How Do You Tell If Your Pen Is 'scratchy'?

[New_Falcon]

Hello All,

 

I've had my Namiki Falcon for about a month or so and noticed that for certain strokes I get a scratchy sound and the pen feels rough. However, at other times I don't notice it at all.

 

It's more noticeable on copy paper but it feels a lot less scratchy in my Staples Bagasse notebook, it just sounds loud. Maybe it's just 'toothy'. I'm using Noodlers Black with a touch of dish soap in there as I felt it was too dry.

 

I've looked at it under the best magnifier I have, a cheapy one to inspect surface mount soldering and the tines to my eye look okay.

 

I have to say that I'm not a collector and don't really expect to go down that road so I don't really want to accumulate a bunch of pen repair tools, as I don't have any experience with fountain pens, apart from this one and a pen I used in school 30 years ago, to know when to 'stop' repairing.

 

Am I expecting to much thinking that a fine nib will be quiet and not scratchy? Can someone explain how I can tell if my pen really is scratchy or I'm just missing the sweet spot sometimes.

 

I've done a search and lot of people recommend smoothing with 12000 grit. Sounds a scarey proposition, though my wife has a buffing block with one of the faces noted as 12000 grit.

 

I'll try and post some pics later in the day.

 

Thanks.

[handwriter]

Maybe you are you pressing too hard and/or writing with a high pen to paper angle?. Is it in the sidestrokes and upstrokes when you have the unpleasant feeling, while it writes OK in the downstrokes?. That would mean you are catching paper, or digging into it because of too much pressure. If you press hard, maybe you need a more rigid nib. Just my two cents.

[phlosar]

Assuming you are not pressing down too hard, then the nib sounds scratchy. For such nibs, I would use a fine grit (sounds you have that) and very gently glide the nib over the grit. I have the pen inked and make sure I hit all of the different writing positions. Less is more, so don't overdo this.

 

If you are pressing too hard, maybe you have an inkflow problem? If so, the tines might need widening. That is a bit more challenging but certainly doable.

Edited July 20, 2011 by phlosar

[DonLeone]

I test:

- clairefontaine coloured trophee paper because I always us that paper and none of my good writers scratch on it or catch paper

- draw a long line, top to bottom of the paper, that long, in all directions, several times per direction.

> if nib has paper particles clogging up the nib then it's a scratcher.

 

For example, with a steel shaeffer I did that and it had a lot of paper dust stuff on the nib after maybe 3 strokes going left to right but not going right to left. So the tines were misaligned, the one was lower than the other. I got an immediate replacement at the store.

 

Every nib scratches if you press too hard. I'd like to say FP writing is 1/4 nib, 1/4 ink, 1/4 paper, 1/4 hand, as apposed to the 3/3/3 nib, ink, paper that is usually mentioned.

 

Every FP I have, it will write if you hold the very end of the pen and gently touch the paper with the nib. Ink will flow, a line will be created. As if you're caressing a lover's face with a feather. It tickles the paper a bit but the line will be there. Then hold the pen like you normally do and that's how much pressure I give. Basically none. It just glides.

[humblescribbler]

Just remember with all these tests you're using a Falcon. Those tines are extremely pliable and not everyone is even comfortable using them. They spread on the downstrokes very readily as designed. But on sidestrokes sometimes the tines can get crossed and easily mis-aligned if pressed too hard.

 

Do you know if you have a fine or medium nib? I have one of each, and they feel very different from each other on different papers. Good luck, they are great to use in creative ways to manage line variation.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You need a good once in a life time buy of a good quality 15 X loupe. I find 10 X a bit too little, and some one else found a 20 X too much. You can also read hallmarks on gold and silver.

 

It sounds to me like one of your tines is a tiny bit high or low.

You have to know which one it is....then it's easy to press one down a bit until it matches the other.

 

Look that up on the repair section.

[skipwilliams]

First: DON'T GET OUT THE SANDPAPER. At least not yet.

 

Try to diagnose whether it's a tip misalignent or not. Get hold of a good 10-15x loupe and look to make sure the tines are EXACTLY aligned at the tip. ANd If they're not, that's the problem.

 

With a Falcon, the nib is "soft" and requires a much softer touch than stiff, school pens. You can't treat it like a ballpoint. You may be experiencing the tines flexing and catching on the paper as you write sideways.

 

skip

[New_Falcon]

My falcon is the Soft Fine and yes on the downstrokes it's fine it's just on the upstroke, well diagonal upstroke I have a forward slant to my writing, it seems scratchy.

 

I'm trying to lighten my writing pressure all the time, but that makes my writing look like it's done by someone with a slight tremor!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Look up "death grip" on advanced search for this section.

 

A forefinger up method, automatically makes you grasp your pen so much lighter, and puts the pen in a proper position automatically.

There is two methods, one for a non-posted pen and one for a posted pen.

The difference is your thumb is a half an inch higher on the pen.

 

You move the pen 1/3d of an inch or 1 cm down from the root of the nail of your middle finger. Out of the callus or dent.

 

You place your forefinger on top of the pen at 12-12:30-13:00.

 

If posted the flat of the pad of your thumb is placed @ in the last third of the forefinger pad (under the forefinger pad some 1/4-1/3" an inch..like normal.).....Your pen is now @ 45 degrees and behind your big knuckle.

 

Posted, with your thumb pad still flat, the edge of you nail is below the crease of the first finger joint.

The pen is then at the start of the web of your thumb @40 degrees or as deep as the pocket of the web of your thumb, depending on how heavy your pen is.

The pen will find it's own place, due to it's own weight.

 

You grasp the pen like you are holding a featherless baby bird.

 

This takes up to two minutes to learn.

 

Write real large on the top 1/3 of the page, write large on the middle third of the page.

Write normal on the bottom of the page....let the pen flow, do not try to micro manage it as you learned to do with a ball point.

You are not plowing the south forty with out a mule, like with a ball point. You are skating on a small puddle of ink. You don't have to drag the pen, force it forward, it skates.

 

I tried this...it was simple...back and forth between this method of a tripod...one the three versions I do not like...it's too pinchie.

 

With in a week I found with out trying much, I was using the forefinger up method 90% of the time. It is more comfortable, your hand is no longer fatigued. Now I use it all the time except with my triangle gripped P-75.

 

It don't matter if the pen is thick or thin, long or short. It don't matter any more...a big fat heavy pen is just grasped a bit higher on the barrel.

 

I don't use the word Grip, in that conotates force. Grasping a pen does not conotate force...you don't want to crush the baby birds bones do you?

Edited July 20, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[New_Falcon]

Hello Bo Bo Olson,

 

Reading your explanation of the grip didn't really make sense to me, but I just tried it step by step and I can feel the difference in the grip.

 

It does feel a little awkward to me at the moment, but will keep practicing.

 

Thanks.

[mcg1355]

+1 on making sure you have a proper grip. My falcon (sf) starts to act up if I slip back towards my old ballpoint style grip (more vertical).

 

Also checking the tine alignment should be a first step if you are getting scratchiness while writing. Tine alignment problems, in my experience, are indicated by a reproducible issue. Say the pen is scratchy only when moving the pen to the right but it does it every time. I would probably assume the left tine is slightly lower than the right - causing the inside edge of the left tine to catch when moving to the right. Of course alignment problems can be much more complicated than this. As far as checking alignment I have seen many people say to use a loupe and report good results. Personally I use my camera with a macro lens, so just use what you have if you can make it work.

 

As far as smoothing I feel that it can easily and safely be done by anyone as long as they have the right supplies. Some people are uncomfortable doing this themselves and prefer to send it out to get worked on. If your nib needs it and you are willing to try smoothing it yourself make sure you use micro mesh sanding/polishing sheets. They can easily be found Online as well as in woodworking stores if you have any nearby. Also, richardspens.com sells micro mesh 3 way buff sticks in the accessories and tools section just for working on fountain pens.

 

I stay with only using the 12,000 for smoothing, dropping lower and you might start reshaping the nib. Go slow with light pressure (don't flex the tines) holding the pen as if you were writing. Dry write the pen on some paper every 30sec - 1min to see if the scratchiness/catch is getting better and eventually gone. The extra drag of a dry nib on paper will make the scratchy spot much easier to find while rotating the pen and varying the angle to find the worst spot. Then focus on this spot on the micro mesh working in small circles. Back to dry write then back to the micro mesh repeating until the scratchiness/catch is gone.

 

If your nib is scratchy on the upstroke, my falcon was, I use a slightly different polishing stroke. Still holding your pen as if you are writing start with the pen more horizontal to the micro mesh then pull towards towards you while increasing the angle ending with the pen nearly vertical. Make sure not to flex the tines while doing this. After the nib feels smooth when dry writing I do two or three strokes in the opposite direction making sure to be super careful not to let the tines catch or dig in as the micro mesh is softer and squishier than paper.

 

-Nick