Macro Nib Analysis - Difficult Pen #2

[Intensity]

I've had a few problem pens that have not been responding to usual gentle encouragement to write well, so lately I've been taking high magnification macro photos to see what's up.

 

In this round of photo analysis, I present a vintage Montblanc 252 with an OB nib.

 

The problem this pen has is with skipping and hard starts. Ink flow is great, the feed is clean, the nib is exceptionally nice to use--soft and springy, and I love the line variation. What the nib does do is require pressing down on it or changing angles and pressing to get the ink to start flowing when starting some new words or dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s. Sometimes even just doing a quick loop makes the ink lose contact with paper.

 

Looking at these photographs, do you think it's simple misalignment between the tines, or something more like the too-rounded inner shape of the tipping on the short tine compared to the sharper inner edge on the long tine? I have tried aligning the nib, so far not perfectly successfully.

 

 

 

 

[SpecTP]

did you try moving the feed more forward on the nib?

[Bo Bo Olson]

Press the up nib, down under the lower one, two-three times for @ 2 seconds each. Then the tine ends will be level. That will smooth it out....should stop the problems.

 

And that is the least oblique I've ever seen on a German oblique pen...I've some 18 of them.....14 of that vintage era.

I expect 15 or the rarer 30 degree grind. When the nib is held to the light. (I've not seen a 22 degree grind...and yours is the first I've seen that is much less than a 15 degree grind.

I only have 18 or so, a limited survey, in I'm not a nibmeister; who would see many more.

 

That nib has @ a 7 degree grind.... is my first impression. And that someone before you didn't know to cant an oblique nib and ground the nib flatter. ....so it wouldn't be so scratchy when held straight.

 

I inked a Mercedes (A man who worked once for MB before starting his own pen factory) pen I'd not used in a while, and it was so surprisingly scratchy!!!! I was reaching for the micro-mesh before I realized it was an oblique and I'd not canted the nib.

Someone who didn't know how to cant an oblique could have well have screwed up the angle....so don't cant it but a hair, but do cant it.

Edited March 7, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[Intensity]

The nib is curved to "hug" the base of the feed, and the two are aligned fairly well, it seems.

[Intensity]

Press the up nib, down under the lower one, two-three times for @ 2 seconds each.

 

and that is the least oblique I've ever seen on a German oblique pen...

I expect 1

 

I'll try more, but I've already tried the technique you've described a few times in the past.

 

Isn't oblique usually between 15 and 30 degrees? That seems consistent with the angling of this nib.

[jekostas]

The tines are noticeably misaligned. Rotating one of the pictures you've provided to make the top of the nib more or less parallel to the horizon demonstrates this very clearly

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by jekostas

[hari317]

 

The tine has to be rotated so as to make the tipping and slit true. Do this with nib removed and grip near breather hole. practice and deft fingers required.

[Tas]

Based on my experience of such issues, and I'm no expert, this looks baby's bottom issue to me

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn__possible_baby_bottom.jpeg
http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn__possible_baby_bottom_2.jpeg

If it is, I wish you the very best of luck. I've not had any success with correcting one without completely changing the characteristics of the nib

[Honeybadgers]

That is another one in need of a professional nibmeister. You've got baby's bottom, rotated tines, and misaligned tines.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Might be worth sending it in for professional repair....could end up 'straightening' out the nib. (Just saw Honeybadgers advice after I wrote this.....but he's got the answer.)

IMO the angle is much less than 15 degrees....looks 7 degrees to me.

Just checked my MB 234 1/2 Deluxe IOB...'52-54 only KOB and it has a 15 degree angle. A good deal more than yours. (The other OB in the pen cup was a Pelikan 381 and it looks to have a 30 degree grind.)

Looked at a 15 degree Pelikan OF&OM that were in the same cup....really got to clean those pens.

 

Could be as I said, someone 'smoothed' out a scratchy nib, instead of canting it.

Edited March 8, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[Intensity]

Thanks everyone—I suspected this pen needs professional help but still hoped it could have a more simple at-home repair.

[Bo Bo Olson]

One's liver will be happy, with a Saturday night at home....resting.

That should easily pay for any repair.

[Intensity]

One's liver will be happy, with a Saturday night at home....resting.

That should easily pay for any repair.

 

Oh, I'm very much not an alcohol person--I have fibromyalgia of sorts and can get extra tired and achy from alcohol. That's not to say I don't enjoy a very occasional glass of hard cider!

 

But I definitely want to do right by this nice pen, so I'll have a professional look at it.

 

I didn't realize someone might have made this nib LESS oblique in the past. It works in my favor, really, as I'm right handed, and this nib is left-oblique.

[Intensity]

I was curious about the nib angle, so I used a transparent protractor and measured it, magnifying this photograph a bunch on my screen to align the guidelines well. It's actually exactly 15 degrees.

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Intensity

[Bo Bo Olson]

Looks 'left foot' to me, and that is what a right hander wants.

Nib facing you, the oblique angle looks somewhat like your left foot.

You cant(rotated nib/held crooked), in a pull, or push-pull. The left handers end up push-pushing.So they need stiffer nibs.

Left Eye dominance, can cause right handers to cant their nibs/rotate, so they can see the top of the nib. Back in the Day of B&W TV....there were always someone who held his fountain pen crooked.

 

Us Right Eye dominate folks got to learn how to cant a nib.

 

You are going to need a bit less angle than the trick I came up with......once there were many treads on having trouble using an oblique. I had a whole slew of German Obliques.

Lots of folks were twisting their fingers, arms or hanging from the chandeliers; trying to make the semi-flex stubbed oblique do something. All that was needed was the proper angle of cant, and letting the nib do it's thing.

 

If 15 degree grind.....post the cap so the clip is aimed half way between the slit and the shoulder of the nib. Grip in air, put to paper and write. The angle of cant will be proper.

If 30 degree grind, aim the clip at the right shoulder of the nib....do the above.

Yours seemingly 7 degree grind, I'd post the pen, aim the clip 1/4th into the right side of the nib....half way to half way. Grip in the air and place canted on the paper.

 

I never had a problem. I did start with an OB which has a fat sweet spot so there was slop where I could learn..............others wanted narrower nibs so needed more precise nib placement.

But in spite of my advice some folks still had problems. Richard said don't have the paper lay at 45 degrees, have it at 90 or 180 degrees. After than the threads on oblique problems almost stopped.