Hard Starting Kaweco

[Cookies]

I recently caved on a Kaweco Skyline in the Mint color (because of course I need another Sport) and am having a bit of trouble with the nib. It writes beautifully after a second, but every time I touch it to paper it gives me a hard start. Even if it's lifted quickly to cross a T it doesn't start flowing until mid-way through the stroke.
Fontoplumo suggested pressing gently in case the tines were too close together, but that didn't seem to help. Looking at it through a loupe they seem to be spaced well at any rate. And I did flush it throughly. Any ideas?
http://i57.tinypic.com/vfdueh.jpg

[Saeulf]

Hmm... no replies yet, huh?

I just received a Skyline in grey in the mail and it exhibits a bit of hard starting when I let the pen rest for a few seconds (and also occasionally at random). Have you worked through the issue with yours yet?

I litterally just got mine an hour ago and did not flush it since I'm at work. I popped the included cartridge into it and it writes smoothly besides the starting issue; perhaps it will just need a bit of breaking in and a good flushing.

[lowjax]

I had the same issue with my Metro and flushed it and it helped, but didn't totally fix it. It's sitting on the shelf waiting for me to get back to it to see if I can figure it out. If flushing doesn't work, which it appears that it didn't, maybe try another ink?

[mrcharlie]

I recently bought an Ice Sport, and the nib "skips" only at the beginnings of words; direction of stroke is irrelevant. Very similar to what you show in your photo. I sent it back in exchange and the replacement is the same way. With both pens it happens or happened both with initial inking and after a good flushing of the feed, and using the Kaweco Royal Blue cartridge that came with the pen. Both have decent, even nice, flow and line quality when the ink is flowing. The nib feels great on the paper in fact; I'd love this pen if it wasn't skipping.

The retailer has been quite nice about dealing with it, but I can tell they aren't completely convinced it is the pen and not me after the second one acts the same way as the first. I admit I start to doubt myself too despite having dozens and dozens of pens I can write with that don't skip like this.

[Jon Szanto]

A friend came to me a couple weeks ago with a Sport we gave her that we picked up at a show. She was having a devil of a time, mostly with cross-strokes (horizontal) not putting *any* ink down, and hard starts on most anything else.

Took me forever to get the nib/feed pulled and a lot of work to get it. The nibs seem *really* hard and stiff, and I had to work a lot to widen the tines a bit and smooth the front edge a bit (it was a custom stubbed nib, so it may not have been all Kaweco's fault). I almost gave up, but finally got it.

BTW: do the sections always match - in color - the rest of the pen? I ask because this is a light purple / lavender pen, but the section is silver. I wouldn't care about that at all, but the leading edge (front) of the section is actually binding when you put the cap on - if you push the cap far enough to engage the barrel threads, when you unscrew the cap it grips the section and unscrews THAT, leaving the section and nib up inside the cap. I sense a swapped section, are the "Calligraphy" pens a different beast, or just a different nib?

[tandaina]

Hmm, all the Kaweco I have seen he section and body match in color.

[elaineb]

Possible "baby-bottom" problem on the tipping? (i.e. the inside surfaces of the slit at the nib were polished too much, and create an indentation in the smooth ball shape of the tipping. The indentation prevents the ink from touching the paper when you put the nib down to write.) My first Kaweco, a medium, had this problem and I almost tossed it into the trash I was so frustrated. Last year, I ground it down to an extra-fine and in doing so, removed the baby-bottom indentation as part of the reshaping. It writes perfectly now

Check on the net for photos of "baby bottom" nib problems, and then look at yours under magnification. If you see a problem, it's a valid reason to return the pen for exchange. It's a QC issue in manufacturing, not user error. Flushing nor pressing the tines apart slightly won't fix it.

[Lady Onogaro]

Here's the link that helped me with my Sailor pen a week ago. Maybe it will help you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig5cTFv4lXo

[Saeulf]

My Skyline started skipping even worse today! Out of frustration I pulled the nib and feed out, washed them in a bit of detergent, put them back, and now my pen writes beautifully (if a bit wet, but I think there's still some water/soap residue that'll work its way out).

I wasn't sure if the nib/feed could be removed, but a bit of rotation and a strong tug got it out.

[Susan3141]

I have a Kaweco Skyline with a broad nib that is simply awful. It's like writing on dried glue. I also have a Kaweco student with a fine nib that writes the same way. They are horrible nibs. I have an older Kaweco Sport with an EF nib that writes beautifully. I've given up on Kaweco. Both the newer ones write horribly despite flushing, attempting to use brass floss, trying to smooth with micro mesh. Nothing works. Maybe I will try pulling the nibs out. But these pens, IMHO aren't worth the money.

[Giovanni Abrate]

Before you do anything to your nib, please read this article:

http://www.newpentrace.net/articleGA04.html

[Cookies]

Sorry, I forgot I had started this thread! I did figure it out. It was indeed baby's bottom which apparently is a common problem with Kaweco nibs. I polished it for a bit and it now writes quite well. Even when I leave it sitting unused for a few days.

Kaweco pens are so well priced that I honestly don't mind having to tweak them a bit. If they keep coming out with cute Skyline colors I'll probably be back for another :)