). It's the writing surface of the tipping material you care about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried several inks in it (Lamy Vibrant Pink, Lamy Blue/Black, Diamine Red, and Waterman Serenity Blue), but I am not very knowledgeable about fountain pens despite having used them for a while. I will definitely try to write with some more lubricated inks. Are there any you would recommend?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The most lubricated ink I've got seems to be De Atramentis Steel Blue.

 

This thread should give you some ideas: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/265842-inky-t-o-d-lubricating-inks/

 

More:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/333863-good-lubricating-ink-for-very-fine-narrow-nibs/

 

(that one reminds me that lots of Sailor inks are probably good in this regard)

 

...maybe look for comments from the frequent ink reviewers, they probably know better than most of us.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/8973-lubricated-inks/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/296493-most-lubricated-inks/

 

...hopefully that gets you started. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fine Z50s are always a bit fickly. Many scratchy ones. But adjustment is often easy an then the write well.

Edited by Astron
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had some of these. I put the nib to paper and let it write side to side. If ir is scratchy moving to the left I assume the right tine is lower. If it is scratchy moving to the right I assume the left tine is lower and dragging. I push down gently on the tine that seems lower until the trouble quits. Keeps my fingernails cleaner. This might seem ridiculous and unorthodox, and you need to sense the nib carefully through the pen. Probably all wrong, but it works for me.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had some of these. I put the nib to paper and let it write side to side. If ir is scratchy moving to the left I assume the right tine is lower. If it is scratchy moving to the right I assume the left tine is lower and dragging. I push down gently on the tine that seems lower until the trouble quits. Keeps my fingernails cleaner. This might seem ridiculous and unorthodox, and you need to sense the nib carefully through the pen. Probably all wrong, but it works for me.

 

Just trying to make sure it's clear for newbies - this sounds like you're pushing the lower tine even lower, which would make scratching worse. I'm thinking you either flip the nib, or you meant to say you push the lower tine up, or the higher tine lower, or...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could contact Lamy. They were very supportive when I had an issue with a scratchy nib. I returned it to them and was sent a new replacement without any fuss when I lived in a country without Lamy retailers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I contacted the Goulet Pen Company and they are sending me a replacement nib. Maybe this one will be as smooth as my other Lamy nib. I will definitely be looking into a lubricated ink though. Thanks for the advice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they're letting you keep the original, it could be a good one whereon to practice your nib tuning. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 3 for 3 with scratchy nibs from Lamy. I honestly just thought they intended them that way for some reason.

 

C

Oh, I know this of myself

I assume as much for other people

We’ve listened more to life’s end gong

Than the sound of life’s sweet bells

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It won't get very much smoother with writing. Replacement or refund is the way to go after you have checked for alignment.

 

Do not micromesh if you want to exchange/refund the nib :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your best option would probably be contacting the person/place of where you bought it. Hope it'll get resolved soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

One of the things that I see extremely often with the Lamy Z50 type nibs is that people pull them off the pen to look at them, then when they put them back on they either are pushed in sideways or aren't seated all the way. Both of these will make the tines go out of alignment.

 

If you are going to take the nib off, when you put it on, make sure that it is seated all the way and that it is sitting straight and centered on the feed. Also make sure that the tips of the tines are aligned. If they are aligned when the nib is off the pen and misaligned when it is on the pen, then most likely it is not seated on the feed straight.

 

In my experience, I have seen many many Lamy pens with Z50 nib, and this is the most common cause for problems. The nibs themselves seem to be fairly consistent and out of the box, most of them write well. As long as they are installed properly there shouldn't be too many problems.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

Will someone with the name of "Jay" who emailed me through the email system provide me an email address? There was no email address provided, so I can't write back.

Dillon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...