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ChrisC
June 14th, 2013, 12:32 AM
Unfortunately, the pen is a little dry. It's an F nib, but is this normal? On one hand, I prefer writing with my $20 old Sheaffer Feathertouch, mostly because of the wetness of that Sheaffer nib + feed. On the other hand, the 254 very nicely shows the true color of MB Midnight Blue, unlike my wetter Esterbrook and Sheaffer which show it as almost completely black. Can any other 254 users comment on the flow of the pen?

Also, I heard the vintage MB's, and the 'wing nibs' especially were supposed to be quite flexy. This one is just springy. It is definitely a semi-flex at best, and that takes some effort. Was I just mistaken?

piscov
June 14th, 2013, 01:25 AM
The flow can be easily adjusted and the pen will become wetter.

That pen still uses a ebonite feed so you can adjust it. That will take some skill and experience from you but it's something you can do. There are 4 factor that contribute to the flow:

1- capilarity. The space between nib and feed can be adjusted to provide more or less flow

2- gap between nib tines. To little can produce less or no flow to much can produce to much or also no flow. ...

3- distance between tip of the nib and tip of the feed can also influence flow and even flex in less extents.

4- cleanliness of feed channels. If they are obstructed with any remains of dry ink or any other dirt the flow is affected. Start here!



As to flex there is nothing you can do except swap the nib. ...
But flex is a very subjective thing. ... It depends on the user taste and and past experiences. It's very hard to categorize and have everybody agreeing on it.....

I'm on vacation and doing this over my phone. In some days if you need and still haven't found a manual that teaches you how to adjust the flow I can make a new thread with some pictures and step by step instructions.

BR

Vasco

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

CS388
June 14th, 2013, 01:50 AM
I had a 254 which had a good flow, although it was a BB. F nibs and feeds will lay down less ink.

The wing nib was one of the best writers I owned, but I would have termed it 'smooth' rather than flexy.

Agree with piscov. Try cleaning and flushing before any dismantling and adjustment - but the bottom line is that these nibs are excellent writers (when set up properly) and well worth the effort.

Good luck.

jar
June 14th, 2013, 06:19 AM
The 254 is usually a wet writer.

Before doing much more I'd suggest the following.

Wait at least 24 hours to make sure the feed is fully saturated. If there is no difference, try a series of flushes to remove dried ink. It's likely that ink has been drying in your pen for a half century or so. Patience is your friend. Fill your pen with water that has a couple drops of detergent added. Let sit for an hour or so, empty and repeat until no more ink is seen. Then fill with your ink of choice and test again.

ChrisC
June 14th, 2013, 11:22 AM
It is now sitting in a Pelikan bottle full of water + Ajax dish soap. It is also filled with the solution. (mixture?)
Hopefully it comes out even better than before. I'll leave it in there for about an hour.

jar
June 14th, 2013, 12:49 PM
It is now sitting in a Pelikan bottle full of water + Ajax dish soap. It is also filled with the solution. (mixture?)
Hopefully it comes out even better than before. I'll leave it in there for about an hour.

Remember, "patience is your friend" and "repeat as needed". If the ink has been drying for 50 years it may take a day or three to get it dissolved.

AbE: Also, use detergent NOT soap. Soap will just make things worse.

ChrisC
June 14th, 2013, 01:33 PM
This is what I'm using. Is it okay?
http://www.99only.com/files/617732.jpg

jar
June 14th, 2013, 01:37 PM
This is what I'm using. Is it okay?
http://www.99only.com/files/617732.jpg

Looks to be a detergent. Should do fine.

tandaina
June 14th, 2013, 01:49 PM
Yes, patience.

When you do ink it, use a light colored ink. Why? Because I often find with these old guys that after sitting for a day my light colored ink has mysteriously gotten dark and icky looking. The ink has disolved MORE ink dried inside the pen. This clues me in that even more cleaning is needed. (And this can happen even after it seems to flush clear.)

ChrisC
June 14th, 2013, 02:05 PM
The lightest ink I have is MB Irish Green. I will be getting a PR Tanzanite in the mail soon, so that may be better. I've also heard its like laxative for pens. Could be just what this dry-ish pen needs.