Inkdiot Newbie Looking For Help

[jskyzer]

Hello from Wilmington, Delaware, USA.

 

I have two fountain pens that were in storage for a few years and both need repair:

1. Pelikan M800 (Green) Medium

2. What I believe is a Waterman Gentleman Fine (Black with pretty engraving around the barrel and cap)

 

The Pelikan looks to be in fine shape but writes VERY poorly: skipping, and scratchy. After lots of reading in your forums it seems to need some nib meistering.

 

The Waterman was writing pretty nicely using a blue waterman cartridge until the nib assembly came off when I removed the cap.

 

After watching hours of youtube pen tuning videos, reading through forum posts (including the all important What NOT to Do), I figured posting an SOS would be a good start.

 

I found Nibs.com but the thought of sending off my pens for 6 months just seems ludicrous. The idea of working on these pens myself intrigues me but after reading the list of DON'Ts, I want to avoid making pen-foo-young of these two pens.

 

I know I could just send each back to it's manufacturer but the impression I get from the reading I've done is that though they will be "fixed" - the pens may or may not be properly "set up" and thus will not necessarily write in a manner to delight a fastidious lover of precision. (I sharpen knives and build and true bicycle wheels for fun.)

 

I was hoping to find a pen person or repair shop locally (Philadelphia area) so I could discuss the issues and hopefully learn something along the way.

 

It's clear that a well tuned fountain pen is a joy to write with so I'd very much like to get these pens sorted out. Any help and advice appreciated.

 

Also - I looked for a "search" option for the forum and couldn't find one. Am I missing something. I was hoping to find posts using search rather than scanning through 500 pages of Repair Q&A.

 

Regards,

 

Joel

 

 

.

[swanjun]

My geography is not the greatest, so forgive me if this is too far to travel, but you could always take 'em to the DC pen show the weekend of August 8th.

 

http://pencentral.com/

[jskyzer]

Swanjun- Thanks. DC is within driving distance. I took a look at the site and it shows a nib workshop (registration already closed) but doesn't indicate other repair activities, though seems a safe assumption that the place will be crawling with people capable of handling what I expect are the very simple issues troubling my two pens.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

 

 

The DC pen show would be a great place to get your pens fixed and to see the unbelievable number of other vintage and modern pens available!

[Clancy]

Greetings from the west coast and a warm welcome to FPN. Great to have you here with us.

[RMN]

Welcome to the FPN

 

A nibunit coming off just like that does not sound right.

Indeed some TLC is required

 

The big Penshows in the USA are the place to be, you'll find plenty of people who know what to do.

 

The workshops are hands on, but often the big nibmeisters are there as well.

 

 

Alas I live to far away to attend (Europe). We have our own smaller penshow in two months time....

 

D.ick

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Hi! Welcome to FPN.
I'm really glad you've joined us.

 

Keep in touch,
Kota Adachi

 

From Japan

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJdw1A_BKM

[Sasha Royale]

Are the pens clean ? If not, soak the nibs in clean, room-temp water for a day or two, before going

to the pen show. A clean pen is easier to work on.

 

Good luck. The Pelikan M 800 is a great pen, that deserves to be writing well..

[jskyzer]

Thanks All for the warm welcome.

 

Sasha - Yes, they are reasonably clean. I soaked both nib units in water before refilling filling them. The waterman wrote fairly well until the nib unit came off in the pen cap. The Pelikan wrote too but as I said, scratchy and skippy and thus unpleasant to use.

 

I am planning on heading to the DC show to get the pens sorted out there...and have a fun time seeing the wide world of pens.

 

J.

[Wahl]

Welcome to FPN !