If it were you

[cecirdr]

If you had a pen (an italic nib) that wrote very well with noodler's gulfsteam glue and verdun, but not with PR fiesta red...or any of the other PR inks..... (With the PR inks, it's scratchy and tends to skip...or be hard starting on vertical strokes.)

 

Would you fix it...or just live with it?

 

Ceci

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Italic nibs are normally scratchy, but stubs are not.

 

Dillon

[cecirdr]

Hi,

 

Italic nibs are normally scratchy, but stubs are not.

 

Dillon

Actually, this nib isn't scratcy (IMHO compared to other italic nibs I've owned) when I use the noodler's inks mentioned in my original post. Scratchiness also isn't the big concern...skipping and being hard starting (mentioned in my original post also) with the other inks is the main problem.

 

So... back to the original question. Would you use it like it is, or send it off for someone to figure out what's going on and fix it?

 

Ceci

[Elaine]

I'd use it as it is without PR ink. It took me a long time, but I've come around to the opinion that PR's gorgeous colors are not worth the trouble. After using PR for a while I had forgotten that you should be able to write and not have the ink smear when it's dry. It's really a shame because PR plum is one of my favorite colors!

[wimg]

Hi Ceci,

 

I just had a similar problem, with Herbin inks. I fixed the pen to work with the ink in question. Generally, you only have to adjust flow a little, unless the feed causes problems as well.

 

It is a simple exercise, in principle anyway. You can use a piece of plastic like projection sheets, to create a little adjustment tool. Just cut a strip off, and wiggle that between the two tines. Move it up and down twice, carefully, between the tines, and check if ink flow is ok. If not, repeat the procedure. Just make sure the tipping of the two tines still seem to touch, so don't go so far, that you can see light between the two tine tips.

 

Before you try out the pen after such an adjustment, make sure the tines are aligned properly. If not, just use a finger flick to get it right again. Then try the pen.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[southpaw]

The answer depends upon: a) budget; how much you like/want to use PR inks; c) how long you can you without the pen.

[wimg]

Hi,

 

Italic nibs are normally scratchy, but stubs are not.

 

Dillon

Hi Dillon,

 

That is only true for sharp italics. And even those, if they have tipping material, are generally quite smooth, provided you hit the sweet spot while writing. If you try one of RB's italics, or, let's say, Stipula's, or even the untipped Lamys, you'll realize that italics don't have to be scratchy.

 

Now, if you have a sharpened, untipped italic, well, that just might be a tad scratchy, but it is caused by the fact that it acts like a sharp knife held flat on paper. Lift it a little too high, or get the angle wrong, and it just rips up the paper, instead of laying down a nice line .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Maja]

Some people using a piece of vellum (I think LeslieJ. mentioned it here) to widen the nib's tines ever-so-much. As Wim said, though, make sure the nib's tines are aligned properly first...

Edited October 15, 2005 by Maja

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

The sharp italics I meant...

 

I can adjust flow for you for free if you wish.

 

Dillon

[cecirdr]

Thanks gang. I really like writing with this pen...until I use the PR inks. I miss them because of their lush colors....but you're right...they do dry SLOW. That was why I was wondering if it was worth it. The pen writes so well with my other inks. It's only the most saturated ones that cause it problems. It crossed my mind that if I were to make it write well with these uber saturated inks...the drying time could be horrendously slow....smear, smear everywhere.

 

So...I'm decisively indecisive. How's that for a mental state?

 

I'll keep pondering. There's been no rush up till now...and it can wait a bit longer. I'll probably try a quick swipe between the tines myself if I decide to "fix" the issue.

Edited October 16, 2005 by cecirdr

[Elaine]

It's not just that PR dries slowly. They are so saturated that when it IS dry, there is a layer of dry material just waiting to smear.

[cecirdr]

Well gang, I just had a "Doh" moment. I pulled out my other notepad and the pen in question writes very well on it...no skips at all with any of my PR inks. My fancy, schmancy leather journal with italian paper has texture to it that seems to be causing the skips. I bought it because it didn't bleed through like my exacompta journal did. (used used this in my ball point days) The notepad I used today has meade cambridge paper in it. It's a much smoother surface, doesn't feather, AND doesn't bleed through.

 

I ordered me some micromesh mentioned by Wim in another thread and I may toodle around with smoothing a bit, but the paper seems to have been the major issue with my ink flow with this particular italic nib.

 

live and learn...hope this helps someone else.

 

Ceci

[Maja]

Thanks for the update, Ceci. I tend to blame the paper *last* when a pen is skippy so I can relate to what happened...although one would tend to think that very expensive paper is the best thing for fountain pens. I guess it's not always true.

 

Oh, I am not sure if I ever properly welcomed you to FPN. You joined in the summer but....

 

Welcome to FPN!

 

~Maja

[cecirdr]

Thanks for the welcome Maja.

 

I figure that the paper is a minor part of the equation also. But it must have been enough to push that nib over into "skipville". (Actually, the skips aren't common. Mostly, the nib just feels dry) I can't wait til the micromesh papers I ordered get here. I'm going to try a gentle floss out of the nib in question, plus see if I can smooth one of my other nibs out a smidgen.

 

FWIW...the journal is still my favorite paper. It's a beautiful cream color...sort of a yellow cream that sets off gulfstream blue beautifully. I think if I can ever so slightly up the flow from the nib, it'll write well on that paper even with uber-saturated inks. The fact that it writes fine on smooth paper points to the issue being a really tiny one.

 

Ceci