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FOUNTAIN PEN NIBS AND PARTS
A lot of customers have questions about fountain pens, so I have
written this short guide to address common concerns regarding these
pens. First, it should be noted that fountain pens not only have
different parts then ballpoint pens, but that they require extra
care and maintenance. Some examples are:
The pen must be capped when not in use to prevent drying The tip
should be cleaned after use. A simple wipe cloth will work. Avoid
storing the pen on its side or with the point down. Storing upright
will help keep excess
ink from remaining in the nib and drying. For long term storage
the ink cartridge should be removed from the pen. If the pen is not
used
regularly I recommend using a refillable pump reservoir rather
than a cartridge to avoid wasting ink. Instructions for using an
ink reservoir can be found at the end of this article.
The nib should be flushed regularly. A monthly flush will be
sufficient. Flushing is accomplished by soaking the nib in water.
Use distilled water because it doesn’t contain mineralsthat can
deposit in the nib. Let the ink leech into the water, empty and
refill. Repeat until the water remains clear. This can also be done
to remove dried ink.
Please note that fountain pens do not function like ball point
pens. They require very little pressure whenwriting. It is very
easy for a person unused to fountain pens to damage the tip when
writing--expecting to have to press the ink off of the tip.
Fountain pens are meant to glide along the paper.
Writing will become smoother as the person writes more often
with a fountain pen. The tip will polish adaptively in a way that
works with a person’s individual writing style.
Nib Size
Most PSI pen kits come with a medium tip, butsome customers
prefer a finer line, or even alarger one. To replace the nib, you
need tounderstand some of the terminology in order toknow what to
purchase. First of all, not all nibsare the same size. The size of
the nib hasnothing to do with the size of the tip.
PSI sells fountain pens that come with either#6 or #5 feed. To
the right are examples ofeach. The Majestic pen comes with a #6,
theClassic comes with a #5. As can be seen theyare quite different
in size and are notinterchangeable.
Note that a fountain pen nib is different than adipping nib,
they are not necessarilyinterchangeable.
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Nib Anatomy and Terminology
As can be seen above, a tiny nib has many different parts. The
function is as follows:
Base- This holds the nib in the pen. The size when changing the
nib is very much about the base.Shoulder- this determines how large
of a hole there must be in the cap in order to fit the nib into
it.Slit- This is where the ink flows. The wider the gap, the faster
the ink will flow. If the gap is too narrow,the ink will not flow
smoothly; too wide and the ink will flow too fast. If it is clogged
with dried ink, thepen will not work. Altering the gap is a skill
that can be developed using technique and specialized
tools.Tine-The tines accept pressure and act as a conduit from the
pen to the paper. Misaligned tines can lead to many ink flow
problems. The tines are delicate and misalignment can result from
such events as dropping, sharp tapping, and heavy writing
pressure.Tip-The tip is a separate piece permanently attached to
the nib. It is usually a different metal than the rest of the pen.
“Iridium” has become a blanket term for the type of metal—meaning
non-corrosive and smooth-gliding. True Iridium has not been used in
pen nibs for over 80 years. The tip can have several shapes and
angles in addition to different sizes. All shapes, sizes, and
angles affect how the pen writes and some fountain pen users have
very clear preferences based on their writing styles.
Removing and Disassembling the Fountain Nib
The nib rests on top of the siphonfeed and both are inside a
holderwhich is screwed into a moredecorative outer shell. The
pictureto the right is of the Classic nibwith the holder removed
from theouter shell.
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The feed and nib can be removedfrom the inner holder by
gentlypulling. The holder and feed havematching profiles, so there
is noquestion about how to line them upcorrectly when
re-assembling.
The Feed has an angled profile. The nib rests on top of the
longer side of this. Notice that the feed has a groove in the top.
This is for ink flow. The nib should be aligned with this groove on
the feed. Re-assembly is very easy. The nib and feed are pressed
into the holder and the holder is screwed back into the outer
shell.
Once it is out of the holderyou can measure the size of the feed
(see left). The total diameter will tell you the size of the nib
and helpin choosing a replacement.As you can see in the picture,
the #5 has a feed with a 5mm diameter, and the #6 is almost
6mm.
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Finding Different Nibs
At this point you should know enough about nib terminology to be
able to select replacement nibs that will fit your pen. I have
searched and found some websites that sell nibs for reasonable
prices.
http://www.xfountainpens.com/Accessories-s/32.htm
http://www.classicnib.com/index.php/bock-nibs2/bock
There can be slight differences in the curvature of the feed and
nib, so it may not be a 100% match. The better the match, the
better the nib will function. There are tools available for
fountain pen restoration that can bend the nibs to more closely
match the feed if you wish to get into it, but it is outside the
scopeof this guide to go over their use.
Fountain Pen Ink
Fountain pen cartridges are an easy way to refill ink in a
fountain pen. They are attached by pressing the cartridge nipple
onto the feed in the back of the nib assembly (see below).
Take note of the plastic stopper ball in the nipple of the
cartridge. Once the cartridge is pressed in, that ball will be
pushed into the cartridge and there will no longer be a seal on the
ink. If the cartridge is not used, the ink will eventually dry
out.
http://www.classicnib.com/index.php/bock-nibs2/bockhttp://www.xfountainpens.com/Accessories-s/32.htm
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The Ink Reservoir
Instead of the cartridge, you can also use a reservoir pump
which can be refilled. The reservoir looks similar to the cartridge
including the nipple and is attached the same way. How the
reservoir differs is that at its back is a screw activated
plunger.
To use the reservoir, advance the plunger all the way forward
and dip the tip into an inkwell filled with fountain pen ink.
Retract the plunger and the ink will be sucked up into the
reservoir. Then simply wipe the tip and it is ready to use.
Fountain pen ink can be found at stationary stores. Please note
that fountain pen ink is not the same as art ink that is used for
dipping quill pens. You should never use ink that is not labeled as
fountain pen ink because some inks contain acids that will eat away
at the tip and ruin it.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting fountain pen problems is a very extensive topic.
It ranges from making sure the nib is clean to re-aligning the
tines and even altering the grind at the tip. Of course there is a
point when an expert should be called in. Some techniques require a
lot of practice and skill.
An excellent guide regarding common issues and solutions as well
as when to seek a professional can befound online at
http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/troubleshooting.html. This is
a very helpful guidefor determining whether a nib is malfunctioning
or just needs a little TLC to get back into working order
http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/troubleshooting.html