Should there be ink coming out of my LAMY Safari right here?

[jmkeuning]

Sorry the pics are not so great, the circles areas are also not precise.

 

This pen is a LAMY Safari Demonstrator (Vista?) which I just bought today. I am sorry I do not know all the proper terms for the biology of a FP, but I will try: The metal part of the nib wraps around a black plastic part. The black part goes into the body of the pen and eventually connects to the ink cartridge. There is ink coming out of between the black part of the nib and the body of the pen. I can see it under bright light and can confirm by pressing a tissue against where the two pieces meet.

 

Is this normal? Should I take it back to the store?

 

http://www.bunchafreaks.com/images/20070620LamyProb.JPG

 

http://www.bunchafreaks.com/images/20070620LampProb2.JPG

[playpen]

When you say that ink is coming out do you mean it is dripping out or you see ink there? Could it be ink that is there from when you dip the pen into the bottle? Are you sure you are cleaning it totally before you use it?

[Kalessin]

 

No, there shouldn't be ink coming out of there. Especially if you just started using a cartridge that came with the pen. I'd suggest exchanging it for another one.

 

The only exception I can think of is if you filled the pen by putting in a converter and sucking ink up through the nib, in which case you need to wipe the nib (including where you have circled) and the feed (that's the black plastic part) with a paper towel to soak up excess ink.

 

 

[jmkeuning]

The pen WAS brand new when I bought it. I guess there is some factory ink in or on the nib that LAMY puts there so it will write the first time. The sales guy wiped all of this away then thoroughly rinsed it in water. I dipped the pen in the water a few times to try it out. At this point, there was no ink on the outside of the pen.

 

Then I inserted the cartridge using the normal method: seated it and screwed the pen shut. Then I wrote with it.

 

So there is no way the ink was on the outside of the pen. Right?

 

It is not dripping... I see ink there and I can make a tissue blue by pushing it up against the plastic (well below the metal of the nib) and circling the pen.

[mysta rave]

The pen WAS brand new when I bought it. I guess there is some factory ink in or on the nib that LAMY puts there so it will write the first time. The sales guy wiped all of this away then thoroughly rinsed it in water. I dipped the pen in the water a few times to try it out. At this point, there was no ink on the outside of the pen.

 

Then I inserted the cartridge using the normal method: seated it and screwed the pen shut. Then I wrote with it.

 

So there is no way the ink was on the outside of the pen. Right?

 

It is not dripping... I see ink there and I can make a tissue blue by pushing it up against the plastic (well below the metal of the nib) and circling the pen.

 

This is normal for all fountain pens.

[jmkeuning]

This is normal for all fountain pens.

 

OK, thanks. I also thought that the ink, during my tissue pressing, might be coming from the base of the nib, as seen in the first picture above. Is this normal? For ink to come out of this place on the nib?

 

That said, when I first noticed the ink it was where the two pieces of plastic meet, not where the metal meets the black plastic.

[mysta rave]

This is normal for all fountain pens.

 

OK, thanks. I also thought that the ink, during my tissue pressing, might be coming from the base of the nib, as seen in the first picture above. Is this normal? For ink to come out of this place on the nib?

 

That said, when I first noticed the ink it was where the two pieces of plastic meet, not where the metal meets the black plastic.

 

Yes I understand this happens with every fountain pen, starting from my Lamy Alstar (also in EF like yours) all the way up to my MontBlancs and others.

 

[Ged]

If it's dripping or leaking inside the cap it's fine. There shouldnt be ink gushing out, but a cloth or tissue touching those parts will get stained. Just tested on my Lamy Safari 1.1 to make sure as well!

[playpen]

I am really wondering why the salesman had to wipe away ink. I have never seen them do this on a new pen. Where did you buy this Lamy?

[jmkeuning]

I bought it at Art Materials' brick and mortar store.

 

As he was wiping the ink off, I asked him if the pen had been inked. He said something like, "No, Lamy ships all their pens to they write the first time, so there is just a little ink here." I'm recalling now that the guy did not wipe first. First, he dunked the pen in water and stirred it around, then he wiped. He did this a few times. It was not a lot of ink.

[wvbeetlebug]

If it had been dipped and not properly cleaned I could see where a bit would creep out.

[al_write_well]

Hi jmkeuning, I tried touching the area you have circled on my Safari with a bit of tissue, and sure enough, I can draw ink into the tissue just as you described. It is not a result of bottle filling into a converter because my pen has never been used with bottled ink, only cartridges. I would have to assume this is a normal condition for this pen because the pen works very well and the ink does not creep onto the nib from this area, but seems to remain confined to the circled plastic area, unless prodded with a tissue!

[jmkeuning]

Hi jmkeuning, I tried touching the area you have circled on my Safari with a bit of tissue, and sure enough, I can draw ink into the tissue just as you described. It is not a result of bottle filling into a converter because my pen has never been used with bottled ink, only cartridges. I would have to assume this is a normal condition for this pen because the pen works very well and the ink does not creep onto the nib from this area, but seems to remain confined to the circled plastic area, unless prodded with a tissue!

 

Thanks for doing this. I kept my eye on it during four hours of writing this morning and did not notice any worsening of the condition.

[Garageboy]

Pretty sure someone dipped his pen before and never totally wiped it off

[J English Smith]

The Vista is a great and very reliable pen. (I am envious of that EF nib - enjoy it!) You shouldn't have any problems, I feel that Lamy quality control is overall very good.

[ChristineR]

I'm not really sure I know what I'm talking about, but the area you have circled is the air vent. On my Studio w/converter I can get ink to come out of there by slowly turning the converter piston. The ink then pools around and drips to the front of the nib, where you can write with it.

[OldGriz]

I am really wondering why the salesman had to wipe away ink. I have never seen them do this on a new pen. Where did you buy this Lamy?

 

He did it because all Lamy pens are tested at the factory and it leaves a bit of ink in the feed area...

Both Lamys I got had a tiny bit of blue ink in the feed when I flushed them before filling.