Jump to content

'coughing' Estie Sj

MBFan

By MBFan
in Esterbrook

 Share

Recommended Posts

MBFan Extremely Rare

MBFan

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've recently discovered the wonderful world of Esterbrook, and bought myself an SJ (red) and what I think to be an LJ (green). The nibs are probably the best I've ever used (a 1551 and a 9314 relief, both OF).

 

From what I've been told, they have been fully serviced. However, both have a tiny amount of ink around the collar usually after being stored upright, and my little SJ coughs a blob of ink every now and again. I use them for lecture notes, so this is annoying to say the least. Both are filled with Noodlers Borealis Black.

 

Any ideas why this is, and how to fix it?

 

Here a photo of the pair :)

 

Edit: sorry for the sideways upload, not sure why it does that. Also, sorry for the bad quality!

post-76981-0-76051600-1380710575_thumb.jpg

Edited by MBFan

<img src='http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><span style='font-family: Arial Blue'></span>Colourless green ideas sleep furiously- Noam Chomsky

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 8
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Hobiwan

    2

  • MBFan

    2

  • FarmBoy

    1

  • KrazyIvan

    1

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Posted Images

Hobiwan Vintage

Hobiwan

Posted
Posted

The coughing or "sploosh effect" is the ancient problem users had with the earliest of fountain pens in the 1880s. It happens when a bubble of air rushes back into the sac, causes a pressure spike, and forces an overload of ink to the nib. The story is that this is what happened to Lewis Waterman, an insurance salesman.

 

He was in the process of signing up a client for a large contract when his pen coughed all over the contract and ruined it. By the time he rushed back to the office and got another contract, the client had already signed with another agent. Highly displeased, he went to work and designed what was to become the item that ushered into being the "Golden Age of Fountain Pens" ... the fissure feed.

 

The simple modification was 3 small channels or fissures cut into the feed below the original "ink flow channel" that allowed the ink to flow to the point via the fissures, with a smooth flow of air going back to the ink sac via the upper channel. This solved the coughing provlem. Esterbrooks have this kind of feed, as do/did most all fountain pens made from 1883 on.

 

Please forgive all the pontificating, but I like to tell the story.

 

In a sentence it appears to me that your feed's fissures may be clogged up, A good soaking in pen cleaner or a soapy solution with a bit of ammonia might do the trick.

 

There could, of course, be other causes, such as "sac jiggle" within the barrel as you write....

 

 

post-242-0-19130800-1380736577.jpg

Best Regards
Paul

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

Mine does it almost every time I put it next to a 51 in my pocket...

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hobiwan Vintage

Hobiwan

Posted
Posted

Mine does it almost every time I put it next to a 51 in my pocket...

 

Yep. I have to keep mine away from the Sentinel Snorkel. Whaddya think that is ... envy, embarassment, excitement ... ?

Best Regards
Paul

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WirsPlm Collectors Item

WirsPlm

Posted
Posted

My Esties also burp/leak occasionally, more than my modern Pilots. In one I know it's related to sac jostling (probably similar for the others). I just watch where I'm holding them and avoid touching the feed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

 

Yep. I have to keep mine away from the Sentinel Snorkel. Whaddya think that is ... envy, embarassment, excitement ... ?

 

The pen of Satan trying to posses that pure little Estie?

:D

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pajaro Museum Piece

pajaro

Posted
Posted

Hood envy.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33583
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26771
    5. jar
      jar
      26105

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...