Help for a Kaweco nib section

[tipstricks]

Need your help folks: would know if this nib section is screwed or not; I've tried to take out, but it's very tight. It's a Kaweco Colleg 550 from 1960.

Thank you.

Edited August 9, 2007 by tipstricks

[Oxonian]

HI Tipstricks,

 

The section, that is the part in front of the ink window that holds the nib unit is bonded to the barrel and does not come off at all. The nib unit, i.e. the nib and feed with a fitting collar might unscrew, I don't have a Kaweco of that model but it does on at least one of my Kaweco sport open nib pens, I haven't tried the other 2.

 

A good soak and flush through should free things from any accumulated dried ink crud and make life easier, don't try and force things to move as getting broken feeds & nibs out is a pain in the general scheme of things, I have a Tropen that arrived with the broken stub of a feed and nib that will have to have the bits drilled out very carefully to avoid damaging the threads in the section.

 

Cheers, John

[tipstricks]

Thank you John, I've soaked and flushed, but only with an hairdryer I've been able to extract nib and feed. Now I can see a ring that might be screwed (seems to be thin and separated from external body), but it doesn't unscrew, and I'm frightened to break it.

 

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/kaweco_nib.jpg

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/kaweco_nib01.jpg

[Oxonian]

Hi,

 

I would leave it at that, clean everything as best you can and reassemble the nib and feed. the thin ring you see is what comes out when the nib unit unscrews without the feed and nib it is rather fragile and will break very easily. Quite a lot of the German makers that use a screw in nib have this trouble when a pen has been left for years, it could be crud or it could be shrinkage of the materials of the section. Others may feel differently and disagree but in my opinion it is better to put it back together and have a useable pen rather than risk breaking it.

 

Cheers, John

[rustynib]

Hi all,

 

Anybody can correct me if I'm wrong but I Think that the ring is not a screw on (like pelikans), but a slip on.

 

Rusty

[RevAaron]

This is a really old thread, but came across it somehow- and thought I'd put a note in for future searchers.

 

Most of the vintage Kawecos I've seen (a dozen) have screw out nib/feed units. I've found one so far (a Kaweco Kadett) that didn't- and you could tell pretty easily by looking at it. It went from section to nib, with no inner ring like you see above. I think the one above is a screw in collar that's just stuck.

 

I don't ever bother trying to get the collar out, in old Pelikans or Kawecos. I just leave it in. In a lot of ways, I prefer having it stuck- I can put different nibs in easily, without having to risk breaking a collar by knocking out the nib and feed from one; also, the Kaweco and Pelikan nibs you find at places like MartiniAuctions are just nibs, no feed or collar- so why bother with the screw out?

 

Aaron

[andyk]

This is a really old thread, but came across it somehow- and thought I'd put a note in for future searchers.

 

Most of the vintage Kawecos I've seen (a dozen) have screw out nib/feed units. I've found one so far (a Kaweco Kadett) that didn't- and you could tell pretty easily by looking at it. It went from section to nib, with no inner ring like you see above. I think the one above is a screw in collar that's just stuck.

 

I don't ever bother trying to get the collar out, in old Pelikans or Kawecos. I just leave it in. In a lot of ways, I prefer having it stuck- I can put different nibs in easily, without having to risk breaking a collar by knocking out the nib and feed from one; also, the Kaweco and Pelikan nibs you find at places like MartiniAuctions are just nibs, no feed or collar- so why bother with the screw out?

 

Aaron

 

My thoughts as well, I have a Pelikan 400N (or NN) that this happened to and even though I managed to push the nib/fed back in it was a hard starter as the gap between the feed and nib was too big, eventually summoned up the nerve to take the feed/nib out again and this time managed to reset and push it in better and it now works very well.

 

Now if I get a vintage pen with a screw in nib, if it doesn't unscrew easily and the pen is working I leave well alone.

 

Andy