It works and then it doesn't.... flex trouble

[amk]

I've started working on 'modern' calligraphy using a zebra G in a Daedalus.

Sometimes it works beautifully.

Other times there just isn't any ink flow.

It's not railroading, just no ink at all, although there is enough ink in the pen to blot if I give it a shake! When it stops, it won't do the hairlines either.

Is this just my bad pen holding, or are there any nib / feed tweaks I should know about?

(Waterman Florida Blue)

[mizgeorge]

I find the Zebra G works better with slightlyl 'thicker' inks, but if you're getting total ink starvation, it sounds like there's more of a problem than that. It could be the fit between nib and feed. Have you heat set it? And without wanting to state the obvious, have you prepped the nib? (heat or alcohol or potato) and given the feed a really good scrub out?

I don't have a Daedalus (I wish I did!), but I've used Zebra G's in a number of other pens, with pretty decent results. Bit too much faff for every day (I find I want to remove the nib in between uses to try to give it a bit more lifespan), but still preferable (for me) to having open bottles of ink on my desk, which is just asking for trouble as I'm ridiculously clumsy!

[amk]

Thanks for the suggestions.

The nib was prepped, but maybe I will take a look at the nib/feed fit and try a different ink once I've got through the Waterman. It was behaving a *bit* better late last night but still, you don't want your pen to suddenly decide to starve you of ink when you're in the middle of a nice big swash capital, do you? :-)

[mizgeorge]

I feel your pain! It happens with dipped pens too, of course, and is sometimes just a case of needing to slow down even more than you think you need to. You might need to tinker with the feed a bit - sometimes deepening the channel, or even adding an extra one, can be the answer.

The most irritating bit is when it happens just at the end of a piece you're really pleased with!

[amk]

>>>>The most irritating bit is when it happens just at the end of a piece you're really pleased with!

Yup. I know that feeling!

[Yazeh]

Lucky you. That's one of my dream pens :)
I tend to agree with mizgeorge. I've had several Jinhao, Zebra G... and they tend to like thicker inks.
In my experience many nibs dislike watery inks. Even inks meant for dip pens. Brause Rose and Pumpkin are an example.
I recently was using Noodler's Polar Black (not with a dip pen though) It had the consistency of a sumi ink...

[amk]

Can I use a drawing ink in a Daedalus? I know you wouldn't in any other fountain pen...

[Yazeh]

Can I use a drawing ink in a Daedalus? I know you wouldn't in any other fountain pen...

No. (https://www.desideratapens.com/faq#17) If you want drawing ink you need to get Ackerman pens (https://ackermanpens.com) or the more stylish Indigraph. (https://indigraph.myshopify.com).
Indigraph is basically a fountain pen, with which you can use, India ink, but there's no flex.
With Ackerman you can use almost any ink. And they have bigger choice of dip pen nibs and other gadgets to play with the flow of the ink. (overfeed and ink pump)
Note: I haven't use any of these.

[amk]

Thank you Yaze. I'd missed that.

OK, I will use one of the inks my Platinum 3776s don't like, and that should work, I hope!