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Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Hi All, I just bought some Waterman Serenity Blue ink and it looks fantastic, except in a PenBBS 308 which I also got around the same time. The pen was used and the prior owner didn't complain about any issues. I got it for free as part of a bundled deal (the other pens sold in the bundle work perfectly, so I presume no wrongdoing by the seller in any way).
The ink in my TWSBI look very dark and strong. The PenBBS look faint on some strokes, especially the top of the Bs and S. I understand it could look slightly faint as it's a fine point, but it's inconsistent. I've snapped some photos of the nib below. Any thoughts on what it could be? I cleaned it twice and let it dry overnight both times. I also used it rather heavily this week to ensure there wasn't water stuck in there or something else. Would appreciate any insight. Otherwise I may give this one to the kids.
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Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
It looks like it may need a good cleaning based on the look of the clogged fins in the feed. Empty the ink and let it soak in water with some dish soap. If you are comfortable pulling the nib and feed, I would do that and clean the feed with a toothbrush.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KrazyIvan
It looks like it may need a good cleaning based on the look of the clogged fins in the feed. Empty the ink and let it soak in water with some dish soap. If you are comfortable pulling the nib and feed, I would do that and clean the feed with a toothbrush.
Will do, thanks! Would you happen to know if the nib disassembles fully? I am able to unscrew the nib section off, but not the nib itself from the section.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
It should be noted that PenBBS pens are dry writers, so I would expect this difference in writing behaviour. Probably good for those modern over-saturated inks that are so popular and yet so often incontinent. Also I'd advise not to try pulling the PenBBS nib and feed unless you have a spare feed on hand, as they tend to be very firmly held in their nib unit and even the experienced will find the fins of the feed bending before the nib considers budging even a little bit.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Is that ink clogging the feed, or possibly a manufacturing error?
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Quote:
Originally Posted by
grainweevil
It should be noted that PenBBS pens are dry writers, so I would expect this difference in writing behaviour. Probably good for those modern over-saturated inks that are so popular and yet so often incontinent. Also I'd advise not to try pulling the PenBBS nib and feed unless you have a spare feed on hand, as they tend to be very firmly held in their nib unit and even the experienced will find the fins of the feed bending before the nib considers budging even a little bit.
I cleaned it out again yesterday with some dish soap, but still writes "dry" as you mention. I think this is intentional, I'm just not used to it. My other pens are fairly wet and I think I just dislike how this PenBBS writes.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Suggestions I have read made about dry-writing pens were to use a wet ink. I have used gountain pens for 62 years, but I am not sure which ones are wet. I have found that Waterman, Sheaffer and Montblanc inks write well in any of my pens. Pelikan inks are said to be dry writing, but they work OK for me even in pens like Sonnet, that seems dry writing to me and stingy on letting ink flow. Inks that write well in a Sonnet fine must be OK. Sonnets are a pen that needs a flush often. Possibly your PEN BBS pen could benefit from a flush fairly often.
People tell you to use wet inks or safe manufacturer inks, but the more beautiful colored inks are not necessarily considered safe inks. I go off the reservation when I use red inks, which are reputed to destroy ink sacs. Red ink from Montblanc and Noodlers does clog every pen I use it in, stopping flow of ink. I only use red ink in cartridge/converter (C/C) pens. Just an example of one way a pen can get clogged with ink when it is in use.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
For stock Penbbs pens...I stick to wet inks like the "Pilot - Iroshizuku" line of inks.
Anything else would not flow properly through my old Penbbs 355s.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Quote:
Originally Posted by
findpens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KrazyIvan
It looks like it may need a good cleaning based on the look of the clogged fins in the feed. Empty the ink and let it soak in water with some dish soap. If you are comfortable pulling the nib and feed, I would do that and clean the feed with a toothbrush.
Will do, thanks! Would you happen to know if the nib disassembles fully? I am able to unscrew the nib section off, but not the nib itself from the section.
Pulling the feed is fairly simple. It should be similar to my Konrad disassembly video: https://youtu.be/GmfPTgerHLM?t=153 That link starts you off where I pull the nib so you don't have to go through the whole video. Like Sailor Kenshin said, it may be a defect of the nib but I can't tell for sure from the photos.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KrazyIvan
In a PenBBS it's really not. But regardless of what I think, please, OP, or anyone else reading this, do some research via the search engine of your choice before taking any advice and at least get a consensus of opinion and experience from many sources.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
Those fins are not clogged. It's how PenBBS feeds look. There's a small rectangular area towards the bottom of that's 'blocked off', perhaps to do with the machining setup.
They're dry writers. And the slightly upturned nibs can make this seem worse, especially if they're fine or EF. You can open the tines up a bit with a shim (better still a pair so you can start very gradually), and given that Serenity Blue is a decently wet ink, this may well be the solution.
There should be absolutely no need to pull the nib - and I'd caution against it unless you really have to. You've got a strong chance of breaking the pen and really very little to gain.
Re: Issues with a PenBBS 308, some strokes showing up faint
The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be... unnatural."
