Delta Colosseum Problems - Pen Won't Write After Couple Minutes

[mol_lon]

I recently bought a Delta Colosseum with lever filling system. I had to return the pen because the pen wouldn't write. I cleaned the pen with water. I submerged the pen in ink and pulled out the lever. Kept the pen submerged to allow the pen to fill up. I cleaned the nib and started to write with it. I was able to write for maybe 1 minute. After 1 minute of writing, ink wouldn't come out of the nib.

 

I tested the filling system by emptying the pen using the lever. I used a paper towel to catch all the ink. I filled, wrote, and emptied the pen five times. Each time the pen would fill up and write for 1-2 minutes max.

 

What's the problem with the pen? Unfortunately, I don't have the pen because I returned it. The seller tells me there is nothing wrong with the pen. He tells me that I might be putting too much pressure on the nib. If I am putting too much pressure on the nib then why was I able to write with it for couple minutes.

 

What could have been an issue with the pen? Feed problems? It would be great if someone with a Colosseum could respond.

[Honeybadgers]

Air exchange issue. 1-2 minutes is basically how long the ink in the feed will last. So logic dictates the ink is just not moving into the feed from the sac. Usually due to a blocked channel in the feed or an issue with the air exchange.

[Uncial]

Faulty feeds are a common enough issue in Delta's pens. I had two that just would not play ball at all. The nib and feeds are not that easy to remove either on some, which can further compound the problem. I spent a lot of time asking people, testing various things, reading stuff on the net....have to say I didn't get much response by way of FPN. Maybe most FPN'er's have been fortunate with Delta.

 

I'm not familiar with the model, but here is what I cycled through as possible problems (bearing in mind that one pen still exhibits these problems in spite of everything done):

1. A very, very thorough flush with more dish soap than should probably be used

2. swapping out the converter provided for a different one (the screw in converters are particularly prone to creating a little air lock kind of like a vacuum). You can test if this might be an issue by using a cartridge and seeing if the issue persists.

3. getting a converter with a little ball inside, or getting a ball or spring in the provided converter

4. I have no idea why this is because with an ebonite feed it technically shouldn't be an issue, but certain 'dry' inks just don't work at all, so I avoid using them in Delta's

5. nib and feed disassembly, cleaning the back of the nib and the ebonite channel.

6. Desperate times call for desperate measures: a slight deepening and widening of the channel.

 

I went through all six stages with both pens that caused me problems. One now writes perfectly fine but is very choosey about what inks go in it. I'm convinced that the other is simply a complete lemon.

Edited November 13, 2018 by Uncial