Balky, annoying Levenger Verona nib

[Karin]

Hello,

I`m wondering what it means when the pen writes with the nib turned upside down, but not right side up. I`ve soaked the nib, flossed, and tried to adjust the tines. It writes sometimes right side up, but then stops after a few words. Is it the baby bottom syndrome or something more sinister :ph34r:

 

 

 

 

TIA

[mr_inky]

Could very well be the dreaded BBS. I'd look at the nib under a loupe to see what the tip looks like. Sounds like you've done the usual things to try & fix it. My bet is on BBS.

 

Although.....

 

Is the pen new? You said you soaked the nib. Have you tried flushing the pen with some dilute soapy water? Sometimes that helps to get manufacturing oils out of the system. The ink flow would be different with the pen upside down so there could be sme oils in the feed that might impead flow down the channels. Some ppl have had luck w/ using a "laxative" ink like PR tanzinite to get things "moving" so to speak and then switch back to their regular ink.

 

Well, there's my .02.

[Karin]

Thanks Mr Inky.

I didn`t flush it with soapy water (tiny bit of soap right?) I soaked the nib with a bit of soap, but will try to flush, otherwise may flush the entire pen in frustration

I don`t want to send the pen to Levenger because the customs and the postage will probably wind up costing almost as much as the pen?

Edited December 6, 2004 by Karin

[Keith with a capital K]

Karin,

 

If the nib writes well upside down that is an indication that ink is reaching the tip of the nib.

 

The nib could either use a little corrective polishing to make sure that it's properly ground and making proper contact and/or the nib and feed might benefit from a resetting as things could just be a little off.

 

Before doing any of these things, I always suggest that any new pen gets a thorough flushing to remove any oils or miscroscopic debris and I would also make note of what ink you are using as not all pens thrive on all inks.

 

If it is a drier writing pen, a saturated,viscous ink could also be causing some flow problems.

 

Let me know how things go.

 

On the brighter side, I am feeling better here and you should soon have a lovely stubbed Balance nib that might spoil you for anything else...

[Karin]

Thanks for the advice Keith,

I`ll flush it and pat it and mark it with K

I`m so glad that you`re feeling better. Yahooooooo

And, I`m sure that when I get my new Balance nib that I can finally do what I`ve been planning on doing which is to sell off many, many more pens

 

 

BTW, your new doggy is absolutely adorable with a Capital A.

[KCat]

Karin,

 

If the nib writes well upside down that is an indication that ink is reaching the tip of the nib.

 

The nib could either use a little corrective polishing to make sure that it's properly ground and making proper contact and/or the nib and feed might benefit from a resetting as things could just be a little off.

a typical problem with this pen - they're baby-bottomed as was suggested, and need a little minor flattening to fix the problem. once I did that, my pen wrote like a dream. The first one I bought (I got one exchange) skipped worse but I didn't know enough at the time to know I could fix it fairly easily.

[Karin]

Hi KCat,

When you say minor flattening, can I do this by sanding on a piece of mylar or do I have to put it on the floor and flatten it with my shoe

[KCat]

Hi KCat,

When you say minor flattening, can I do this by sanding on a piece of mylar or do I have to put it on the floor and flatten it with my shoe

cute!

 

i used mylar.

 

though I do understand the sentiment.

 

Leslie has mentioned the desire to turn one of her pens (an Aurora) into a dart though fortunately that wasn't necessary.

[Keith with a capital K]

I would not "flatten" the tip so much as reshape it...

 

A flattened nib will have a bigger sweet spot but may also end up having more bite if the pen is rolled right or left.

 

Reshaping the nib is best done if the pen is held in your submissive hand and you use your dominant hand to gently repolish the tipping surface to ensure it stays as rounded as possible.

 

Reshaping requires a slightly lower grit than what the Mylar film offers... I use a sanding stick with 4000 grit as it speeds the work and is still gentle enough that it is hard to overwork the nib. These sanding sticks are also padded so conform to the shape of the nib while you are working.

 

The finishing work can be done with 12000 or 15000 (grit equialent) Mylar film.

[KCat]

thanks for correcting me, keith. i was lazy-speaking. i do recommend a bit of polish after the lower grit. but i'm always surprised by how much material even a high-grit lapping film will take off.

 

As with all such things, take your time, test often.

[Karin]

Well, thanks everyone.

 

I`ll probably try a little polishing tonight. Let you know how it turns out.

[Karin]

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGH. I will never buy anything that has Levenger on it again, I will never buy anything that has Levenger on it again, I will.......

I tried to fix the nib. I didn`t make it worse, but I certainly didn`t fix it. I remember before I even fiddled with the dang thing that the slit was too wide on the tines. Can I try to fix this?

The nib is a piece of 14k junk as far as I can tell. Maybe I`ll melt it down and make an earring.

I have Shaeffer NOS blue on my fingers. The pen is now filled with Parker Quink. It still writes upside down though.

 

As I was getting ink all over my fingers, I realized that today is the day of my performance review :blink:

 

It can`t get any better than this

[Gerry]

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGH. I will never buy anything that has Levenger on it again, I will never buy anything that has Levenger on it again, I will.......

I tried to fix the nib. I didn`t make it worse, but I certainly didn`t fix it. I remember before I even fiddled with the dang thing that the slit was too wide on the tines. Can I try to fix this?

The nib is a piece of 14k junk as far as I can tell. Maybe I`ll melt it down and make an earring.

I have Shaeffer NOS blue on my fingers. The pen is now filled with Parker Quink. It still writes upside down though.

 

As I was getting ink all over my fingers, I realized that today is the day of my performance review :blink:     

 

It can`t get any better than this

Sounds like you may have discovered a tine spacing flaw Karen. Didn't think to mention it earlier because it did seem to be the baby bottom symptom, but this also fills the bill...

 

If the tines are too widely spaced, the ink will not flow by capillary action to the point. When writing upside down, you are pushing the tines closer together, when writing right side up, they flex apart.

 

You should examine the nib to see if the ink is making its way to the tip.

 

The fix to narrow the tine spacing involves trying to bend the tines towards each other. Sometimes a little downward pressure on the nib when writing upside down does it. You sometimes can coax the tines closer by working them that way with a fingernail. The most effective, and hardest to do (mentally, that is) is to push one tine above the other so that it can more easily be gently bent over.

 

One last thought - if the feed is spaced too far from the nib, the flow also is sporadic or interrupted. Again, this could improve when writing upside down since the nib would be pushed closer to the feed in that position. Have a look at the spacing under the nib - if you can slip a ordinary piece of paper between the nib and feed, it is possibly too wide. I know the fix for this for vintage pens with hard rubber feeds (heating the feed in hot water / air, and pressing it against the nib until it cools), but I am not familiar with the materials used in a Levenger.

 

Perhaps it is time to send to a Nibmeister? Or back to the company?

 

Gerry

[Keith with a capital K]

"ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGH. I will never buy anything that has Levenger on it again, I will never buy anything that has Levenger on it again, I will.......

I tried to fix the nib. I didn`t make it worse, but I certainly didn`t fix it. I remember before I even fiddled with the dang thing that the slit was too wide on the tines. Can I try to fix this?

The nib is a piece of 14k junk as far as I can tell. Maybe I`ll melt it down and make an earring.

I have Shaeffer NOS blue on my fingers. The pen is now filled with Parker Quink. It still writes upside down though.

 

As I was getting ink all over my fingers, I realized that today is the day of my performance review

 

It can`t get any better than this "

 

Things can always get better...

 

I know this guy who can do pretty amazing things with cranky nibs and sometimes he just goes a little nuts and offers to do nib work for free... I'm sure if I ask him he'll be happy to do this.

 

If you are inclined you can send that Levenger this way, I'll make sure this "guy" I know takes a look at it, and then it can hitch a ride back with the Balance nib when I finish it.

 

[Karin]

Ladies and gentlemen,

Keith is the greatest

Edited December 7, 2004 by Karin

[Guest Denis Richard]

Ladies and gentlemen,

Keith is the greatest

You mean.... the "guy"....

[Keith with a capital K]

I am going to have to re-title this thread since the Verona is no longer balky or annoying at all and could very well become a favourite if it wasn't mine.

 

The times needed adjustment and the tipping needed some minor reshaping... it now writes perfectly (on both sides) which means it's really smooth and wet but still has that very subtle toothiness that gives a good nib it's character.

[Karin]

And I know how long it took you to fix that too

I can`t thank you enough. It saved me from :bonk:

How`s my stub coming along. That sounds so weird. The nibmeister formerly known as Keith is working on a Shaeffer Balance broad nib for me.

I will refer to both of my pens as being Hallgrenized. Every country needs a hero. Keith is mine. My favourite Canadian

 

 

 

 

 

Karin

[einv]

note that many nibs cannot write upside down. though a nib that writes upside down but not the right side up can have one of several problems:

 

1. improperly cut ink channels, that cause flow under vibration (nib upside down is less smooth) and in small amounts (upside down writing does not need much ink flow rate);

 

2. nib and feed not set properly causing the nib to part ways with the feed at the slightest pressure (naturally in upside down mode, writing pressure causes nib to meet the feed);

 

3. if a flex nib, then flexing might cause flow starvation in writing mode, but let a trickle by in reverse mode;

 

4. nib tip shaping--- but check the others first before modifying the tip as this is an irreversible operation. about all is needed is a little roughening of the tip to allow vibrations to set flow going;

 

5. clogged feeds sometimes permit slender flow of ink in upside down mode but no ink flow in normal writing mode.

 

i have had every one of these problems with such nibs, most often items 1 and 2.

[Keith with a capital K]

Karin -

 

You are much too kind and are making me here. The term a few people have used to describe my nib-meistering is "capitalized" but I am no hero... I'm just and ordinary flannel and Tilley wearing guy with a thing for fixing cranky pens.

 

I have had fun playing with the Levenger by making sure it's ready to write every morning and that Balance stub is now pretty delicious.

 

I'll have to send you a writing sample to make sure the nib is right.

 

Viv -

 

You make an excellent point as too many people will jump to step 4 before checking numbers 1-3 and number 5.

 

I would add, "Tines spaced too far apart" and "Convertor flow issues" as being other causes for failure.

 

This tine spacing issue was the Verona's biggest problem but after that was corrected and the nib and feed were set there was still a problem with the tipping being "baby bottomed".

 

Apparently, this is a problem with this model and may be a result of the nib-maker wanting to make the nib too smooth and not following through by testing the finished pen to ensure that it performs well.

 

Cheers!