Jump to content

Waterman Feed Issues


TimCasey13

Recommended Posts

Hello FPN! I've got a Waterman Taperite (open nib version) that's been giving me trouble since I got it. The pen writes dryly and refuses to write on upstrokes. The nib appears to not be touching the feed and I can wiggle the nib in the section with my fingers.

I've tried pulling them out of the section, resetting the position the nib/feed, then sticking them back in, to no avail. What else should I try before saying "screw it" and sending it to a professional to fix?

Edited by TimCasey13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 6
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • kirchh

    3

  • Left FPN

    1

  • Erik Dalton

    1

  • TimCasey13

    1

This condition is often caused on firm nibs by the tines being pressed together with only a tiny gap or no gap at all; slightly widening the gap can improve matters, though the procedure must be done with care to avoid distorting the tines.

 

--Daniel

P.S. By definition, the open-nibbed pens are not Taperites; The term "Taperite" refers to the partially-hooded nib style.

"The greatest mental derangement is to believe things because we want them to be true, not because we observe that they are in effect." --Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Daniel Kirchheimer
Specialty Pen Restoration
Authorized Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman Vintage Repair Center
Purveyor of the iCroScope digital loupe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

You present a couple issues here. The nib maybe could do with a bit of tuning. But, I think the controlling issue is inadequate ink flow. Until you get this resolved I wouldn't mess with the nib.

The nib should have a slight gap between its underside and the feed. What troubles me is the movement of the nib after it has been set in place with the feed.

Have you checked for cracks in the section? The nib and feed should fit firmly in the section.

The nib and feed not properly seated will foul up your ink flow.

Air leaks from a cracked section also will mess with capillary action.

 

I would start by taking the pen apart and doing a thorough cleaning and inspection. Check for cracks in the section and make sure that there is nothing preventing the nib and feed from seating properly.

Let us know how you make out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The nib should have a slight gap between its underside and the feed.

 

I disagree. In my research and personal experience, the feed should be in contact with the underside of the nib on conventional underfeed fountain pens.

 

--Daniel

"The greatest mental derangement is to believe things because we want them to be true, not because we observe that they are in effect." --Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Daniel Kirchheimer
Specialty Pen Restoration
Authorized Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman Vintage Repair Center
Purveyor of the iCroScope digital loupe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I disagree. In my research and personal experience, the feed should be in contact with the underside of the nib on conventional underfeed fountain pens.

 

--Daniel

Hi Daniel, I hear what you say but flex nibs surely separate from the feed. The parts remaining captive inside the grip, yes, will remain in touch. The parts forward of the nibs hole will separate in use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Daniel, I hear what you say but flex nibs surely separate from the feed. The parts remaining captive inside the grip, yes, will remain in touch. The parts forward of the nibs hole will separate in use.

 

That's not what this assertion by Old Salt means:

 

The nib should have a slight gap between its underside and the feed.

 

That is the statement I was addressing.

 

--Daniel

"The greatest mental derangement is to believe things because we want them to be true, not because we observe that they are in effect." --Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Daniel Kirchheimer
Specialty Pen Restoration
Authorized Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman Vintage Repair Center
Purveyor of the iCroScope digital loupe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's the old test mentioned in Parker service manuals, in which "an ordinary sheet of writing paper" is slid between feed and point to check that if there is a gap between them it's sufficiently narrow. It's not a problem if you can get it in, but it should be held in place and not drop out-- if there is a gap, it should be less than the thickness of a piece of paper. There's no suggestion that you will get a sheet of paper between the parts.

 

I know I've had some pens with low flow problems which easing the feed down from being extremely tight to the point has helped, but that's less usually the problem than the contact being broken.

 

The two attached images are from the 1953 Parker manual. Fig. 17 shows the ideal with the curvature of the back of the point following that of the feed (with the implication "don't try to fix this, it ain't broken"), while fig. 23 shows a problem that one should be heat-setting the feed to correct. None of this is specific to Watermans, but the theory is consistent across companies.

 

fpn_1462902096__nibnogap.jpg

fpn_1462902169__nibgap.jpg

Edited by Ernst Bitterman

Ravensmarch Pens & Books
It's mainly pens, just now....

Oh, good heavens. He's got a blog now, too.

 

fpn_1465330536__hwabutton.jpg

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


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      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
      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
      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
      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
      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...