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Dear folks
Could someone please help me to identify the issue from my writing sample? The ink flow is substantially reduced during the upward movement when I draw a figure 8... Could it be misaligned tines?
Every help is very much appreciated.
Thanks!
Attachment 76543
It would help to know the pen, the nib size, the ink (name as well as brand), and whether it does this with all inks or only this ink (or if no other inks have been tried). Also, can you describe what it does when writing normally?
Has the pen always done this, or is this new behavior? If new, what has changed? When was the last time the pen was thoroughly cleaned, and was a pen flush used?
Also, what paper is this (the brand is probably enough, but whatever you can tell us)?
I only see one skip, and that could be accidental rotation. The lighter color at the top could be shading or just the nib naturally putting out less ink when pushing it. Are you left or right handed?
Well, it's (of course!) the Namiki Emperor :D I cleaned it before using it, just flushing it with warm water. The pen is new and it does it also with other inks (this one is Iroshizuku asa-gao), every time there is an upward movement (from lower left to upper right) when writing a letter (sometimes more, sometimes less visible). I attached another sample.
Attachment 76544
Ah, and yes, I kept the knob open when I wrote this ;-)
Increasing pressure helps, but it should work without any pressure, I guess...
That sample was on 90g noname paper, but this happens also on Clairefontaine paper.
I am right handed.
Thanks for your help!
Asa-gao is a good ink for testing. Yes, it should work without pressure. I would expect the problem to be worse on Clairefontaine and not as bad on a more absorbent paper.
What's the nib size? (Sorry if I missed it, but I'm not seeing it.)
Given the intermittent nature of the problem, my first suggestion is to watch carefully to ensure you're not rotating the pen on that part of the stroke. For reasons I cannot explain, some pens "encourage" me to do something different from what I usually do - grip harder, grip closer to the nib, rotate... Also, some pens have a really small sweet spot (partly why I ask the nib size). So that's the first thing to check.
Next, how would you say the flow is - wet, dry? I suppose a dry flow could do this, but I would expect to see increasing frequency of skipping, and fainter ink the more you write. Have you tried writing a paragraph or a full page to see if the ink fades as you do?
Do you have a loupe or something with similar magnification to examine the nib tip, especially where it touches the paper? I suppose misaligned tines could do that, if the left tine were raised and you were using a really light hand. I think an uneven nib slit could make it more difficult to keep both tines on the page. (This PDF can help you figure out what to look at. Note that I would NOT try tuning the nib. If there's a problem with this pen, better to exchange it.)
What happens if you just make several (of each) short strokes, like these, but in both directions (starting from each end): | / \ — Do these ever skip? (I'm trying to figure out if a curve is part of the problem, or if it's just the lower left to upper right direction of the stroke, and if any other strokes do it.)
My only other idea at the moment is to either write a lot (which will serve the following purpose) or clean the pen with a pen flush (commercial or home made) or at least with slightly soapy water (where the soap is liquid dish soap - only a very tiny amount or it will take eternity to rinse the soapy water out). But I'm doubting this (debris or machine oils from manufacturing) is the issue.
Sorry, I did not mention it. It is Namikis #50 nib (their largest).Quote:
Originally Posted by LizEF
I did that - didn't observe any change (I usually have a firm grip and do not rotate the pen during writing - I use to rotate my hand and keep the pen in its position).Quote:
Originally Posted by LizEF
The flow is rather wet, I'd say... Tried writing a paragraph and the ink did not fade, however certain skips did occur.Quote:
Originally Posted by LizEF
Thanks for the link and the suggestion with the lupe - I'll try that.
Did that, and the skipping occurs with diagonal strokes, especially from upper right to lower left (from upper left to lower right there are no issues).Quote:
Originally Posted by LizEF
Attachment 76550
I'll also try cleaning it with soapy water :)
For nib size, I meant EF, F, M, B... :) E.g. I would expect this more from an EF (tiny sweet spot, tend to be drier) than from a B.
If the cleaning doesn't solve the issue, and if the nib is writing wet, I'm a little lost. See what you can under the loupe, but this might be something where you have to contact the vendor and see what they say. :(
Oh sorry, :D It is indeed a B :D
Hmm. Well, that's unexpected. Please let us know what you find from the nib examination, if anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pen42