New M1000 black/green with scratchy nib

[christam]

To my surprise, the M1000 I ordered from Cult Pens yesterday was delivered this morning and it's every bit as wonderful in the hand as I expected.  But ........

 

After opening the box and admiring the pen I dip-tested with Edelstein Aventurine and it was immediately obvious that the Medium nib is scratchy on the page (TR 68gsm paper).  Examining the front of the nib through a 10x loupe shows that the right-hand tine is slightly longer than the left, maybe by 0.2mm, so it looks a bit like an oblique nib.  The length discrepancy is more marked when the nib is looked at from the back.  

 

More out of hope than anything, I flushed the pen thoroughly and ran the edge of a new brass shim very carefully between the tines but of course the scratchiness is still there.  There are no hard starts, no skipping, just an unpleasant scratchy feeling  when writing.  Unfortunately I no longer have the right camera equipment to be able to take some photos.

 

I know the answer is to contact Cult Pens of course, and will do so on Monday.  I'm hoping they'll agree to send me a replacement nib unit.  These things happen, it's just so disappointing when they do!  

[sirgilbert357]

Is it the right tine higher than the other or is it LONGER than the other one?

 

You describing it as an oblique makes me think it is longer. If you are viewing the nib with the tip pointing to the ceiling and with the Pelikan logo facing towards you, and the right tine is "longer", I would agree -- contact Cult Pens.

[christam]

Oops, you’re right of course. The correct word is longer - and I’m an ex-English teacher who should know better!

 

Thanks for the response and I’ve now edited the OP so it makes proper sense. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

You didn't say what width it is...OF is nice....IMO don't see a reason for an OEF...but that is me.

 

Is it Oblique? Does the nib say O what ever?

 

If oblique, you need to learn to cant the nib to the proper angle. Post the cap.........

Line the cap up so the clip is facing in the middle between the slit and the shoulder. Grip in air, that way you won't fiddle with it.

Put to paper and write.

Do nothing else,.... no finger, hand or arm twisting.

 

That is an easy way to learn to grip an oblique.

If that works perhaps you have an oblique marked or not.

 

After learning how to cant the nib the proper angle, you will soon get use to it and not need to post the cap; which makes a 1000 too top heavy.

 

If that don't work, or you don't like it...send it back.

I have an OBB 1005.

[christam]

Thanks for the canting advice.  I've actually got a pen with an OB nib on its way to me next week, I hope.  It'll be my first oblique and I'm pretty sure I'll be OK with how to hold it but I'll refer back here if necessary.

 

The M1000 referred to in the OP is M - at least that's what I ordered and that's what it says on the box.  I was so busy checking the business end of the nib through the loupe that I didn't think to check the nib marking but I'll do so tomorrow! 

[Frank C]

I find that many of my Pelikan pens have benefitted from a trip to a nibmeister. I like the pens and they are well-designed and well-made, but the nibs often need a little help. After a tune-up, they write beautifully. There are many online tutorials for nib tuning at home; I'd be reluctant to start on a Pelikan, though. It does sound like you already have some of the tools at hand. 

[laomo]

Is it a good scratch or a bad scratch? I have an old, beaten up Pelikan 100 with a delightfully scratchy nib, and every other nib seems second-rate by comparison.  Sailor makes some great scratchers too.  I am a big fan of good scratch.  Sends a tingle through the frame somehow.  But diggers, bad scratchers are impossible to use.  I suppose this one is a digger, a bad one.  Only trying to make sure that everyone knows all scratchers ain't bad (English teacher here too).

[sirgilbert357]

8 minutes ago, laomo said:

Is it a good scratch or a bad scratch? I have an old, beaten up Pelikan 100 with a delightfully scratchy nib, and every other nib seems second-rate by comparison.  Sailor makes some great scratchers too.  I am a big fan of good scratch.  Sends a tingle through the frame somehow.  But diggers, bad scratchers are impossible to use.  I suppose this one is a digger, a bad one.  Only trying to make sure that everyone knows all scratchers ain't bad (English teacher here too).

 

I describe that "good scratch" as a kind of pencil-like feedback. My Sailor nib was tuned but still has some of that toothy feedback that is similar to a pencil.

[candlejack]

Since a picture really is worth 1000 words in a case like this, it would greatly help the conversation if you posted one. If you have the loupe you mentioned and a smartphone, you can still take a very revealing picture. 

 

I'm not sure what kind of loupe you have, but here is an example of how to use a watchmaker's loupe and the resulting image.

 

I'm sorry for the out of focus images showing the setup, but you get the idea. The second "macro" shot (the one with the higher magnification) has been taken with the loupe reversed, so that the lens is closer to the smartphone camera.

 

Btw, the pictures are of a M1000 EF nib.

 

[christam]

2 hours ago, laomo said:

Is it a good scratch or a bad scratch? I have an old, beaten up Pelikan 100 with a delightfully scratchy nib, and every other nib seems second-rate by comparison.  Sailor makes some great scratchers too.  I am a big fan of good scratch.  Sends a tingle through the frame somehow.  But diggers, bad scratchers are impossible to use.  I suppose this one is a digger, a bad one.  Only trying to make sure that everyone knows all scratchers ain't bad (English teacher here too).

 

Definitely of the bad scratch variety, the kind that tries to elope with the paper by dragging (or digging) it away.  The only good scratcher I've got (except it prefers the term feedback because it's coy like that) it a Platinum Izumo that feels like a really nice pencil on the page 😊

 

Great shots in your second post and I did try just that method with the nib but totally failed to get anything in proper focus.  I do miss a proper macro lens sometimes - just not often enough to consider buying one again!  Cult Pens are insisting on receiving the bad nib before sending out a replacement, and I can't blame them for that especially as they’ve put one aside for me just in case they sell out during the current sale.  Hopefully I'll get the replacement by the end of the week. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

good scratch= toothy= pencil feeling.

 

Helps to have a picture of the front of the nib....if you use a cell phone camera to view or a 10 X loup, 95% of scratchy misaligned tines and or holding the pen too vertical like a ball point.