Stuck Nib/feeder On Elysee - Idea's How To Unstick?

[JamesMeditating]

Relatively new here - just this week. Also relatively new to really enjoying fountain pens in general. So far I mostly use entry level pens like Pilot Metropolitan, but am considering expanding that (money's an issue). One pen I have from Ebay is an Elysee, but when I added a cartridge it essentially wouldn't flow. After much coaxing, there was some thing that came out, but nothing that was anything close to normal. My assumption from that was that I at least had the correct cartridge (international) and that this Elysee takes a cartridge, which I was fairly sure it would.

 

I thought to pull the nib/feeder to give it a good cleaning - have no idea how long it's been sitting. Not even sure exactly which pen it is - it was listed on Ebay as "no. 19". The nib/feeder isn't budging. I tried running clear cold water through it. I also tried soaking it for just a few minutes, but because of the lacquer finish I didn't want to leave it in water. Nothing budged. In desperation, I tried using the end of a drill bit into the open feeder end, and tapping onto a piece of wood. Still, nothing budged.

 

I've read in posts here about a similar method of drilling a hold through wood, just big enough but not too big, and tapping the feeder end. I'll try that if that's my only option, but it feels harsh, and am afraid of damaging something inside - e.g. the part that punctures a cartridge. Plus, I was already tapping with a fair amount of force, and many, many taps with the drill bit.

 

I know that some nib/feeders have threads, something other than friction to hold them in. I've been unable to find out if that's the case for this Elysee "No. 19".

 

Can anyone help me or point me in the right direction? Friction Vs threaded? Other methods?

 

Thank you,

James

[OMASsimo]

Without a picture of the pen, section, and feed it's hard to tell what options you have. But my first suspicion is that a thorough cleaning should be enough to cure the problem. With that I mean soaking the section for an extended time if the material permits. There is a good chance that only the feed is clogged. Of course, it also could be that the nib is too dry and needs some adjustment. Some older feeds need to be primed for a while before they get to their full performance. I doubt, thought, that this would be the case with an Elysee.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Buy a rubber 'baby' bulb syringe at your drug store. Fill it with water, then stick it on the spike in the back of the section. Hold section under water in the bathroom sink. Squeeze out the water.....keep filling and emptying the bulb syringe with out taking it off, until you get a nice strong stream of water flowing quickly though the section.

 

That is the basic way to clean a CC pen when one changes inks.

 

I don't see a reason to tear apart something that don't want to be torn apart.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[JamesMeditating]

This probably has an obvious answer that I can't see: how do I attach a picture to a post? There's a "My Media" button next to font choices, but nowhere to upload an image. There's an image button on the 2nd row, but it asks for a URL; again, nowhere to upload an image.

 

Bo Bo, thanks for the suggestion. I haven't tried that particular method, using a syringe. Another silly question: you mentioned "CC pen" - what is that?

 

Thank you,

James

[Bo Bo Olson]

Cartridge and converter pen.

 

Sometimes soaking don't do anything and one needs some water with a bit of force behind it, the rubber baby bulb that fits exactly over the cartridge poking spike, to move chunks of dried ink or whatevers, or to saturate the ink particle so it dissolves.

Also gets rid of oils on new pens.

[JamesMeditating]

Figured out how to attach pics - see below.

[Honeybadgers]

It's possible that it follows a japanese assembly style where the metal collar at the back of the section unscrews and the nib and feed are pushed out backwards. Quite a few platinums are made that way, like the blance/cool

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aItyn_Q-lyA

 

But some nibs are NOT made to be disassembled, like the sheaffer dolphin or Pilot E95s. Those are glued in place.

 

If nothing comes apart gently and easily, dip the nib into water and see if you can blow bubbles into it. If you can, fill your mouth with water (or use a bulb syringe) and push water into the pen, then place the whole thing in water and let it sit overnight.

 

A 10% diluted ammonia solution once it's sat overnight flushed through it with a bulb syringe can help get a LOT more ink than water alone.

 

And lastly, an ultrasonic cleaner will do the best job of getting into the nooks and crannies.

 

Once it's been soaked and flushed, try to remove the nib again. If it still doesn't want to come out, don't force it. Ink it and see how it writes. if it's consistently flowing now, you can just keep inking the pen and it should slowly clean itself as the dried ink rehydrates with use, you might have some slightly discolored ink, so I'd use dark colors like brown or black.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Dib]

Hi

just pull nib and feeder. But it is very firm.
I don't think there is any need to unstick the pen.

[kestrel]

My first fountain pen was the same model Elysee that you have. Yours is most likely clogged with dried ink. Bo Bo and Honeybadgers gave good instructions. The problem with removing the nib and feed (as Dib wrote, very firm) is that then you have to put them back in again and that can be very difficult. Soaking is good. Baby ear syringe is good. Patience is good. Flush the nib unit until the water that comes out is clear, then soak it overnight and flush again. If this isn't working you may have to get a little more aggressive. Soaking and flushing with Rapido-Eze solution (available from Amazon) removes most other inks including India ink. It isn't cheap so don't flush it down the drain after only one use. If you don't own an ultrasonic cleaner take your nib unit and a shot glass or some other similar size container (I use old film cans) to a friendly jeweler and ask if you can use their ultrasonic. Fill the shot glass with water, put the nib unit in the glass nib up, and put the whole thing into the ultrasonic cleaner. Clean for a few minutes. If there is ink in the nib the ultrasonic will cause it to form neat swirly patterns in the shot glass.

 

Honeybadgers mentioned using ink to clean a pen while writing. Noodler's Rattler Red is a good cleaning ink. If you can't get it where you are, PM me and I will send you a sample.

 

I have restored several hundred found in the wild vintage pens and only needed to remove the nib for cleaning a few times. The regimen above works.

 

If you get frustrated by all this just remind yourself that you have a nice pen that just needs some TLC. My Elysees have glassy smooth nibs with medium flow. Yours will too.

 

Let us know how it turns out.