Fountain Pen Troubleshooting 101 - How To Get It Working Properly

[@juicylouisey]

Your first point made me laugh. When I was a student in my 40’s a fellow student decided to try a fountain pen. She complained it never worked even when new. I checked it. Tines, fine, general appearance clean and correct. I asked what ink cartridge she used and she looked puzzled. I thought she had taken it out and cleaned the pen for return but no, she didn’t realise she had to put ink in it.

[@Doodlebud]

I was with an IT who was helping me with a strange connection issue we were having. I was walking with him to go check something when he got an urgent call. Someone said they computer just broke and wouldn't turn on anymore. I went with him since it was on the way we were walking. He went in, looked at the power bar and notice it was turned off. The user bumped it with their foot. He flicked it on and we were on our way. As we continued walking he told me "you wouldn't believe how many times stuff like that happens and people think their computer just randomly broke all of the sudden." 😆

[@avaDesdemona]

​@@Doodlebudyep on the computers... I thought my keyboard was broken or something, I couldn't type but random commands were opened in word... Turns out when you pinch a nerve in your elbow, and your pinky and Ringfinger are numb, you can end up holding down the ctrl or alt key and not notice. Also, when I worked in the computer lab at uni umpteen years ago, I had to explain to a student that printing white text from a website will result in a white page, it will not print the black background. He had tried 20 times before asking.... Poor dude.

[@AntoineViau-00]

Man! You are so good at explaining and describing things! Love your work! Praise and « salutations » from Québec! 🇨🇦

[@Doodlebud]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@llchapman1234]

I just had the 'catridge wasn't pushed in far enough' on a new Jinhao 86. But I disassembled and reassembled everything and "click" I was in business. Your videos gave me the courage to fiddle with it, so thanks from a newbie 😊.

[@WesternRaven420]

Thank you. I'm newly into the hobby, and this video was extremely helpful.

[@Doodlebud]

Glad it was helpful

[@TheHardcoreDilettante]

When I first saw the thumbnail for this video, I thought you'd had that TWSBI Vac Iris nib modified to be a posting nib! I'd guess the nib wasn't seated fully after cleaning, and when you put the cap back on, the tip of the nib hit the end of the cap and bent as you screwed the cap down. That's the kind of damage that happens from that, typically. In your place, I'd see whether the nib wrote like a posting nib and keep it if it worked well, but I'm a little weird like that 😄 EDIT: never mind! I see you addressed this.

[@kirsawebb9517]

Something db didn't mention is slime in the bottle. I was new to fountain pens and had a Lamy safari that was always giving me grief, skipping and dry. Spent ages fiddling with the nib, pulling the feed apart, cleaning. Refilled with the same ink, still had problems. Eventually noticed the slime in the ink bottle. Dumped the ink and no problems since. I never knew SITB was a thing that existed.

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Hey DB! Probably one of the best videos you've ever put out. Please make these videos part of your regular production. Many of us just want to throw away a bad pen, lol. Maybe these videos will help keep some of them.

[@jatrophacathartica1889]

Early, I had a problem with my new Jinhao X159. Its nib slit was too tight. The ink did not easily flow and was a bit scratchy. After I watched your video, I gaped the nib with a sheet of paper, and suddenly, it worked. Now my Jinhao works perfectly; it is wet and smooth. Thank you so much.

[@Doodlebud]

Good stuff 👍 I have another video on how increase ink flow as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipjMeIige8R0a7M

[@13noman1]

Very nice overview! Coulda used this advice ~ 30 years ago and often "parked" pens in storage if they weren't working right. Then, I used a few nib smiths who did GREAT work and worth if for more expensive pens but pretty pricey for, say, a Safari. Finally, I got some cheap nibs and started experimenting with many of the items you suggest here and can almost always fix what bugs me (including baby's bottom!). I still use a nibmeister from time to time when I want a regrind but otherwise, I'm enjoying tweaking my nibs when needed! More than a few of those parked pens are now in rotation

[@slo_carry]

I think this is a very helpful video and would have been really nice when I started out. One thing I would add, is that I've had "sticky converters" before and I usually just do a light tap or two, nib down, with the cap on, on padded area before writing. It usually is enough to break the surface tension and get ink to the feed. Going in my newbie fountain pen playlist!

[@marilyngardner4269]

Agreed. I've usually removed the barrel by then to see what's up, so I just tap on the converter directly while holding the pen nib down. A finger flick works great.

[@nitina8564]

This is going to be really helpful for a lot of people, i am sure. Great video again.

[@KendallW]

Wow, tons of good details, very thorough. And a Beavis and Butthead quote Lol. Always top quality content, thank you.

[@Doodlebud]

Words of wisdom right there!

[@bahaven1896]

Very interesting, thanks for this! I never knew the converter could be the problem!

[@unknowncrash1]

Ink level related: sometimes you just gotta wait for the whole nib unit/feed to be well soaked with ink for it to write. My C4 Majohn/moonman's EF was scratchy when I first inked it up. I thought I received a dud considering newer moonmans have better qc. Went for a nap, and woke up to one of the smoothest and wet EFs I have.

[@jodyadams94]

Thank you! I have a fancy Cartier pen and couldn't figure out why it wasn't writing. You were right. I hadn't pushed the cartridge in firmly enough.

[@Doodlebud]

Sometimes it's just the easy things

[@technoraptor7778]

Amazingly my peter pen(same kind you have) is always inked with diamine purple pazzazz ..and months later still writes right off the bat...that gold shimmer is everywhere in the feed but..no problems at all! Really a fantastic pen.

[@Doodlebud]

Oh nice! Does the shimmer still come out with the ink or does it sorta stay behind in the feed

[@technoraptor7778]

Still perfect flow..shimmer comes out as normal.

[@technoraptor7778]

Definitely getting cleaned once the ink runs out though haha

[@majajamie]

Excellent video and thanks for the shout-out lol. Sticky converter syndrome -- some people actually dip a toothpick in dishwashing liquid and put it into a converter that's already filled with ink to help break the surface tension. One other source of ink flow problems are feed channels that are too narrow. I had that problem with the original modern Conklin Glider; I tried everything under the sun and in the end, what solved the problem was widening the feed channel (on the top of the feed) with a very sharp, thin blade.

[@Doodlebud]

Ahhhh yes I forgot to bring that up 👍

[@marilyngardner4269]

I did this on a Kaweco feed using an X-Acto knife. I just wanted the pen to write wetter. Kind risky, but I knew I could get a replacement nib if necessary.

[@majajamie]

​@@marilyngardner4269 I used the blade of the smallest Swiss Army knife (the blade was very thin + it was a new knife so it was very sharp). The important thing with any kind of nib/feed adjustment is to not go whole hog -- make a small adjustment, then check your work....if it it's not to your liking, make another small adjustment, then recheck your work.

[@TheNunakun]

I think you've singlehandedly save me from chucking 4 of pens. I use my pens rough when editing, and they're scratchy, poor ink flow etc. and will use your tips to try to fix em. They're entry level like Lamy, so they're good enough for now. I hope I don't fall too deep in the rabbit hole, but thank you very much haha.

[@TONY19021965]

Great job, Dude! Thank you so much for this video 📹. I especially appreciated the advice about the mesh-pads. It was absolutely spot-on. Best regards.

[@peterharris5387]

I learned the same lesson the hard way when I failed to screw in the nib unit fully into my Karas Kustoms Ink. When I screwed the cap back on it made an awful crunch ... the nib was bent into a right angle. I might dig it out its grave and see if I can follow your video and turn it back into a nib again

[@Doodlebud]

Sounds very shumshy shumshy!

[@marilyngardner4269]

Great video overview! I made the same mistake once and didn't put a nib back in fully. Capped the pen and bent the nib. The good thing is that it only takes one time to learn that painful lesson! Some other techniques I use to get a pen writing if it's dried out a bit and won't write but has ink in it: either dip the nib in water, or prime the feed with ink by turning the converter knob a little if it's a cartridge/converter pen. (If using a cartridge, giving it a little squeeze may also work, although I find that hit or miss. Some cartridge walls have no give -- probably a good thing.)

[@paulherman5822]

Yes to everything. I am currently working on a simple one, a Parker 45 single pen desk set. Original Eversharp/Parker permanent black cartridge almost welded in place. Fortunately Parker Quink is easy to clean out. In fact, some vintage (with Solv-X) Quink will help clean most dry inks out of a pen.

[@archivist17]

I just found a bunch of old (70s/80s) fountain pens in my dad's study. Nothing particularly amazing, but worth having a go at cleaning them and getting back into service. Fortunately, none gummed up, but three cartridges had just ink powder in them! Hope you get your 45 back to full health. My first 'vintage' pen was a 45 Flighter, and I love the design.

[@paulherman5822]

@@archivist17 It's going to be a gift. Pen directly from Parker's hometown of Janesville Wisconsin, base from West Virginia, converter from Amazon. 😁 Total: cheaper than restored online from a reputable vendor by one third. Had a flighter 45 from the 1960s get stolen so I found another from the 1960s on eBay for cheap. On its way from India. 😉

[@habibulkhaliq4210]

Same like me

[@richardsimms251]

Great video as usual Thanks again RS Canada

[@ilikepens]

Very thorough my dude!

[@archivist17]

Nice methodical approach, DB! It's all too easy to jump straight to a solution that's worked before on a different pen, rather than work through logically.

[@Doodlebud]

Always check the basics first. A buddy of mine had his truck conk out on the side of the highway and gave me a call since I wasn't far away. He started talking about blowing a valve or maybe "he chucked a rod" LOL I swear he just heard that term somewhere and wanted to sound cool LOL. A few questions later I found out he just did "a service " on his truck. Said service involved him changing the rotor. Said buddy was also a big guy and had a tendency to really wrench on things. Immediately checked the rotor since I had a feeling he over torqued the set screw and.... rotor was smashed to bits. Got a new one and showed him how to properly tighten a screw.

[@archivist17]

@@Doodlebud Cheaper than stripping down a whole engine only to find nothing...

[@remyvegamedia]

I need to get a loupe to see for sure, but I'm fairly sure both of my Jinhaos (9016 M and 82 F) have a significant baby's bottom just from looking at it with the naked eye. I only spent $4 on each, so I think it's a perfect thing to try fixing myself without having to worry.

[@Javi_C]

Going to help me down the road, thanks Doodlebud.

[@Johan-vk5yd]

19:12 Making the nib flat enough, to get the capillary forces working again usually is the first step for me. I feel as if that guides me to the minimum amount of material needed to be removed. Restoring the rounded shape as a second step also provides an opportunity to add a little personal character to the nib, or not. Just my experience.

[@eggbunni]

Lol saw you post this on Reddit. Happy to see this video!

[@Doodlebud]

Figured the nib would make a good thumbnail for the vid. Nothing like a little surprise when you making a video

[@cynthiaalvarado8610]

Pretty good summary of everything you need to troubleshoot a picky pen. When all else fails, chuck it in the bin! Sorry to see what happened to your Iris Vac!! I’ve had that happen before. Cheers!

[@theProf_01]

I like your approach to reviewing. This was informative and helpful. Thanks!👍

[@christinearmington]

Have not used your links yet, but will do - as soon as I’m recovered from my initial binge. 🤦‍♀️

[@nordsterngsd]

Great teaching video. Thanks🙏

[@Johan-vk5yd]

Nice lesson!

[@themisterchristie]

Very informative video as usual. For checking the gap of the tines I use an old 0.001" shim I got from work. Has helped in some cases here with my fine and extra fine nibs.

[@r.j.lombardi111]

Thank you very much. I use fountain pens eveyday and I had aboken one.

[@salvatoreIII]

Thanks for the tips

[@Marvin-yk4lp]

Thanks for the video, just what I needed. Though to my surprise, my ridiculously cheap Chinese pen don't really need tuning (need this guide for my next level pens 😂)

[@Volkmannx]

Helpful, thanks!

[@victoriaevelyn3953]

I dont own any sheen monster inks I'm a bit anxious to try one in my pens but I'd love to get into them the highest sheener I have is diamine imperial purple

[@Doodlebud]

They are fun the play with but can be messy. I did a video comparing some sheening inks if you want to see: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2OogqSom7WFa6s

[@JuanChT]

Thanks for the video! I have the same problem with de Pilot FA nib. I already bought the custom feed from Flexible Nib Factory but it is in transit. If a company sells a product for the internacional market, it should be properly made for the consumer of that market unless otherwise dully informed before purchase. Greatings from Peru!

[@Doodlebud]

Hope the feed swap fixes it right up for you

[@xllvr]

As someone who uses my Pilot FA nib to write almost exclusively in Japanese and Korean, I can attest that it is not indeed a Western thing; they just make bad feeds

[@Quinkerbell_3604]

I am mesmerized by the Esterbrook and the pen nestled next to it. What pens are those? Such a useful video. Thank you!

[@Doodlebud]

That would be the Ensso Piuma in the primary manipulation 4 resin. Video below. Also, I have a discount code to save you at Ensso or esterbrook. Use the code doodlebud at Ensso to save 20% and doodlebud10 saves 10% at esterbrook kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYnWlWSlYtmLfLs

[@getmartincarter]

I love the DB channel . Doodle bud however has a personality fault common with engineers. he takes apart pens which work perfectly well. This disassembly has an amusing side in that faults that previously didn’t exist appear as with the TWSBI Vac700 Iris . Those of us who are non engineers spend our lives suffering in silence as our pens work perfectly well while their internal bits remain a mystery

[@TomReinerDE]

Am I also „wicked cool“ if I have *already* subscribed? 😂

[@Doodlebud]

Totes magotes!

[@geckonia]

I had an issue once with a feed where the slit was obstructed and I had to clear it out with a razor blade. I always check that now too.

[@ironmic9244]

Will the eagle beak nib on the TWSBI write? Curious to see what the outcome looks like. Can you do a writing sample before the repair at all? Okay nevermind. See this is why you wait until the video is done before commenting.

[@korax67]

I think now you have a TWSBI VAC 700R with a nib !!!

[@Doodlebud]

Maybe I can sell it for $300 with this "one of a kind" nib!

[@korax67]

@@Doodlebud by the way I am waiting anxiously for the repair video since I have the same problem with my Montblanc 22 .... :-(

[@Doodlebud]

OH MY! Poor Monty!

[@garyconway439]

I have. Bran new Pelikan M1000 Fine. The pen writes super well for about 5 minutes then runs dry. Working the piston doesn’t seem to help, the back end of the feed appears well saturated, but the nib slit is dry. The slit width is fine at just under 2 thousandths of an inch, and the it appears clear under magnification that the tips touch. I believe that are not supposed to touch, but I don’t think this is the problem, as with normal writing and normal flexing the tines definitely separate. Also, under close inspection I can see that the properly spaced tine slit is what runs dry. This all suggests to me that there is a problem with the feed where the ink enters the slit. I see that the tine slit is aligned with the slit if the feed. And I did do a wash in plain water in an ultrasonic cleaner. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. I could next look to see if it is possible dismantle the nib, but the eBay seller says he will check/fix the nib for me. So I will do this … I see you talk about this at the 9 minute mark 😅

[@leopoldoabattifernandez2443]

Excelente video, muy profesional, yo tengo una pequeña colección de plumas, y las uso para dibujar por su diversa variedad de trazos, desde fino a relativamente grueso (NIB F) pero tengo un pequeño problema al dibujar con la pluma estilografica, y es que a veces me gusta "voltearla" para dibujar con el punto del revés, y obtener eventualmente un trazo aun mas fino, pero la tinta termina por no fluir, utilizando a pluma de esa manera y a menudo tengo que humedecer la punta, para recuperar un flujo constante, ¿podria hacerle algun tipo de ajuste a la punta, para escribir o dibujar en momentos eventuales con la pluma invertida? uso tinta indeleble negra, pero soy muy cuidadoso con la limpieza de mis plumas. gracias.

[@michaels3429]

Ooophf... Been there

[@paulmchugh1430]

Excellent overview on the problems that may occur with your pen. I have a Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and it writes great and then the pen begins to starve the flow. Now it is a piston filler. If it was a vacuum filler I would understand but not with a piston filler. Any suggestions?

[@Doodlebud]

Did you run though all the things I listed in the video one-by-one already?

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@Doodlebud I pulled everything apart, cleaned all parts, added grease to the piston. When I minutely move the piston, the ink flows nicely. Very strange to me, since it not a vacuum filler.

[@Doodlebud]

Is it a new pen? Did you contact the seller you bought it from? I would check to ensure the nib and feed are tight together, then I would next check the tine gap to make sure its not too tight. It could be borderline too tight. Works for a bit then eventually inhibits ink flow. Or a mini baby booty going on

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@Doodlebud it is a new pen. I decided to redo all the cleaning again. I looked to see if there was any debris in the filling chamber after I greased the piston (I couldn't even move the piston when I first got the pen.). Then I pulled the nib and feed and carefully re-seated it in the section. It seems to be working. I wrote a sheet of a5 paper. There was no starving of the feed. So, I am letting this sit for a few days to see if there is any drying if the ink.

[@brendanr1525]

2:59 I think maybe some of those inks should only be used with dip pens.

[@Doodlebud]

They are designed to be used with fountain pens, there are other ones specifically for dip pens as well. But they still do end up clogging pens if left for some time and new users may not be aware of that.

[@brucefichelson9117]

I took the barrel off the nib section of my MB 1266 and now it won't screw all the way back in. Tried silicone oil. Tried immersing the nib section in hot water. Nothing works. It screws in leaving a space of 2mm. Any ideas?

[@riservaditempo]

Nice love these videos! I have a Montegrappa Nero Uno that isn't as good as it should be, been trying some of these fixes and it seems slightly better. Haven't removed the nib because I am unsure how. I think they are press fit right? Anyways thanks for all the guides! Is there a good place to repair or tune a nib in Canada?

[@Doodlebud]

Im not too familiar of places that do nib work in Canada which is why I decided to figure it out for myself.

[@melsandock]

You seem skilled with ink quills! I dream of a Jinhao X159 (similar to the Montblanc 149) because I want to use it to sign my books at my book readings. BUT: it has a #8 nib in fine and I want a wider one, M or B. Do you know where to buy a #8 nib? That would be awesome, right? Regards from Roland, germany

[@Doodlebud]

Other places do sell #8 nibs but they fetch a fairly high price.

[@zathrasnotzathras9435]

I need to find a way to dry out my Nahvalur fine nib. It’s too wet for my taste

[@basta.dotto_]

I thought you had intentionally modified your TWSBI VAC nib into a Posting or Concord nib, and was hoping you were going to show us how you did it! Oops! 😲

[@sunnycharacter]

I got a STAEDTLER® 899 Calligraphy pen set from a local retailer. Out of the box, tried all the different nibs, hard start no matter what I do. I have to prime each nib, then it stops. Any ideas?

[@Doodlebud]

I'm assuming you went through all the steps I laid out in the video. Since you're having this issue with every single nib, I would be very surprised if all the nibs have issues. So to me it sounds like the ink delivery. Are you using a cartridge or a bottled ink with a converter? If its the included cartridges make sure they are fit all the way in so they are supplying the feed properly. If its bottled ink, I would check to see what type of ink you are using. Its is a very dry ink, old ink, fountain pen friendly ink etc.

[@sunnycharacter]

@@Doodlebud Thank you so much. Yes sir, I did. I tried both the included cartridges, and the converter. I tried it with all the nib, for each ink type, and the ink I used in the converter is Diamine Oxblood. I tried flushing but that didn’t help. I’ll look closer at the nibs and assembly. I wrote them, but I think they’re ghosting me! Lol Oh well, it wasn’t expensive.

[@bbrachman]

You suggested replacing the feed with an ebonite one. (your last topic) You mentioned you had the replacement (where to get one) on your website. I looked all over (in About) and could not find your website. Can you list it in the 'Show More' notes in the future? Please?

[@Doodlebud]

Here's the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5fKaHlprpuXp8k

[@90Sketcher]

I used Kuretake manga ink in my preppy fountain pen and now I can see the feed is filled with ink but it never flows into the nib. Any solutions? I tried flushing with normal room temp water

[@90Sketcher]

P.S: my pen also fell on its tip and got bent so I had to "un-hood" it. It's as straight as I could make it.😮‍💨

[@Doodlebud]

The whole dropping the pen on the nib is most likely the culprit. Just getting the tines sort of unbent isn't enough. There any several things that have to be perfectly aligned and fit together to have a pen flow properly.

[@Mrpr0071]

Hopefully someone sees this comment after eight months of the video... My problem was as I put the nib on paper it started letting too much ink out drops of ink instead of a line. I checked for tightness or loosen parts, flushed, disassembled and even changed inks. Nothing could ever make the pen work. Any suggestions on how to fix that? Thanks in advance!

[@Doodlebud]

Sounds like the air/ink exchange isnt being properly regulated. The air exchange sounds like its too high and letting the ink out too quickly. Ensure the nib & feed are properly seated first. Also depends on what filling mechanism you have. Could have an issue with the fitment of the converter, or bad seals on a piston/vac system.

[@Mrpr0071]

@@Doodlebud I'll check your suggestions and hopefully fix the problem. If not, the pen would simply become a collection item :-) it's a nicely done wood/bronce combo pen. Thank you!

[@vicentesuarez357]

Another conditions to be aware are ink leaks. This can happen when you uncap / cap the nib, or when you are writing and drops of ink out of the nib/feed or when the ink reservoir is full or almost empty. How to deal with these?

[@Doodlebud]

I would run through the things I mentioned. Especially the fitment of the nib and feed together and within he housing and the housing into the pen. I once had a housing with a tiny crack that caused leaking

[@santauxia]

Don't forget to patent the new Reverse Fude Nib.

[@Doodlebud]

My patented nib smashing technique

[@warblerab2955]

@22:00 anyone know where this video is that he refers to here?

[@Doodlebud]

Video is still TDB. But it is in progress

[@warblerab2955]

@@Doodlebud dumb question: TDB?

[@Doodlebud]

@@warblerab2955 doodlebud with a typo... TBD" to be done "

[@warblerab2955]

@@Doodlebud okay, thanks. Hope you do the video. :)

[@mango9087]

By the way, you are the AvE of fountain pens

[@Doodlebud]

LOL thanks, I get an AvE reference almost daily. I never knew about AvE until someone mentioned I sounded just like him. Checked out his tool vids and was like "this is my kinda guy!"

[@KL005]

BOOM second :(

[@Anonymus-ih7yb]

I’ll have to admit, this is probably the most useless Rabbit hole I’ve gone down, at least for my personal life. Since I’m left handed and write form left to right I would need a very fast drying ink, otherwise my hand and the page are blue.

[@Doodlebud]

Noodlers Bernanke Blue is a fast drying ink. It does feather on poor paper however

[@Anonymus-ih7yb]

@@Doodlebud Well the only time I still write by hand is in school and I’m definitely not going to waste money on paper I’ll never look at again. I’m gonna stick to a free ballpoint pen on almost free paper, but if I’ll develop a serious interest in handwriting I know which ink to get

[@seano51]

You really do sound like AVE.

[@Doodlebud]

Yeah I hear that fairly often LOL

[@johndelahunt8581]

I'm not sure if someone else has already asked this.... are you AvE?

[@johndelahunt8581]

Or related to AvE?

[@Doodlebud]

Oh I get asked almost daily LOL - No relation

[@johndelahunt8581]

@@Doodlebud great channel, I love the practical approach to pen appreciation. Keep up the fine work

[@matthewgwinn6076]

Cap-I-LAR-e

[@Doodlebud]

Toe-MA-toe. People can say words a little differently around the world, even within thr same country, if you haven't noticed

[@matthewgwinn6076]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2LcZpt8jbWUrdksi=3lIKVvrOji3tP_Tn@@Doodlebud

[@etm567]

And you are wrong about capillary. It was the way you first pronounced it. CAP-ill-arey.

[@etm567]

Come on! Another type of ink that will do that IS, not ARE! Why on earth would you say a type of ink are? Predicates agree with subjects, not objects. Please review your basic, most basic English grammar, which apparently they stopped teaching after I finished school, because nobody your age seems to know how to construct a sentence.

[@fattydada]

The Chinese ink is actually made by Tramol(iirc)

[@__mader__]

6:05 please @Doodlebud can you add a link to the repair video?

[@Doodlebud]

I haven't gotten around to that particular repair yet

[@meshzzizk]

Mannn I would not put Chinese inks in expensive pens