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Thread: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

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    Default Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    I just acquired a Leonardo Momento Zero in the Abyss Celluloid. I love the pen but it seems to hard start or have a really dry nib after sitting capper overnight. Does anyone have any good tricks to rectify the hard starting/initial dry writing that I can try at home, or do I need to go ahead and send this guy off to a nib meister.

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    Senior Member silverlifter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Sound less like an issue for a nib specialist, and more like a case of a poor seal.
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    I have four different LOI pens and the only time I have had issues with nib dryout was particular inks. Before you consider any work on the pen, try a different ink or two. In particular, the Leonardo inks work very well. The one ink that I had problems with I already knew was a quite dry Japanese ink, and the pen, when inked earlier, had been rather wet.

    So, yeah, try another ink and see what happens.
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    I have tried Aurora Black and Pilot Tsuki-Yo in the pen already. Tsuki-Yo helped a bit, but it still hard started and seemed initially dry writing this morning after sitting capped in my pen case overnight.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Noodlers Eel inks and Monteverde have lubrication ingredients...

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by mcannad1 View Post
    I have tried Aurora Black and Pilot Tsuki-Yo in the pen already. Tsuki-Yo helped a bit, but it still hard started and seemed initially dry writing this morning after sitting capped in my pen case overnight.
    Put the wettest ink you own in it. Check result.

    clean it, clean it, clean it

    Working on the nib of an expensive pen should be a later option (and only with someone whom you trust).

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    I gave it a thorough cleaning last night with some warm water and a drop of Dawn dish soap. Lightly scrubbed the nib and feed as well to hopefully clean out any residual gunk that may have remained from the previous owner. Letting it dry out for the day and will try to ink it again and report back. I may try some tried and true Waterman's blue tonight and see how that does.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    After cleaning and experimenting with different inks, store the pen nib down to keep the feed wet. If it is a cap seal issue, keeping the nib down will keep ink in the feed but you'll have to do frequent ink level checks.
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by mcannad1 View Post
    I may try some tried and true Waterman's blue tonight and see how that does.
    Xlnt move. Nothing better than to put a known, responsive ink in the pen to eliminate that is the problem.

    It's kind of a life-long battle, and the pens that don't seal perfectly aren't always cheap but sometimes a higher-end pen. Tiny fractions in design or manufacture can be at play, etc. It takes some time with a pen before I can tell how *much* of a problem it will be. Honestly, some pens that exhibit the problem are solved simply by storing them flat (horizontal) rather than nib up. Some pens that I suspect don't have a strong closure of the inner cap onto the front of the section I put an o-ring in place in the cap, snug to the sides and slipped all the way to the inner cap lip. It's a bit of trial-and-error at times, and I've had the occasional pen that nothing seemed to salvage.

    But the LOI pens are well made, so I'm hoping you can suss it out.
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Is it possible that there is a cap seal inside the cap that could potentially be cracked?
    It's certainly something I would check-out before sending the pen to have the nib looked at.
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Tried filling it with Waterman's blue last night. It wrote fine at first and didn't dry out within 20-60 seconds of using, caping and then uncapping to begin writing again. This morning however when I pulled it out at work to begin taking notes, it wouldn't write at all until I gave the piston nob a little twist and pumped some ink down into the feed. What should my next steps be at this point to try and rectify any cap sealing issues?

    Thanks,
    Mike

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by mcannad1 View Post
    Tried filling it with Waterman's blue last night. It wrote fine at first and didn't dry out within 20-60 seconds of using, caping and then uncapping to begin writing again. This morning however when I pulled it out at work to begin taking notes, it wouldn't write at all until I gave the piston nob a little twist and pumped some ink down into the feed. What should my next steps be at this point to try and rectify any cap sealing issues?

    Thanks,
    Mike
    This could be a sign of another problem: surface tension in the converter. Try using a cartridge to isolate the problem and see if the pen works. If it does, then you will need a converter with a small spring or plastic ball inside to break the surface tension.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Have you looked in the cap? It is not uncommon for modern manufacturers to make a cap without a good seal. Any path that allows air to reach the nib (VS a sealed chamber) will allow a nib to dry out over night. Nib work, changing inks and all that won't make a bit of difference. Sealing the end of the cap likely will. Sometimes it doesn't take much. Think of the Sheaffer Targa. The inside of the cap is sealed with a short little thing that's maybe 3/8" long, but it seals the end where the clip is attached with a screw, and it works.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by carlos.q View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by mcannad1 View Post
    Tried filling it with Waterman's blue last night. It wrote fine at first and didn't dry out within 20-60 seconds of using, caping and then uncapping to begin writing again. This morning however when I pulled it out at work to begin taking notes, it wouldn't write at all until I gave the piston nob a little twist and pumped some ink down into the feed. What should my next steps be at this point to try and rectify any cap sealing issues?

    Thanks,
    Mike
    This could be a sign of another problem: surface tension in the converter. Try using a cartridge to isolate the problem and see if the pen works. If it does, then you will need a converter with a small spring or plastic ball inside to break the surface tension.
    Unfortunately this is the Piston filler model and doesn't use the converter.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Z View Post
    Have you looked in the cap? It is not uncommon for modern manufacturers to make a cap without a good seal. Any path that allows air to reach the nib (VS a sealed chamber) will allow a nib to dry out over night. Nib work, changing inks and all that won't make a bit of difference. Sealing the end of the cap likely will. Sometimes it doesn't take much. Think of the Sheaffer Targa. The inside of the cap is sealed with a short little thing that's maybe 3/8" long, but it seals the end where the clip is attached with a screw, and it works.
    Hi Ron,

    I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking for. Rather rough photo here attached that may not be good enough to confirm anything. I do think the cap seal seems to be the issue. Is there an easy home remedy fix to this or should I look to maybe send off to Leonardo to fix?

    Leonardo Cap.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Anywhere there is an opening, and it doesn't have to be big, that air could go through would be sufficient.

    One fix is to drizzle epoxy down the holes and let it harden, which is what we did with Parker Sonnet caps. Another is to pack it with a soft material like wax. I've made short inner cap liners to seal the end. You just have to make sure that there is enough space between whatever you put in there and the end of the nib that the nib won't hit when the cap is screwed on.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    I had a problem with mine and sent it to Mark Bacas. I don't know what he did but he fixed it. I also heard that a fellow pen person from the Lone Star Pen Club had a problem getting hers to write. I don't know what she did to fix it. In both cases, the pen would write, then dry up and stop writing. Mark Bacas's assistant Lisa also had a problem with her pen, which was a piston filler. She had to send the pen back to get the problem resolved. So you might discuss the issue with the person who sold the pen to you.
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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Onogaro View Post
    I had a problem with mine and sent it to Mark Bacas. I don't know what he did but he fixed it. I also heard that a fellow pen person from the Lone Star Pen Club had a problem getting hers to write. I don't know what she did to fix it. In both cases, the pen would write, then dry up and stop writing. Mark Bacas's assistant Lisa also had a problem with her pen, which was a piston filler. She had to send the pen back to get the problem resolved. So you might discuss the issue with the person who sold the pen to you.
    Thank you ALL so very much!
    I was considering the purchase of a Leonardo Momento Zero....... but not any longer!!!
    Simply stated, it is not worth the (potential) hassle. There are too many other good alternative choices.

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    I'm still interested in at least trying one out for a while. Maybe one day. I will be sure to get a B nib and hope it's wet.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Leonardo Momento Zero Hard Starts after being capped

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Z View Post
    Anywhere there is an opening, and it doesn't have to be big, that air could go through would be sufficient.

    One fix is to drizzle epoxy down the holes and let it harden, which is what we did with Parker Sonnet caps. Another is to pack it with a soft material like wax. I've made short inner cap liners to seal the end. You just have to make sure that there is enough space between whatever you put in there and the end of the nib that the nib won't hit when the cap is screwed on.
    Ron, any recommendations on a good epoxy to use?

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