Pelikan Ink To Stop M1000 Hard Starts, Go Figure

[Tseg]

I recently purchased an uninked "two chick" New Old Stock M1000 Broad nib for my M1000. It has been an amazing nib to behold. However it had a very minor "hard start" issue. On occasion the first stroke, or even a partial stroke, of the first letter of a word would occasionally not write if I freshly uncapped the pen or even held it in hand for 10 seconds. I kept telling myself it was almost unnoticeable... but it was noticeable enough to be annoying. This was happening with Pelikan Blau Schwarz and Pelikan Royal Blue ink. My 'solve any problem' ink has been Sailor Blue Black, which I then switched to. The same problem existed. Under a loupe baby's bottom was not really evident... but maybe. I very gently took some 12K grit micro-mesh to the pen and it seemed like the issue was fixed. Later a situation evolved where I was truly getting hard starts with the Sailor ink, having to shake or prime the nib to get it going again. My minor issue was fixed but now it seems I had a major issue. I have now switched back to Pelikan Blau Schwarz - one of the driest inks in market - and, go figure, my M1000 is now writing beautifully with no skipping. It makes no sense to me.

 

BTW, I also had sonic cleaned the nib with Dawn and water to try to solve the problem initially.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Tseg

[OCArt]

Me thinks the latter solved the former. Nice pen, BTW.

[Bo Bo Olson]

???? Would have expected what I think is a wet ink...the Japanese one to run over baby bottom....and the dry one to let it show.

 

You didn't mention what papers you are using.

[Tseg]

After further inspection what seems to be the cause of the complete ink dry-up with the Japanese ink is a visible gap between nib and feed. Somehow the 'drier' Pelikan Blue Black maintained the capilary action but the slick Japanese ink let that wet web split apart, thus cutting off think flow. It turns out I needed to slightly push the 'wings' of my nib up slighltly which actually allows the tines to hug closer to the ink feed. Now my nib is working with all inks, but the wetter inks are now quite soupy wet.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I'd expect a Pelikan pen...designed for a dry ink, to be soupy wet with a wet ink.

 

I'm not sure how to push a modern nib on a plastic feed together. I can do that with older nibs and ebonite feeds..........that is easier, hot water works.

Do look up how to press the plastic feed & nib together in the Repair Section.

[Mulrich]

Now my nib is working with all inks, but the wetter inks are now quite soupy wet.

 

 

I have the same problem and now only use my M1000 with the driest inks in my collection. Unfortunately I only have 2-3 inks dry enough to work well with the M1000 so the pen doesn't get much use.

[Bo Bo Olson]

R&K inks are pretty dry....and 4001 inks are dry. Both still have good prices.

 

You don't say where you are at, so I don't know if I should recommend 4001 BB ink or not. You can always order some from Overseas, and hope to sneak it through US customs.

 

ESSR is a grand IG BB ink, that you can watch often...depending on the paper change from blue to black....while you watch. 110ml....at a good price....plastic bottle but at that price....who cares.

Rated by many to be better than Diamine Register ink.

 

Well with the big jump of MB inks....I won't be getting any more. MB are middle shading toward dry,

Herbin is fairly dry....but they too have increased in price a lot. So has Lamy.

Though I find Lamy BB darker and wetter than 4001 BB. Not a great deal....but one would have to go to Ink Reviews to check out the difference. I do think it would go in a 1000.

 

Mulrich, is your 1000 a regular flex or a semi-flex?............semi-flex is a wet nib.R&K's IG inks might do well...there is a 'new' Polish ink....starts with K that has IG inks.

I've got enough trouble chasing the old mainland Europe inks, with out chasing the new ones from Paris or Poland.

Edited February 8, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[Tseg]

At this point I’m relegated to using only the Blau Schwarz as all else is too wet to enjoy. But that is ok because I never had another pen that was good for this Pelikan ink. Now I can get my money’s worth back out of that ink.

[Mulrich]

Im not sure what degree of flex my M1000 is since Im not a calligrapher of any sort. I enjoy a little bounce in my nibs but find the M1000 almost squishy.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Im not sure what degree of flex my M1000 is since Im not a calligrapher of any sort. I enjoy a little bounce in my nibs but find the M1000 almost squishy.

I'm not a calligrapher either , but was turned on to semi-flex in a Pelikan 140 OB, about 9 years ago...became a semi-flex snob ...now like regular flex a lot...good shading ink nibs in M&F.

 

Do you have a Pelikan 200 or a 400/600 from before '98...ones with nice springy regular flex nibs?

(After '97....the 400/600 got big blobby semi-nail nibs.)

 

Or an old Esterbrook with a regular flex nib, or one of the many Sheaffers with a regular flex nib.

Once regular flex was a normal issue for US pen makers outside of Parker.

 

Even a Japanese 'Soft' nib most seem to know....and none know the old regular issue....could be regular flex nibs. As far as I can tell from my reading....inferring in it seems none have both a 200 and their Japanese pen....so no one can say...yes or no. Is Japanese 'soft' nibs regular flex or not?

In I don't chase super skinny nibs....have no need for a Japanese pen....so don't know.

 

If so..if you have a regular flex... I can walk you through if you have a semi-flex or not....otherwise if you don't have a regular flex it becomes real hard.

 

But real squishy...sounds sort of semi-flex to those who don't have any.

 

 

How ever some folks run into regular flex the first time, coming from nail/semi-nail and think regular flex is semi-flex in the tines both bend and spread..........especially when used as heavy handed as many nail users are.

 

I was one my self....4 decades of ball point abuse will make one Jack Hammer Handed.

[Tseg]

So now several days into doing a lot of testing... my Sailor, Iroshizuku, Akkerman and Waterman inks are too wet. My Pelikan Royal Blue is absolutely perfect and my Pelikan Blue Black still creates some slight skip tendancies. What other ink (of different color) might be comparable to Pelikan Royal Blue in terms of wetness? I assume most of the other Pelikan 4001 inks are probably a good fit. I also used a Diamine Sherwood Green and it seemed to work but the color was a bit pastel, not crazy about it on the M1000.

 

 

[chromantic]

Strangely enough, I have a similar problem of slight, very random hard starts with Stipula Dark Blue in my M400 EF which I don't recall experiencing when I had it in my M300 EF.

[Mulrich]

My driest ink is Platinum Citrus Black and it works well in my M1000.

[Tseg]

I now have tested Diamine Oxblood and it also seems to work well, not too wet, not too dry. So Im thinking Diamine inks are now in play with this pen. I also placed an order for Pelikan 4001 Bright Black to see how that works. Unfortunately most of my inks are Asian inks, which are a no-go.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Tseg

[minddance]

Asian inks are sometimes too lubricated? Smooth and smooth doesn't write properly?

[CoolBreeze]

Graf von Faber Castell inks are also consistently dry.