Leonardo Nibs Pitting From Diamine

[jjlax10]

Hello,

 

I have now had an experience for the second time where Leonardo Officina steel nibs have reacted with Diamine Inks (several types) and started to get pitting in the surface metal. These are Bock nibs, and I have never seen this happen, particularly with Diamine Inks. I am curious if anyone else is having similar issues.

 

Best,

 

Josh

[Bo Bo Olson]

Sorry I can't help you. Don't use many Diamine inks, and have noticed no problems with either gold or steel.

 

I always get irradiated when 75 people read a post and can't even hit a smillie.

[jjlax10]

Thanks. I realized this happened once before with an electro-plated nib from Delta. I am not sure if its the plating or something that needs to be washed off the nib. Normal steel and gold Bock nibs do not have this problem.

 

Josh

[Bo Bo Olson]

Pictures always help.

[Honeybadgers]

Sounds like the problem is the pen. Diamine's regular old non iron gall inks are incredibly safe.

[jjlax10]

Pictures always help.

Here are some photos with the ink reacting. The Stub has Diamine Antique Copper and the stealth has Diamine Midnight. These two inks clean out easy, and my experience with Jowo nibs and these inks has never resulted in this:

 

 

The abrasions in the last photo are caused by the ink. I wrote with the Stub last Thursday, in a few days the ink did this. The plating loss in the other photos are not as bad, but the underside of that nib has abrasions and pitting, as well complete playing loss where the nib contacts the feed.

Edited November 1, 2018 by jjlax10

[jekostas]

That looks more like the plating wasn't done properly. That can happen with any plated nib, regardless of the ink. I've had the same issue with a couple of Delta nibs.

[Karmachanic]

Here are some photos with the ink reacting. The Stub has Diamine Antique Copper and the stealth has Diamine Midnight. These two inks clean out easy, and my experience with Jowo nibs and these inks has never resulted in this:

 

<snip>

The abrasions in the last photo are caused by the ink. I wrote with the Stub last Thursday, in a few days the ink did this. The plating loss in the other photos are not as bad, but the underside of that nib has abrasions and pitting, as well complete playing loss where the nib contacts the feed.

 

Have you contacted Leonardo? They'd probably like to know too.

[Jamerelbe]

I only own one Bock nib that has coating - a black nib - and it too started lifting away after only limited use. Don't remember what ink I was using at the time, but maybe this is a common problem with Bock's plated nibs?? I have a vague recollection that I noticed the problem after washing away some nib crud too...

[jjlax10]

 

Have you contacted Leonardo? They'd probably like to know too.

 

 

I have, they are sending replacement nibs. I believe this is a Bock issue and not a problem created by Leonardo.

[Karmachanic]

 

 

I have, they are sending replacement nibs. I believe this is a Bock issue and not a problem created by Leonardo.

Or even a little bit of both if Bock are manufacturing to Leonardo specs. Anyway - speculation at this point. Hopefully a definitive answer will arise in the near future, and a solution is at hand.

Wishing you trouble free replacement nibs.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Karmachanic

[Mr Ink]

This is interesting. I had something similar happen with a steel nib on my Delta The Journal and a Diamine ink. Thanks for the warning.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Lift off, flaking...plain wearing off rapidly, and general disappointment has been often with any of the black 'plated' nibs over the last few years.

From what I read regular gold plating is so much more stable and long lasting than any of the black coatings.

 

Lamy has a a few two color nibs in it's new Imporium nib....some of them are offered in black and gold, black and 'rhodium' and because of what I've read so here so often, I'd never buy any black 'plated' nib.

 

Great 'Springy' nib, lots of tine bend, only 2 X tine spread like on normal 'Springy' nibs like a Falcon or MB, and the Imporium IMO is better than the MB nibs................how ever, with the constant problems with black coated nibs.....I'd stay away from Lamy's also....everyone's black coated nib as far as I read.

[pomperopero]

I had the same problem with a steel nib. I wrote to Leonardo and they sent me a new one with no plating. Now the new steel nibs have no coating. That's what Salvatore Matrone, the man behind Leonardo pens, told me at the last Madrid Penshow.

Edited December 12, 2018 by pomperopero

[Uncial]

Black coated nibs will eventually peel or crumble away no matter what ink you use. They look cool, but are far from practical. Pretty much every one I've heard of has this happen to it, including Sailor's Imperial Black (despite what they say about only using Sailor inks to negate the problem).

[PAKMAN]

That looks mostly like the crustyness of diamine orange (or a few other) inks. A good water soaking will remove all of that and then we can see what the nib pitting really looks like.

[sansenri]

my Leonardo nib is ok so far, and I do use Diamine

 

my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Matt Black has viceversa lost a lot of its black nib coating, it seems due to ink left in the pen for a while...

 

as it is, it does look a little bit plague struck... but it still writes really well, so who cares, damage is merely aesthetic and I am very much convinced if I were to replace it it would turn like this again...

 

one thing for sure, I am not getting any more stealth pens...

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

One pays extra for the black...so it should stick around for a while.

 

When gold plating starts falling off one can rub it down to bare steel, I'd do the same to the black plating when it fails.

But good gold plating can last a decade or even longer. (do have a '50-60's 120 with full gold plating (of course the pen wasn't used much***)..........the black plating seems to be only a year or two before it gives up the ghost.

 

To me that is a rip off...........too little for too less a time.

 

 

***There is a difference between gold plating and gold wash........I've had a Reform 1745 lose gold wash due to air movement. One shouldn't breath at it.