New Lamy User

[Tassitus]

Hello all,

I'm a new fountain pen user [only a few months]. I have three Lamy Safari, and right now they're all sporting F nibs. Last night I was examining them all with a magnifying glass, trying to figure out why they all write differently with the same ink and same nib size.

 

In a little "cavity" underneath the nib, in the feed, I noticed a number, and that was different on all my pens. I have to attach a picture to explain what I mean ... i.e. where it's located.

 

My charcoal Lamy, had a 4. That's the one I like the best because it actually writes fine. My blue had the number 10 and that's the wettest of them.

 

Any idea if this number plays any part in how the pen behaves, and if so ... how would one know this when one buys the pen?

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by Tassitus

[RMN]

I don't know the meaning of that number, but it is no secret code for width.

 

The point with indications like XF-F-M-B is that they are not absolute.

There is a huge variation between brands but also within a brand and even a model.

 

In the production process, nibs are blobbed (the iridium tip welded on) then slitted then ground.

The result is never the same. The outcome may be a wide F nib, or a narrow M

The designation XF F M B etc usually has e certain tolerance which varies per brand and type of nib. So brand X might say: our F nibs are from 0.45 till 0.60 mm, and our M nibs from 0.61 mm till 0.80 mm

In this example you could have two nibs, one 0.59mm, the other 0.62, so basically identical, and one would be called F, the other M.

Another nib, 0.47 mm in width would be also called an F, but be decidedly narrower.

 

And apart from that, the line produced is not only determined by nibwidth, but also by inkflow, inktype and paper

 

Probably you will use the same paper and ink, but the inkflow will be a factor. It is determined by the feed, and by the connection between feed and nib, and the width of the slit between the tines of the nib.

 

 

 

HTH

 

D.ick

[Tassitus]

Thank you, D.ick

It all makes better sense now, and I understand why there are such differences.

[Pen Engineer]

lamy-4small.jpgHello all,

I'm a new fountain pen user [only a few months]. I have three Lamy Safari, and right now they're all sporting F nibs. Last night I was examining them all with a magnifying glass, trying to figure out why they all write differently with the same ink and same nib size.

 

In a little "cavity" underneath the nib, in the feed, I noticed a number, and that was different on all my pens. I have to attach a picture to explain what I mean ... i.e. where it's located.

 

My charcoal Lamy, had a 4. That's the one I like the best because it actually writes fine. My blue had the number 10 and that's the wettest of them.

 

Any idea if this number plays any part in how the pen behaves, and if so ... how would one know this when one buys the pen?

 

 

 

when the feeds are moulded it happens in a mould with many cavities... many feeds are produced at the same time, in one shot. Every cavity is numbered. The numbers you see are the numbers of the cavity of the mould.

 

Of course, there are variations in the feeds coining out of the different cavities. However, they are minute, too small to effect the flow of ink.

 

Comments of D.ick are correct and influence the different writing characteristic much more.

[Tassitus]

Thanks a lot! That explains the little number I saw, and was curious about.

 

Knowing all this, makes it easier to accept their different behaviour.

[tamiya]

I don't know the meaning of that number, but it is no secret code for width.

Number on an injection molded part like plastic feed is just an identifier which mold it came out from - if only to track back any production errors etc

 

Or for small parts, it'll be squirted in multiples within a mold (like an icecube tray) so each cavity has their own ID#.

 

Other than the # and age/wear&tear on the mold, every feed should be identical.

[Tassitus]

Number on an injection molded part like plastic feed is just an identifier which mold it came out from - if only to track back any production errors etc

 

Or for small parts, it'll be squirted in multiples within a mold (like an icecube tray) so each cavity has their own ID#.

 

Other than the # and age/wear&tear on the mold, every feed should be identical.

 

Thanks Tamiya,

It's all clear now . I was really curious about it, since they all are so very different.

[tamiya]

btw the hole your purple arrow points to is mainly suck the ink up when filling, afaik doesn't do much to affect flow when you're actually writing (other than maybe lets air get back in)

 

have u taken out the Lamy feed before? It's not hard, they just pull out.

 

Trouble is, black plastic part is not just 1 molding but two separate pieces!

 

Main bit that you see poking out, runs all the way up into the cartridge but along the top following the pathway of ink from cartridge to nib there is a smaller insert of black plastic. It can be gently pried out.

 

Since you've got multiple Lamys you might want to try switching around different pairs of parts, it can change the flow you experience.

 

When a new Lamy arrives (often not as wet as my other existing) I usually yank the feed, wash every part then check feed's channels aren't blocked - including lifting the insert to peek underneath. Reinsert feed (respect the key, don't force), reinstall nib, check alignment & floss.

 

All my tuned Lamys behave equally wet, so I can know any differences are mainly due to the ink.

[Tassitus]

btw the hole your purple arrow points to is mainly suck the ink up when filling, afaik doesn't do much to affect flow when you're actually writing (other than maybe lets air get back in)

 

have u taken out the Lamy feed before? It's not hard, they just pull out.

 

Trouble is, black plastic part is not just 1 molding but two separate pieces!

 

Main bit that you see poking out, runs all the way up into the cartridge but along the top following the pathway of ink from cartridge to nib there is a smaller insert of black plastic. It can be gently pried out.

 

Since you've got multiple Lamys you might want to try switching around different pairs of parts, it can change the flow you experience.

 

When a new Lamy arrives (often not as wet as my other existing) I usually yank the feed, wash every part then check feed's channels aren't blocked - including lifting the insert to peek underneath. Reinsert feed (respect the key, don't force), reinstall nib, check alignment & floss.

 

All my tuned Lamys behave equally wet, so I can know any differences are mainly due to the ink.

 

At this point; “too scared” . I've gone as far as switching nibs, and have had a certain amount of success with that. Put an EF nib on the one that was way too wet (for me), and that was perfect, except the nib is too scratchy. I'm left-handed, and feel really comfortable with the drier feeds/nibs/inks.

 

That said; I'll bear this great explanation in mind. Thanks again!

[tamiya]

If you've managed to pull off the nib, ain't much harder to yank the feed out too!

 

Plenty of videos on YouTube egging u on how to dismember your pen, I like Goulet Pens.

 

Only caveat is when reinserting feed back into section, DONT FORCE IT. There's a key tab and the feed only slips in when it's aligned dead straight, it doesn't need much force to slide in.

 

If you're a southpaw with an odd hook... umm Lamy afaik has lefty nibs for you! check it out.

There's big variance in the sweetspot on their nibs too, so some are scratchy at odd angles.

I'd check alignment of tines firstly though.

 

As an aside I'm told Hero 359 nibs can fit on Lamy so have ordered some to try. Curious to see if they'll work better than German EFs.

[Tassitus]

If you've managed to pull off the nib, ain't much harder to yank the feed out too!

 

Plenty of videos on YouTube egging u on how to dismember your pen, I like Goulet Pens.

 

Only caveat is when reinserting feed back into section, DONT FORCE IT. There's a key tab and the feed only slips in when it's aligned dead straight, it doesn't need much force to slide in.

 

If you're a southpaw with an odd hook... umm Lamy afaik has lefty nibs for you! check it out.

There's big variance in the sweetspot on their nibs too, so some are scratchy at odd angles.

I'd check alignment of tines firstly though.

 

As an aside I'm told Hero 359 nibs can fit on Lamy so have ordered some to try. Curious to see if they'll work better than German EFs.

 

 

Oh, I like Goulet -- I buy Tomoe River notebooks from there, and he makes terrific videos.

 

I write in a way so that I drag my hand over what I just wrote ... “over-writer”, I believe it's being referred to as.

 

I've just ordered a small Pelikano, which I'm very curious about, because I've never used any Pelikan pen before. I chose fine nib there. It's supposed to arrive next week . Since I'm new to all this, I've basically just used Lamy, Cross and a Platinum Preppy.

[Pen Engineer]

... if I may...

 

Feeds and sections were not designed to be taken apart. Before being inserted the feed is sorrowly cleaned, ultrasonically treated, almost sterile clean. They are all test written, if there would be any mechanical blockages, a pen would not pass the test.

 

The feed is designed to, initially, push against the nib. Within two, three weeks after assembly, the plastic feed gives a little and adjusts itself, snuggle up to the much stronger nib. By the time the pen arrives at the shop, this settling period had been completed.

 

You can imagine what happens when you remove a nib. This subtle adjusting to each other is taken away. Using ABS for the feed, it will again adjust to the new nib. If the fit is tight, it's like at the start, if the fit is loose, the feed will need to recover, which takes longer or will only happen partially. This will have a strong effect on the pen's writing characteristic.

 

From reading in the FPN forums, I realise that part of being a fountain pen owner and collector, fiddling around with the pen seems to be part of it. I do not. The only time when I get serious is when a pen has dried out.

 

as always, this is my opinion and experience

[Bo Bo Olson]

Ah, Ha.....something new from someone who did the original work.

That has not been said before.

There is with ebonite nibs the chance to heat fit them....that is well known. But that plastic feeds adjust themselves ...make that Lamy feeds, is new.

So it would be some week or more for the feed to snuggle up to the nib with one changes a Safari nib.

[Pen Engineer]

Ah, Ha.....something new from someone who did the original work.

That has not been said before.

There is with ebonite nibs the chance to heat fit them....that is well known. But that plastic feeds adjust themselves ...make that Lamy feeds, is new.

So it would be some week or more for the feed to snuggle up to the nib with one changes a Safari nib.

AH! HA!...

 

... you meant ebonite feeds? ... ebonite is much harder to bend than ABS or SAN.

 

You can, of course, speed up the process by holding the tip in warm water. Glass transition temperature of 105 °C (220 °F), but I think, 70 to 80 °C (160 to 175 °F) should be enough, to be on the safe side.

 

Most plastic (thermoplastic) components want to go back into their original shape when warmed up, which is important in case you end up with a gap between feed front end and the nib (below the nib) after swapping a nib. When you warm it up, the feed wants to straighten (if it had been bent before) and close this gap.

 

Magic! That's what it is all about.