400NN

[High_Noon]

I finally received the OM 400NN I ordered off of flea-bay from Serbia, which seems to be in very good cosmetic condition, however, there seems to be a few issues:

 

1) The piston (spindle) is very stiff and I'm afraid it might snap if I continue to use it.

2) When the pen is filled, the knob has about 1/4" of play. This play is also apparent when the  

    spindle is open (for filling), which I believe is normal, but I don't believe this play should be

    present when it's closed.

3) The cap does screw on correctly, but there is a minor "catch" in the threads.  The cap does post

     correctly and remains fast - maybe the inside of the cap just needs a good cleaning.

4) Minor issue: The OM 585 nib is much finer than I expected. 

 

I don't think this particular 400NN is a "Frankenpen," but it certainly remains a possibility.

 

My options are to try and repair the pen, or to return it.  Unfortunately, US shipping costs are absolutely outrageous - more than twice the cost to return that I paid to receive it - and it would cost about $45.00 - $50.00 to return it to Serbia.  I paid ~ $140.00 + tax & shipping for the pen.  What say you?

 

Should I attempt a repair, would any forum member have directions or advice on disassembly?  What type of silicone grease should be used on the spindle and is there a thread on form outlining such disassembly? 

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

[MsRedpen]

I can address your concern nb 3 - catch in the thread is normal and specific to 400NN

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2014/10/12/pelikans-secure-locking-cap/

 

A lot of helpful info inside 😉

[High_Noon]

Thanks MsRedpen.

[mana]

1) This is due to the piston seal sticking to the inner wall of the barrel. Remove the nib unit and apply a light amount of silicone grease inside the barrel through the opening with a cotton swab. Silicone grease meant for O-rings in diving equipment, flashlights and kitchen appliances such as espresso machines works ok (not too thick, not too thin).

2) You mean quarter of a turn? That is normal due to the construction, there is a gap between the spindle threads and the ones in the piston shaft, takes a bit for it to move freely before it engages when switching directions.

 

3) The catch (if it appears just when you are starting to unscrew the cap or are just about to finish screwing the cap back in) is there to prevent accidental unscrewing of the cap. Not all 400NN caps have that feature, I like it in mine.

Aside from the stiff piston and too thin nib it seems to be in A-OK shape and $140 is an ok price for a pen in that condition.

[High_Noon]

mana, Thanks.  How does removing the nib and greasing that area help the spindle stiffness?  

[mana]

7 hours ago, High_Noon said:

mana, Thanks.  What can I do about the stiff piston - can it be greased as well and if so, what's the procedure?

The stiffness is due to the piston seal catching on the inner wall of the barrel. Need to amend the tip #1, the silicone grease is meant for that. As in, you use the cotton swab to apply a light amount inside the barrel through the opening behind the nib unit.

[High_Noon]

Duly noted.  I will purchase some silicone grease and have at it.

[High_Noon]

Any tips for safely removing the nib unit?

[mizgeorge]

 

[High_Noon]

Thanks mizgeorge. 

[eerestis]

As mentioned in the above video, be careful when removing the nib. It could be that the nib and section need to be soaked (preferably ultrasonically cleaned) before the nib unit can be turned. The nib in the video was easily removed, but to me it's often been more difficult due to dried ink and shrunk sections. After applying the grease and reinstalling the nib unit, remember to inspect tine alignment. It's easy to slightly rotate the nib in the collar and thus misalign the tines. In the end this is not rocket science and you're not likely to break anything, just go slow.

[Uncial]

Before you pull the nib it's worth checking to see if the barrel has any shrinkage. It can sometimes be hard to detect but you should be able to feel it with your fingers as you move them up and down the barrel. I have a 400nn with very slight barrel shrinkage about half way down the barrel. I can't see it with my eyes, but I can just about feel it with my fingers and it results in a piston that feels stiff and jittery. If your piston is sticking half way down the barrel, it could be due to some shrinkage, in which case I wouldn't try to do anything to it other than seek a refund.

[High_Noon]

Uncial: Thanks for that info.  The problem is not that the piston/seal is sticking, per se, at a specific place within the barrel, it's that it is very stiff throughout its operating range - all the way up and down.  Operating the piston gives the impression that the spindle or end knob is going to snap or break.  Regarding shrinkage, I'm not entirely sure, but running my fingers up and down the barrel, I do detect a very slight bump or wave (for lack of a better term) about 1 cm up from the collar.  I also just noticed that the seal is not perpendicular to the barrel - it raises and lowers at a slight angle.

 

I believe that I will begin the return process for this 400NN.  At this point, I don't believe that removing the nib and greasing the barrel will accomplish anything and may, in fact, result in damage to the pen and I don't want to be unable to return it due to any damage I may cause.

 

Maybe I'll bite the bullet and purchase a properly sorted 400 OB from Rick Propas.

[AL01]

 

 That is unfortunate...

 

 There is a good seller on Classifieds that sells 400s for a fair price as well, (not associated/paid, etc.)

 

 Those seals tend to last a long time, which means they don't need to be serviced as often as lever fillers or maybe Aerometric 51s. (?)

[Seney724]

1 hour ago, AL01 said:

 

 That is unfortunate...

 

 There is a good seller on Classifieds that sells 400s for a fair price as well, (not associated/paid, etc.)

 

 Those seals tend to last a long time, which means they don't need to be serviced as often as lever fillers or maybe Aerometric 51s. (?)

Agree, the seller here on the Classifieds (Collezionista) is superb.  A lovely person with great pens and very good prices.

Be aware that not everyone is a Rick Propas fan but, in all fairness, the same could probably be said about most anyone.

Feel free to PM me if you wish.

[Christopher Godfrey]

Yes, High_Noon, as Seney reports, Collezionista has a 400NN with broad nib (OB, I think) on offer right now for a decent price.  I have had nothing but <great> dealings with this seller, having bought several pens from him!

[High_Noon]

Christopher, 

 

Thanks for the heads-up, but I believe I'll hold out until I can find the specific pen I'm looking for, which is a tortoise 400 with a broad nib (OBB, BB, OB or B), in excellent operating condition for a reasonable price.  They come along from time-to-time.  

[carlos.q]

12 minutes ago, High_Noon said:

Thanks for the heads-up, but I believe I'll hold out until I can find the specific pen I'm looking for, which is a tortoise 400 with a broad nib (OBB, BB, OB or B), in excellent operating condition for a reasonable price.

I would recommend you check out www.penboard.de 

[High_Noon]

carlos: Thanks, I'll take a look.

[lionelc]

3 hours ago, carlos.q said:

I would recommend you check out www.penboard.de 

+1 on that, have dealt with both rick propas and tom westerich, both offer high quality vintage pelikans that you don't have to worry about filling and writing with once the pen arrives.  worth the extra cost, i'm game to do some basic repairs but have seen some horror results from messing around with brittle pelikan barrels