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I am just wondering, if you bought a reasonably well-built new modern fountain pen, how often would you need to tune or repair it if you used it regularly. Once a year? Once every 5 years? Never?
Or do you just buy a replacement nib to save the bother... (some Pelikan nibs are almost the price of some really good fountain pens though!)
Never, unless something has happened (dropping it, etc).
A well-made pen with a good quality nib can, and should, run for years and years without anything other than routine cleaning/flushing, which is also dependent on the kind of ink you use. You should never have to "re-tune" or adjust the nib/feed and I can't think of anything else. I've picked up pens from 100 years ago, flushed and installed a new sac and they write well (of course, *some* pens I've found are dean on arrival, too!)
A good nib is a good nib, and writing with the pen in the normal manner is not going to change that one bit.
Never unless there is a reason. When I started I restored pre 1950 Esterbrook pens, but I don't suspect to have to re-restore in mny lifetime. FP's are maintainance free unless you abuse them. Regular common sense maintanance is all that's necessary.
I've not had issues with any of my pens with regular use. I have had, however, to address some nib insufficiencies on a few new/modern pens upon arrival. Usually tines too tight so I have to use a shim for some gentle separation to get the ink to flow properly through the feed. Apart from that, I practice good hygiene when cleaning the pens and they all function flawlessly -- including restored/vintage pens that I've added to my collection.
Fountain pens are stable...only users are unstable and mess them up, like me.
My pens that I do not fiddle with have zero issues and always write without hesitation, delay or issue.
My 355..that I'm always tinkering with...it has issues every other week because I'm trying out different mods and things on it.
Depends on your definitions of "tune" and "repair". I periodically "service" some of my pens, especially if they have sat out of rotation for a while, or are going into a long layoff. Typically that would involve little more than a good flushing and some silicone grease on the piston/plunger.Quote:
Originally Posted by jace
There are some modern pens, though, that are really not built to have the sort of longevity that many vintage pens were. Like many other consumer products, they are comprised of cheap components that seem designed to fail (built in obsolesence). Expect cracked barrels, rusting trim, detached clips, etc., through just everyday use, not abuse.
I clean my pens, but I've never had to repair or tune one.
What others have said. There might be some initial set up niggles or preferences to address, but once those are sorted out there's nothing to do unless you cause a problem through accident or neglect.
Every time you do something utterly stupid.
Never unless I buy a dud off of ebay and really want to keep it
Beyond some initial adjustment if necessary, which isn't often, not at all.
...and there's plenty of that!Quote:
Originally Posted by jar
I do a set-up adjustment on all of my modern pens when I receive them. Sometimes it's as simple as a wash-out of the reservoir or once-over with ultrafine micromesh on the point, and sometimes more is needed. But every one stops at the bench for a go-over before being put into regular use. The Pelikans have required the least amount of set-up effort, the modern Conklins have required the most.
Only example of this I can think of: I have found modern Pelikan pistons to become sticky after a couple years’ use..probably goes for lots of other brands and vac fillers too. Just a drop of silicone does the trick, and this doesn’t affect function, so not sure how much this really counts...