Help Removing Sailor 1911 Feed And Nib

[xwingrox]

How do I go about removing the nib and feed for a Sailor 1911 Professional Gear? Ive tried gripping it and twisting gently but it won't budge. The pen has been skipping and refusing to start lately. I have to tap the nib to get the ink to flow almost every time I use my pen. Ink wise, I've only fed it Noodler's Black. But I refilled the pen last week from a sample vial that I keep in reserve without shaking the vial first.

Incidentally, my VP is showing similar symptoms of skipping and refusing to start.

Could this be a case of bad pen hygiene? I usually flush my pens with a syringe after swapping inks...

[xwingrox]

One thing I should add is that the pen did not skip at all when I used a Sailor Nano Black cartridge... the skipping happened after I stop using the Nano Black and moved back to the more affordable Noodler's Black. Are Nano particles to blame?

[Bill Wood]

Hi X. The nib and feed unit pull out of the 1911. A good soaking overnight in soap and water will help the situation . Get a good grip on the nib and feed with your thumb and fore finger. Wiggle just a bit. The nib and unit will eventually come out. I adjust the flow but doing a good nib floss - especially if using noodlers - then taking some acetate sheet run between the nib and the feed. That will help with the 1911. For your vanishing point do a good flushing. You can also floss the nib if you wish but remember your dealing with smaller parts. I always do a good soap and water wash on small nibs using highly saturated inks such as noodlers. I'm sure this has to do with cleaning the pen. Hope that helps you out.

[xwingrox]

I appreciate the quick response. Do you have a favorite ratio of soap to water? I'm operating in a college dorm room environment so I'm limited to regular dish soap and hand soap.

[watch_art]

Regular dish soap works fine. The soak is a great idea - get the insides all slippery and it will come out easier. Just pay close attention to the nib to pen orientation. You want things to go back in exactly the same way.

[xwingrox]

wait, so I soak the nib unit prior to removing the nib/feed? Or do it afterwards. Or both?

[watch_art]

Do it before - for a few hours - then pull it out. You could knock it out too - like the old style pens - on a knock out block. Just use a wooden dowel or metal pin thin enough to fit inside the hole in the back of the section (where the converter or cart fits) and very gently tap it out. Sailor has a pretty thick feed so I don't think you will risk much unless you just bash it with a 5lb sledge hammer.

[xwingrox]

Woohoo! My pens write like new! I'm really really glad I didn't have any serious problems like baby's bottom...

[Garyg]

Question, not to derail, but what is "nib to pen orientation" mean exactly - the relationship of the nib to the feed? Or the nib/feed combination to something on the main barrel of the pen?

[Pen2009]

I am very lucky to find this thread. One of my Sailors (1911 Sterling Silver with an M nib) has been a dry writer and oftentimes does not lay down enough ink like my other Sailors do. Under my loupe, the tines look good. So, I thought the nib and feed were not seated correctly.

 

I pulled out the nib / feed unit from the section with easy (after lubricating it in water) and re-seated the nib / feed into the section. Wow, the pen now writes as it is supposed to do. I should've done this much earlier.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Pen2009