Ink Flow Problem With Pilot Decimo?

[Tashiea]

Hello! I've had a Pilot Decimo for probably just around a year now.

 

It's got a F nib, and I have a CON-50 converter installed. I've always used the same ink in it (I believe it's Diamine's Majestic Purple). I've never had any problems with it either, it's worked perfectly!

 

Then, a few months ago (1-2) months, the ink flow just became terrible. It skips, sometimes completely stops, and is terrible to right with. I have to trace my letters five time before you can actually see the entire letter with no skips.

 

I've cleaned out the pen fully (I used just water, I've never used any soap or anything with my pens) and it still doesn't work right. I don't know why it's not working. I really hope I haven't broken it, and I just want my favorite pen to be back to its former glory. The pen used to work so well, does anyone know why it might not be writing correctly?

 

Thank you so much, and dear gosh I hope I put this in the right place.

[jar]

First, switch to a cartridge and see if the problem continues.

[Needhelp]

I have a pilot decimo owned for about a month with a fine nib and i just love it but if you take out the converter after cleaning the pen take some dish soap in water and soak it overnight or more and then clean it out dry it and then use. It made my pilot write better than it was out of the box.

[Erik Dalton]

I too have a pilot Decimo that i love to write with. I haven't had mine as long as you so this gives me something to look out for.

If you've taken the converter out and put in a cartridge but see no difference, Sounds like it needs a good cleaning. This time with a pen flush. You can buy a bottle from Goulet or other shops, or make your own. Check the threads on here for how to make your own pen flush.

If that doesn't work, you might contact Pilot for advice.

Please keep us up on how this all works out.

[MsRedpen]

Sorry to hear of the problems with your decimo. Good advices above - pen flush first, than try Pilot cartridge with Pilot ink. My decimo behaves really well, but wasn't happy with Majestic blue and Con-50. Above therapy worked in my case. Let us know the outcome!

[MrsHobie]

I have my Decimo for more than 3 or 4 years, and I never had that problem ...

Try to wash it again, according to the advices given by the fellow owners ...

(When I have a problem with a pen, I let it stand for one night in a glass of water, and if it's not enough, I use an "ultrasound cleaner")

[note2sb]

I have a similar problem. Are there certain inks that work better. I have been using Bamberry Purple.

[Chitragupt]

In my experience, Pilot FPs work best with Pilot inks. However the VPs/Decimos are an exception to this. Still, you could try the Pilot Blue in your decimo and see how it goes.

[essayfaire]

I wish I had a CON-50 for mine; they only come with Con-40s now. Hope your pen is now behaving properly. My ink flows well, it just runs out too quickly.

[lurcho]

I had the same problem recently. In the end, I had to slide the nib off the feed and scrub both with hottish,soapy water and a toothbrush.

 

That solved the problem completely. However, in my experience these pens dry out very quickly if you don't use them continually.

 

If you don't fancy taking the tiny nib out—and the process can be fraught and risky—a longer soak in warm, soapy water for a day or so can sometimes work much better than you think it will compared to a merely overnight one.

 

This is just my experience, however, and I often say or write the first thing that comes into my head.

[inkstainedruth]

You might want to have someone take a look at yours, lurcho. I had drying out issues with my first Decimo -- and it turned out that the nib assembly (which was from an older Vanishing Point) didn't quite fit correctly; once the shoulders were ground down a bit the door at the end of the nib closed correctly. But I didn't really get much chance to see whether that solved the drying out issues, because I lost the pen right after. But the replacement Decimo I have now has had NO dryout issues.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[JulieParadise]

Removing the nib from those nib units is really easy: Just "glue" a strip of washi or Tesa tape on the nib and you can pull it right off without any damage or risk of bending. It is just a matter of getting a grip. See this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tovIwnrwjk (ca. at 1:05)

[lurcho]

You might want to have someone take a look at yours, lurcho. I had drying out issues with my first Decimo -- and it turned out that the nib assembly (which was from an older Vanishing Point) didn't quite fit correctly; once the shoulders were ground down a bit the door at the end of the nib closed correctly. But I didn't really get much chance to see whether that solved the drying out issues, because I lost the pen right after. But the replacement Decimo I have now has had NO dryout issues.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Thanks, Ruth.

 

I thought that this problem was endemic to VPs, but I might take up your advice.