Calibrating The User

[LizEF]

I'm employed in the IT department of a microbiological lab. At one point, I learned that the intent of our micropipette verification log book was not to calibrate the device (unlike the balance logbook) but to calibrate the user - that is, ensure the user could consistently measure a specific amount correctly - sort of a warm-up before they started pipetting for real.

 

At some point last year (which was my second year of FP use), I decided that when I received a new pen, I would use at least 2 fills of ink before I even considered smoothing the tines (something I feel comfortable doing, and have done for a few pens). Depending on what I knew of the inks and nib, I might use more fills and a wider variety of ink before making that decision. During that time, I would use a variety of my usual papers.

 

In essence, I decided it would be wise to calibrate the user before deciding whether the nib needed adjustment.

 

So, out of curiosity, and perhaps to educate each other (or at least some of us who are newer), do you have ways in which you "calibrate the user" before deciding that the equipment may need adjustment? (And it could be pen, paper, ink, nib, converter / cartridge, writing surface, whatever).

[Bo Bo Olson]

Much of the time the problem is misaligned tines ....It is good you use other inks.........better paper helps too.

Smoothing should be a last resort.

 

 

If it's a vintage pen, and the tines are aligned....drag could be caused by micro-corrosion, or 'iridium rust'.

Mylar will get rid of drag with out going to micro-mesh................so will a good quality brown paper bag....but is only good for drag.

[LizEF]

Much of the time the problem is misaligned tines ....It is good you use other inks.........better paper helps too.

Smoothing should be a last resort.

 

 

If it's a vintage pen, and the tines are aligned....drag could be caused by micro-corrosion, or 'iridium rust'.

Mylar will get rid of drag with out going to micro-mesh................so will a good quality brown paper bag....but is only good for drag.

 

Thanks, Bo Bo. If a nib feels scratchy, I'll check the tines right away under a loupe. My new policy is for when a pen doesn't feel as smooth as I might like. Rather than jumping the gun, I give myself time to adjust, time to find the nib's sweet spot, time to find its ink preferences, etc. For example, I didn't initially like the feel of the nib on the Sailor Pro Gear Slim I got, but now I love it - just had to adjust myself. Similar with my Platinum 3776 Century.

[Runnin_Ute]

I think that is terrific practice, Liz and something we should all practice. I once had a Pelikan M205 with a M nib that seemed a bit "off".

I used it regularly for a while, several fills of various inks and it settled down to how I like it.

I don't think that it was misaligned tines, but I am glad I didn't panic and take a paper bag, mylar or something else to it. Unfortunately I no longer have it.

[LizEF]

I think that is terrific practice, Liz and something we should all practice. I once had a Pelikan M205 with a M nib that seemed a bit "off".

I used it regularly for a while, several fills of various inks and it settled down to how I like it.

I don't think that it was misaligned tines, but I am glad I didn't panic and take a paper bag, mylar or something else to it. Unfortunately I no longer have it.

 

I always wash out new pens - water, a little pen flush (in case there are oils), and then water - and yet, after a fill or two, pens seem to write better - either it's me getting calibrated, or it takes more than a wash to get the ink flow optimized.

 

Sorry you don't have your M205 anymore - folks around here really seem to like them (haven't tried Pelikan yet - by all reports, their EF nibs would be like broad for me ).

[Runnin_Ute]

I always wash out new pens - water, a little pen flush (in case there are oils), and then water - and yet, after a fill or two, pens seem to write better - either it's me getting calibrated, or it takes more than a wash to get the ink flow optimized.

 

Sorry you don't have your M205 anymore - folks around here really seem to like them (haven't tried Pelikan yet - by all reports, their EF nibs would be like broad for me ).

I lost a pen roll with 8 pens. Two M205's (red and black), a 120 M & K, and a M150. Plus a Parker 51 Special set (mp) and two 45's (one a Flighter). Just up and vanished on me.

 

Sort of replaced most. The M205's with M200's. The 120 M & K EF with a M in not nearly as good a shape, another M150.

Another 51 Special, and some 45's. (kind of went nuts with 45's....I have about 6 now)

[LizEF]

I lost a pen roll with 8 pens.

 

[Mr.Rene]

 

   

Edited January 4, 2018 by Mr.Rene

[Bo Bo Olson]

Liz if you started with Japanese pens.., then Sailor could be a little wide. Sailor being the Fat Japanese nib...Pilot the thinner one.

 

200's nibs are still vintage and semi-vintage narrow....it's the 400/600/800 that are 1/2 a width wider than once. So a 200's EF is narrow enough.....just got one on my 200 Marbled Brown.....it's those fat 400/600/800 EF nibs that have the reputation.

 

Until the 800 went nail somewhere around '98....the 800 had it's very own narrower than Pelikan 400 width....

A 80's-90's chart showed Parker wider than Sheaffer and Pelikan narrower than that. Waterman had two nib sets as it came out later one in Pelikan width and one narrower than the 800.....in all cases way back when the Pelikan EF was narrowest.

That was back when Japanese pens were still nitch and not mainstream....so were not worth to put on the chart.

 

So get a 200 EF or a semi-vintage '97-82 400 or a '87?-88? -97 800..................very often the era the pen was made makes a big different.....the '50-65 Pelikans are semi-flex and if you don't have a real light hand they will write wide due to Ham Fistedness. So semi-flex is out if you want the narrowest. Took me three months to lighten up my Hand with my first semi-flex 140 and it was OB...about a fat M in modern.

Aurora will be a tad narrower than even the then Pelikan...........but in old Aurora pre2005 will be semi-flex....so look 2006 to now for Aurora in Regular flex for Euro narrow.

[LizEF]

...

200's nibs are still vintage and semi-vintage narrow....it's the 400/600/800 that are 1/2 a width wider than once. So a 200's EF is narrow enough.....just got one on my 200 Marbled Brown.....it's those fat 400/600/800 EF nibs that have the reputation.

...

 

I refuse to go down the vintage rabbit hole. Everyone, now, repeat with me: I refuse to go down the vintage rabbit hole.

[dcwaites]

Calibrating the user. An interesting concept. I guess by now that I am pretty well calibrated in what I know a pen should feel like to me.

Any new pen should feel a certain way to me out of the box, otherwise it will get adjusted to conform. The only grace I might give it is to let the feed and nib soak with a fresh fill before thinking about wetness. However, there are other faults like mis-aligned tines or too much baby-bottom which will get fixed immediately.

[LizEF]

Calibrating the user. An interesting concept. I guess by now that I am pretty well calibrated in what I know a pen should feel like to me.

Any new pen should feel a certain way to me out of the box, otherwise it will get adjusted to conform. The only grace I might give it is to let the feed and nib soak with a fresh fill before thinking about wetness. However, there are other faults like mis-aligned tines or too much baby-bottom which will get fixed immediately.

 

Which means you've probably experienced lots of different nibs from lots of different brands. The Sailor nib felt quite different from what I was used to, but thankfully I decided to calibrate myself instead of it, because now I really like that pencil-feedback sensation it gives.

 

I'm thinking inks and papers can be the same way - if you're Amberlea Davis, you probably know everything there is to know about a new ink by the time you've written the first word with the first pen - but the rest of us might need to try out an ink or paper with a wider variety of combos before we can really decide if it's something we'll like, or something we can use.

[inkstainedruth]

 

I refuse to go down the vintage rabbit hole. Everyone, now, repeat with me: I refuse to go down the vintage rabbit hole.

 

I could repeat it with you till I'm blue in the face. In my case it would still be a lie no matter how many times I were to say it -- I've already dived down it head first....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

I could repeat it with you till I'm blue in the face. In my case it would still be a lie no matter how many times I were to say it -- I've already dived down it head first....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Yeah, it's probably like the advice not to visit the ink forums...

[KellyMcJ]

If a pen doesn't write properly, it gets fixed immediately.

 

If it functions but isn't to my preference, I give it a good long while. I've used pens for months before I decided to polish a nib.

 

Many times, though, I didn't need to. My Sailor with a B nib took me a good two weeks to really get used to and consistently hit the sweet spot every time. It's a daily writer. Easily my favorite pen. "Desert Island Pen" contender. I don't think I'll ever part with it. Although I was never inclined to alter it, I understand why some people would be. But I know the pen didn't "break in", the user did.

[Runnin_Ute]

 

I could repeat it with you till I'm blue in the face. In my case it would still be a lie no matter how many times I were to say it -- I've already dived down it head first....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Yeah, yeah...after 6 or so Esties and at least a few others....

[Bluey]

Pen users need calibrating when they're 'breaking in' a nib, perhaps to make it smoother or seem softer. It's not the nib that changes, it's the perception of the user.

[Runnin_Ute]

If a pen doesn't write properly, it gets fixed immediately.

 

If it functions but isn't to my preference, I give it a good long while. I've used pens for months before I decided to polish a nib.

 

Many times, though, I didn't need to. My Sailor with a B nib took me a good two weeks to really get used to and consistently hit the sweet spot every time. It's a daily writer. Easily my favorite pen. "Desert Island Pen" contender. I don't think I'll ever part with it. Although I was never inclined to alter it, I understand why some people would be. But I know the pen didn't "break in", the user did.

Which is probably what happened on the rest M205 I had. So it seemed like it broke in it was the me adapting to the pen.

[Runnin_Ute]

.oops

Edited January 5, 2018 by Runnin_Ute

[jar]

Humans are programmable adaptable multi-purpose tools. Use it or lose it!

 

If you modify the user you can always reprogram it for some other task. Once you modify the pen it is pretty much a done deal.