New FPR ultraflex nib pen does not write.

[pen tom]

I just bought a FPR (Fountain pen revolution) Statesman with the ultraflex nib and the ebonite feed.  The pen wrote at first for a short time, but now I can't get the ink to flow.

I've tried cleaning out the nib, first with a detergent solution incase there was and manufacturing oil left in the feed, then later with a name brand

pen wash.  This did not help at all. I've tried several inks, nothing.

It is a CC filling system and has a tiny ball inside to break up surface tension.

 

I'm about to send it back for a refund, but does anyone have any further suggestions?  Thank you

[Penguincollector]

  Try looking at the nib and feed under a magnifying glass and see if they’re aligned. Also check that the nib tips are not misaligned. If either of these is the case, let us know what so we can offer solutions. If these are fine, we’ll go back to the drawing board. 
 

  Oh, easiest solution is an aluminum or brass shim between the tines to clean out anything that might have gotten caught between the tines like paper fibers or shimmer. 

[pen tom]

Thanks for the reply. The tines are alligned and the feed seems to be alligned as well.

One thing that I notices is that the ink seems to keep flowing if I hold the pen close to straight up rather than at a normal slant,

[Penguincollector]

  That’s interesting, I don’t know if this is normal, as I tend to hold my pens more upright than most people. Hopefully someone else will chime in. My Ultraflex with the ebonite feed does hard start sometimes if I am using a shimmer ink, but it flows well once it gets started. I either use a shim or place a drop of water on the feed to get the flow going.

[effrafax]

If you haven't already, you need to heat set the nib to the feed.  There is information on how to do this on FPR's web site.

 

[mhguda]

You say this is a CC pen? So, have you removed the converter, and flushed water through a little forcefully, with for example what's called an earbulb? It's a little gizmo that allows you to send water through the ink channel of your pen...

Also, there may indeed be some crud, or dried ink, or what have you, stuck between the tines. or fouling up the feed ink channel. If nothing else works, remove nib and feed, and scour the feed with a toothbrush or such to remove gunk from the ink channel. That usually gets the ink flowing again.

Also, see if that little ball in your converter isn't stuck in the converter mouth...

[pen tom]

Thanks mhguda.   Yes, I've flushed the feed with a bulb thing. I've used pen cleaner fluid twice, flushed it and flushed again.

 

The suggestion to heat set the feed is good. But this is a brand new pen. We buyers should not have to do this much to make a pen useable.

I'm sending it back to FPN. They said that they will check it out.