how to SOAK a fp

[ateebtk]

after being dissapointed in performance of my Safari yellow fine nib, i want to clean it using soap(1 drop) in water, then clean water, the "soak".

 

What does that mean?

 

Also, has any one had experience using Pelikan 4001 (royal blue) ink with the lamy safari fine nib?

 

What other cleaning suggestion do u guys/gals have to make my safari (f) smoother...plz help its driving me crazy that i spend 30 dollars on it while my hero 329 (less than a dollar) is smoother!

 

HELP

 

Thanking in advance,

ATK

 

 

 

*background:

I had inoxcrom medium nib which was amazing compared to safari. Inoxcrom was like less than 5 dollars and lamy is soo much more expensive and not comparable in performance at all. The fine nib for me seems picky as to how u hold the pen (angle of nib when writing), but the inoxcrom was so versatile.

Edited November 29, 2009 by ateebtk

[significantpass]

I just expel water out of the pen from a converter until it becomes clear.

[greencobra]

You keep mentioning "smoother" and "smooth", what are you experiencing? I think you mentioned this in another post but I'm too lazy to check it. This could be related to cheap paper, light ink flow which happens sometimes with a F or EF, EEF, and maybe misaligned tines. Those steel Lamy nibs are like nails, my Studio F was toothy but nothing to bother about. I'm gonna say your Hero gushes ink, mine does. One of the smoothest pens I have.

 

Putting that drop of dish soap in your water is going to change things for a while. I did that to a Conway Stewart and the second I touched the nib to paper the ink flowed like a river for a day or two. It settled down after a bit. I did it to see if I could increase ink flow. It worked.

 

I sometimes drop my nib into a container of water overnight . Ain't gonna help a bogus nib much except make it clean. Hope things work for you.

[Sparkle]

When I clean with soap and water I flush the convertor many times; 20 to 30 just to be sure all the soap is out.

 

When I soak I fill the convertor through the nib with clear OR soapy water and let the pen sit in a glass; nib down in enough water to cover the nib. Overnight or for several days.

 

I bought a *brand new* Safari not too long ago and had issues myself. Am soaking it overnight and still finding pink water coming out in the morning. Note that I have not been using red ink. OR pink....lol

 

You could try some of the inks well known for good flow; Waterman's Florida Blue? Private Reserve Tanzanite? Get some Ink Safe?

[RHutch]

 

*background:

I had inoxcrom medium nib which was amazing compared to safari. Inoxcrom was like less than 5 dollars and lamy is soo much more expensive and not comparable in performance at all. The fine nib for me seems picky as to how u hold the pen (angle of nib when writing), but the inoxcrom was so versatile.

 

As was said in the other post about this subject, you are comparing a medium nib and a fine nib from two different companies. Fine nibs will can be more sensitive to both paper quality and writing angle. Also it almost impossible to compare nib sizes from different companies, usually the they err to the big so your cheap Inoxcrom nib could be more like a expensive bold nib. The best thing is to probably pick up a medium nib for the Lamy, they just slide on and off, they are very easy to change.

[greencobra]

...and let the pen sit in a glass; nib down...

I let mine just rest on it's side if I need to soak some gummed ink out. After 24 hrs, the water will be discolored from the ink and then just rinse.

 

But this is getting into the realm of too much work for a Safari. Sorry for sounding condescending. I'd send it back and see it I could get another.

[ateebtk]

alrighty... so my lamy cartridge just ran out... (in like 3 days but i wrote alot n e way).. so heres my gameplan ...

 

1) im gona take cartridge out.

2) get a cup of water w/ drop of dishsoap

3) get that z24 converter jawn to suck in that soapwater " in and out" (thats what she said) for like 10 times or something ... until i dont see blue ink...

4) then ill get a clear water (nothing added) and do the converter sucking in and out thing for like 15 times ...

5) then ill get paper tower / tissue , put it in a cup and set the pen down in it with nib down so it dries .. (for couple hours )

 

 

Ill see if that works... if not then ill do the soaking the nib thing...

Hopefully ill report back good news

ATK

[pen2paper]

are these both new pens?

I just refilled all of my work pens for the week.

Since we were discussing rinsing pens, I also held my nibs under the cool water tap. (I write about an hour per day/5 day a week, and rarely need a Rinse-Never a soak)

Now that the feed is devoid of ink, and capillary action is required, I also held the nibs Down on papertowel till I saw a bit of ink.. Since I'm refilling cartridges, two of my 4 pens needed a slight press of the cart to refill the feed.. that was a Pilot Plumix, and a Pelikan Script.. the other Plumix started with the first downstroke, the Safari on the first touch to paper. All but the Safari were still a bit watery from the rinse.. The Pelikan requiring some firm downstrokes to restart.

Until your nib actually has ink, (not water), flowing, from the cart/convertor through the feed, it will feel scratchy...

Edited November 29, 2009 by pen2paper

[sallywally]

I'm going to try the Mottishaw cleansing for a few pens I think could be clogged a bit: 1/2 water, 1/2 household ammonia - check the site! It's true!

[AlecG]

What sometimes does happen in a shop is that a pen is used for demonstrating and trying. The pen gets dipped and not written clean, but the I k dries in time and again, so you end with a partial clogged feeder. Safari tips are easy to get out iirc, so flush it wit hand warm water, the get the nib out and soak it overnight. The safari has a plastic feeder, so if you dry it well wit some papernapkins it should get pretty well dried. Put a cradridge in and let a paper napkin suck ink through the nib, then write with it for some time.

If it doesn't get better, get back to the store. But the steel and the design ofthe safari makes it one of the thoughest nibs around. It's a relative cheap pen with high quality materials, but it ain't an old omas paragon, you can't expect it to work like a 800bucks pen.

And IMHO cheap fine pens either lay down a whole lot of ink to get it smooth or aren't really all that fine. My paragon does both, it's unbelievable wet and it is not that fine.

[returnofpenguy]

I have made a practice now with my every new pen. The first thing I do with my new pen is to flush it with mildly warm soapy water, then rinse with just water a few times. And the last step is to fill the converter with the ink I like.

 

I follow this process when I want to change ink of a different color and when I start getting a flow problem. Sometime I just do this work for fun, just for the pen maintenance.

 

Regardless of what you do, as someone mentioned above, if your nib and feeder are not of a good quality, the problem will persist. Hope this helps.

[MikeF]

Pelikan ink is on the dry side, and I've read somewhere in this forum someone complain about Pelikan ink in a safari. I'd suggest a different ink like Herbin (Black, I presume...) or, one that makes some pens really smooth but it's expensive, Sailor Kiwa-Guro.

Pelikan seem best suited for pens with generous flow (and my Pelikans both seem to have a quite generous flow).

[ateebtk]

thx mike ... i think ur right cuz today i was writing writing writing and BAM! all of a sudden my i couldnt write any more (nib turned dry).

 

So i had to twist the red converter thingy to get more ink in to the nib

 

q) is this common practice that while writing when u experience issues u have to force the converter to push ink down again into the nib?

 

Yea i guess pelikan inks are 'dry' , I guess that means that they are not lubricanty or they dry faster?

 

n e way thanks

[majorworks]

Presuming that you've got your pen sitting nib-up when you're not using it, sometimes the ink's surface tension will keep the air bubble inside the converter from rising to the top when you invert the pen into nib-down writing position. Before long, the nib is ink-starved.

 

Simple solution, and I do this all the time: Before you start writing, just flick the barrel with your fingernail once or twice. That will break the surface tension in the ink. Ink falls toward the section, air bubble rises to top of converter, and you are good to go until you run out of ink.