Dilli Questions

[clb]

I have been eager to try a flex pen, and when the FPR Dilli was released and got high initial praise, I jumped at the opportunity. My pen arrived yesterday... I inked it up... and was surprised to see the dreaded railroading. What I've seen from reviews is that it's pretty difficult to get this pen to railroad, and yet (as you can see from the photo) I've been having consistent railroad issues in my short time with the pen.

 

My initial ink choice was J Herbin's Poussiere de Lune, which has performed consistently for me in a slew of other pens. Thinking perhaps the problem was caused by the ink, I cleaned out the pen and tried out Diamine's Eau de Nil. As you see below, that didn't make the pen write any smoother.

 

When I was cleaning out the pen, I noticed some ink got into the seal part of the piston, and I'm not sure I can get that out - or how it got there.

 

Thoughts on what I should be doing differently?

 

 

 

Ink in the seal area:

 

[mhguda]

In your place, I'd contact Fountainpenrevolution and ask them the question. They are usually pretty good in troubleshooting long-distance.

[Uncle Red]

Ignore the ink behind the seal for the moment, it's not the issue.

I don't know either of those inks, what other ones do you have? I assume you are not writing quickly.

[Unkas]

If you manage to get a good answer, post it in the thread! I also have some problems with mine railroading constantly and if it doesn't do that then it writes the most excessively wet line I have ever seen :hmm1: I have tried mucking about a bit changing position of the nib and the feed but doesn't seem to help and I have the same problem with Noodler's, Private Reserve, Diamine and De Atramentis inks.

[clb]

In your place, I'd contact Fountainpenrevolution and ask them the question. They are usually pretty good in troubleshooting long-distance.

 

Yes, I might do that - I just didn't want to bother them right off the bat if my issues are simple user errors, as I'm new to the world of flex. I have only heard great things about FPR, though, so I suppose they wouldn't mind.

 

 

Ignore the ink behind the seal for the moment, it's not the issue.I don't know either of those inks, what other ones do you have? I assume you are not writing quickly.

 

Noodler's Liberty's Elysium, PR Sherwood Green, Monteverde Blue/Black, J Herbin Rouge Caroubier, J Herbin Terre de Feu, Diamine Pumpkin, J Herbin Lierre Sauvage, and a bunch of samples thanks to Ink Drop. And no, I wasn't writing quickly with those samples in the photo. Perhaps I should mention I'm a lefty? Don't know why that would make a big difference, though; I wasn't writing with a hook.

Edited April 2, 2013 by clb

[Uncle Red]

Hm, I've had good luck with PR, Noodler's, DeA and Diamine inks with flex nibs although I haven't tried any of those listed. Flex nibs tend to write wet and good paper is important.

Both of you should try a better paper to start, yes it can make a difference.

 

CLB, try not flexing to the max right away, even a down stroke should start fine and then widen and then taper off. Start big and with a captial O. Try the Sherwood Green. You may want to look for a book on left handed calligraphy.

 

Unkass, do you have a writing sample?

[clb]

I'll try the Sherwood Green... although now I'm not sure the issue is connected directly to the ink. I was writing on Rhodia paper, and if that's not good enough, I'm not sure where to turn. I do actually have a lefty calligraphy book, but the main suggestion I've seen from it so far is to use an oblique nib, which doesn't help a whole lot. I have had success with other pens like specific calligraphy pens or the Pilot Parallel by trying different hand positions. So again, I can't say for sure that my hand is causing the railroading. I have tried flexing different amounts with the same results - but I'll keep playing with it.

 

I did e-mail Fountain Pen Revolution and will share what I hear from them if it helps.

[Uncle Red]

Rhodia is more than fine.

[Christi0469]

Cleaning the feed with a dish-soap solution and toothbrush may help (if you haven't already done so of course). Putting silicone grease on the piston should prevent ink getting behind the piston.

[queenofpens]

Ok, I know I'm weird and arty and I understand the frustration that the pen isn't working right as advertised.

 

Still, some manufacturer - I think it was Schaeffer - used to deliberately make pens that wrote like that - for calligraphy, called twin nibs.

 

Even if I couldn't get it fixed, I would keep up for when I wanted something arty -

[clb]

Thanks for the suggestions, all! I contacted FPN and Kevin replied promptly, offering to replace the pen. I'm impressed! He said the railroading might be fixable with a good clean of the feed, but he wasn't happy to hear about the ink behind the piston. (Christi0469, it doesn't look like the piston is removable on this pen to add silicone grease.)

 

If I can't fix the railroading problem, the pen still works as a regular fine nib pen - so I will be creating a contest to offer it to one of my high school students, who recently have been getting excited about fountain pens thanks to my constant raves about them.

[Elizabeth in NJ]

I just ordered a Dilli with a flex nib. I'm super-excited to try it. Please do post any developments, and I'll post when I try it.

 

I also got a Camlin FP2 with a stub nib. Bargain pen of the day! It looks rather handsome, especially in red.

[clb]

Yay for Fountain Pen Revolution! As I mentioned above, Kevin replied to my e-mail about the pen quickly and sent out a replacement pen the same day. It just arrived, I inked it up, and it's writing really well. I can still get it to railroad if I push hard on it, but it's nothing like what my first pen was doing - and again, I don't know what effect writing as a lefty has, since I have never written with a flex pen before the Dilli. No ink in the seal and much smoother writing.

 

[pienaar]

Yay for Fountain Pen Revolution! As I mentioned above, Kevin replied to my e-mail about the pen quickly and sent out a replacement pen the same day. It just arrived, I inked it up, and it's writing really well. I can still get it to railroad if I push hard on it, but it's nothing like what my first pen was doing - and again, I don't know what effect writing as a lefty has, since I have never written with a flex pen before the Dilli. No ink in the seal and much smoother writing.

 

 

I like that green

[kharrisma]

Hi CLB & Unkas,

 

Have you looked into Noodler's American Eel inks? They have a lubricant mixed in with them to aid in piston movement, and are reputed to be extra-wet... this might help your "railroading" inkflow problem.

[watch_art]

I was going to suggest hacking the feed to allow greater air/ink exchange.

[kharrisma]

Sez the newbie, from his vast experience and store of esoteric knowledge: I'd be a little leery of jumping straight into a hack, especially where it's a new (warrantable) pen; it's not reversible if it doesn't help, or if it makes things worse. I've had a number of pens that were finicky eaters, preferring certain inks over others, and pouting when fed something else. No idea why, just chalked it up to the Goddess of Ink. The American Eel inks tend to overfeed in "normal" fountain pens, which might actually be a benefit in this case. Just my two-cents worth, as a troubleshooter/technician/all-round fixer of things that aren't behaving right.

Edited May 24, 2013 by kharrisma