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Loose Nib On My Safari


magicspeller

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Hi,

 

In cleaning my (stock) nib, I tried to wipe it dry with a cloth and it popped right off. All I could find in a Google search are articles emphasizing the difficulty of removing the nib (!), and they all just say to slide the (new) nib on, making sure it's oriented properly.

 

I can slide it on to the feed, but it doesn't seem to slide into the section and it's just loosely sitting on the feed.

 

What am I doing wrong? Is it supposed to go into the section? If so, do I just have to push it really hard?

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

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Hi there.

 

I've never experienced a nib sitting loose on the feed, but the nib is not meant to slide into the section. It sits more or less flush with it. Is it possible that the tabs on the underside of the nib have been slightly bent out?

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I wondered if that might be the case, but I don't know how it would have happened. I found the nib on the floor, but I think if I'd stepped on that wouldn't be the only problem! Is there a good way to bend them in to tighten the nib.

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Hi, I did read an article on this the other day, sadly I've just done a quick google and can't find it :-( There is some variability in the tightness of the Safari Nib. Some can be really tough to get off and others reasonably easy. I haven't had one yet though that just slides off by itself. There are some picture on the web of the feed mechanism and it probably worth looking at these. Given that the nib is steel and the feed is plastic it's more likely that something has worn on the plastic rather than the steel.

I note that you mentioned it was the stock nib in your post, do you have another nib you could try and to work out if it is a nib issue or a feed issue?

To make the fit tighter essentially all you need to do is apply pressure to the two strips that run on the bottom of the feed. I would take care in doing this as the nib is turned and you don't want to flatten it while applying pressure to two sides areas.

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Thanks. Interesting to hear that there's such variability in nib tightness.

 

I haven't been able to find any feed photos, but I haven't used the pen that much and I don't know of any reason that the feed would be worn.

 

I have never bought a nib :) but it looks that might be a good idea.

 

Do you think I could apply the pressure by hand? I just saw a recommendation by someone to use rubber pliers, which I don't have. I got a little excited because this person was writing about having the exact same problem I was having with the loose nib -- and then it turned out that her pen was fake. I certainly hope I didn't get a counterfeit, because I did buy it online from a reputable dealer....

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I wondered if that might be the case, but I don't know how it would have happened. I found the nib on the floor, but I think if I'd stepped on that wouldn't be the only problem! Is there a good way to bend them in to tighten the nib.

 

I'm always reticent about posting advice about any kind of nib work. However, since Lamy nibs are so inexpensive and ubiquitous, I'll make an exception (I'm kind of cringing as I write this, because I don't want anyone to damage their nibs).

 

In any case: about a year ago, this very thing happened to me, while I was in a pen store, in fact. The nib slid right off the pen (it was an Al-Star). The man behind the counter, a fixture in Toronto pen circles, with many years experience, and someone I trust -- he'd tuned several of my more expensive nibs -- said "I can fix that for you".

 

I handed him the nib and the pen. This is what he did:

 

- placed the nib on the glass countertop, face up (ie: so that you can see the breather hole and read "lamy" on the nib).

- grasped the two sides of the nib with his thumb and forefinger. Firmly.

- using the index finger of his other hand, he pressed down on the top of the nib. Even pressure across the whole surface. Gradually building up pressure. But not too much.

 

In effect, he was forcing the underside of the nib to bend upward.

 

That was it. He slid it back on the pen and it stuck there. Next time I had to remove it to clean the feed, I needed to use tape to pull it off.

 

That said, just this past week I've noticed it loosening up a bit.

 

Again, if you're going to try this, a) hold the nib firmly so that it doesn't shoot across the room when you press on it, and b ) caveat emptor. I know the lamy nibs are inexpensive, but no one wants to damage their nib (especially these days when it's not as easy as usual to restock).

Edited by dennis_f
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Thanks very much, Dennis. I'm willing to give this a try on an inexpensive nib, and you certainly don't need to worry about making the suggestion. If I have to, I can replace the nib, and I have other pens I can use if I have to wait.

 

But this sounds like it might work!

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dennis_f Do you take the nib out each time that you clean your pen?Does the channels on the feed are "wider" now after multiple times of moving the nib in and out? I know the answer is not easy : Which one is loosing the original tolerance the nib or the feeder?Thanks for your thoughts.

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Since this first happened I've removed the nib maybe a dozen times, not only for cleaning, but sometimes I swap different sized nibs between my different lamys. I'm not sure if this constitutes "many times" or not.

 

I believe it's the nib, because a) other nibs fit on this particular pen snugly, and b ) the problematic nib slides onto my other Lamys quite easily.

 

And yes, I know I could just stop using this particular nib -- I have at least half a dozen snub EF spare nibs -- but crazy as it sounds, I like the way this one performs. So for now, loose or not, I just keep using it.

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Thanks very much, Dennis. I'm willing to give this a try on an inexpensive nib, and you certainly don't need to worry about making the suggestion. If I have to, I can replace the nib, and I have other pens I can use if I have to wait.

 

But this sounds like it might work!

 

 

 

One other thing I just remembered: don't go too far when pressing, because then you run the opposite risk and may not be able to slide the nib back onto the feed.

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If you have other nibs, find a magnifying glass and compare the top ends where they slide onto the pen. Should be able to see differences readily.

I ride a recumbent, I play go, I use Macintosh so of course I use a fountain pen.

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I gave the magnifying glass a try, comparing the "loose" nib with one of the ones that fits more snugly, and I couldn't make out any differences. Maybe with a loupe it would be apparent, but I think the tolerances that we're talking about are fractions of a millimeter, making it indiscernible to me.

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That's very interesting. Don't be afraid to jam it on there with a bit of force. Also, make sure that the nib is oriented correctly.

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I remember this happening in school form time to time, I took a pair of smooth jawed pliers and ever so gently squeezed till the nib did not feel loose.

keep it simple.

Edited by Black Spot
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Did that too once. You have to be gentle. And I recommend to apply isolation tape on the pliers' jaws. So the hardened metal won't leave scratches on the nib. Also prevents slipping.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I remember this happening in school form time to time, I took a pair of smooth jawed pliers and ever so gently squeezed till the nib did not feel loose.

keep it simple.

I have done this several times with different LAMY nibs without any problems. Just remeber to be slow and careful - don't force it, and everything should be fine.

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them - Dave Berry

 

Min danske webshop med notesbøger, fyldepenne og blæk

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  • 3 weeks later...

Followed the side grip recommendaiton without any problems.

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nibs and feeds (Lamy's at least) are not designed to be constantly removed! They rely on friction to stay in place. Constant removal of the pieces causes wear and looseness.

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