Priming

[shadow]

Just wondering, why is it important to "prime" a fountain pen?

[Richard]

What do you mean by "prime"?

 

If you mean that your pen takes a little while and a couple of shakes to get going again after you replace tghe cartridge, that's normal because ink does take time to flow the length of the feed to get to the tip.

 

If you mean that your pen dries out while you're not using so that you have to crank the converter a little to get ink flowing again, that means that there is a defect in the pen, possibly in the shaping or alignment of the nib or possibly in the feed.

 

If you mean that your pen tends to be a hard starter and you have to push it a little to get it to make downstrokes, that too is a sign of a defect, usually in the shaping of the tip.

 

(Edited to fix an egregious typo!)

Edited June 28, 2006 by Richard

[shadow]

Well, when I purchased my Lamy 2000 and Studio, the gentleman said to me, after you fill up your pens, prime it by letting the ink drip two or three times.

 

It escaped me to ask him why. Silly me.

[Richard]

Releasing two or three drops and then retracting the piston again is a les effective way of doing what swaddling does.

[shadow]

Oh, all right. I think I get it.

[Parker Sonnet]

Do we only prime pens with converter filling systems, or do all pens require the same treatment?

[DavidM1]

Releasing two or three drops and then retracting the piston again is a les effective way of doing what swaddling does.

 

Hi Richard,

 

You've no doubt talked about this before but what would you do rather than releasing a few drops? Before I had heard/read about releasing drops I used to rest the nib against the inside lip of the bottle for a moment to wick away excess ink. Are there better techniques do you think?

 

cheers,

Dave

[Richard]

You've no doubt talked about this before but what would you do rather than releasing a few drops?

Look upward to my first reply in this thread.

[tonyv]

Edited--found the answer to my question in another thread.

Edited June 29, 2006 by tonyv

[tonyv]

Edited--Same as above...Thank you for your patience!

 

Richard's answer re swaddling here...

 

Swaddling

Edited June 29, 2006 by tonyv

[southpaw]

Edited--Same as above...Thank you for your patience!

 

Richard's answer re swaddling here...

 

Swaddling

Ah, thanks for the link explaining "swaddling." Wasn't sure what that term meant. Some of us aren't up to snuff on our FP tech jargon

[Gerry]

Ah, thanks for the link explaining "swaddling."  Wasn't sure what that term meant.  Some of us aren't up to snuff on our FP tech jargon 

Well, swaddling might not *actually* be official FP Technical Jargon Southpaw. For example, it's not mentioned in this eminent FP Lexicon.

 

More likely it's the product of Richard's rather extended vocabulary, which you will find sending you to the dictionary occasionally, and to a *really good* dictionary from time to time. <_<

 

I think he enjoys it myself...

 

Gerry