Pilot Custom 823 F too smoov

[gbryal]

My 823 writes pretty well on course, porous paper like a cheap envelope, but can't grab onto Clairefontaine. Clairefontaine is maybe too smooth anyway; lots of pens have trouble with it and paper a little less starched like the non-premium Rhodia (I think still the same company?) might be a better choice for me.

But assuming I want to write on anything and want to give this nib a little more tooth, what should I do? A few passes on some wet micromesh until it grabs on the paper I want to write on? What grit would I start with?

On some of my blobbier nibs I'd just try stuff and hope for the best, but this is an Asian fine without a great deal of tipping material and I don't want to just sand it down to nothing by accident.

[KrazyIvan]

In my experience, it's not really that the nib is too smooth but that the nib probably suffers from some baby's bottom. If you put a little pressure on the nib and it starts writing on that Clairefontaine paper, it is a good indication of baby's bottom. It needs to be verified with a loop though.

[gbryal]

I wrote two pages on a Blue Sky Smart Notes page today with no skipping at all. I think maybe I should just be happy it writes on cheaper paper and use other pens on the other paper.
I did look through a loupe, but the nib is so small it's hard to tell. I'll look again tomorrow with some of my other ones.
I didn't put a lot of pressure on the nib, but pressing mostly succeeded in getting ink into the feed, but not for more than a few strokes. Writing on an envelope got the ink flowing and then I could write a sentence or so on the clairefontaine.

[Wile E Coyote]

You don't say which ink(s) you have tried. It's possible you are using an ink that is relatively "dry." It could also be that the nib is adjusted a little dry.

I'd start with KrazyIvan's suggestion and try to determine if it's a ink flow issue before desmoothing the nib.

[gbryal]

It's Waterman's Mysterious Blue
Paper is CF Triomphe, 90g

Pulled, downstrokes are the worst, but mostly writes on Rhodia dot pad. Printer paper accepts the nib very well. On the clairefontaine 90g, increasing pressure doesn't really fix the problem. I might get a streak of ink if I press, but can't write continuously with any pressure level.

I couldn't get a photograph through a loupe to focus correctly, but my own assessment is sure, perhaps a small amount of BB is present, but I've also seen nibs that looked about the same that performed OK.

Lots of pens kind of skate on 90g paper, though. If it writes mostly OK (~90% skip-free) on non-premium Rhodia, maybe that's good enough - I have more than one pen.

[jmccarty3]

That is positively callipygian.

[KrazyIvan]

I would say it does look like baby's bottom but the writing surface of the nib is not straight on like your photo. Its 45 to 60 degrees off. You don't look at a nib straight from the top like that. Think of your eyes as being on the same plane as the paper, in relation to the nib. Im not sure if that makes sense.

[rickap]

Hi gbryal,

If that pen was mine I would send it back to Pilot for repair. There’s no reason for it to not write properly on Clairefontaine paper or any writing paper.

Rick

[gbryal]

I didn't get the pen from Pilot, but rather used on eBay, so I am not sure they'd care to see it. I did what I always do, made sure the tines were aligned and used various micromesh on it until it seemed to write on everything.

If I am honest, the whole exercise is usually haphazard and random, and of my five loupes, none of them tell me much, from any angle. Sure, there's a bit of a gap on the bottom, but then that's the case with many of my nibs, and it doesn't seem to have a lot of affect on the writing, so it's just one datapoint, and I am not sure what shape would be better when I am done.

Luckily, no amount of micromeshing seems to change the shape of any of my nibs under these crummy loupes; tipping material is darn hard stuff.

[KrazyIvan]

I would say it is probably worth the tune-up fee an expert would charge to get it in top writing condition.

[gbryal]

I would say it is probably worth the tune-up fee an expert would charge to get it in top writing condition.

Seems to work pretty well. But if it goes downhill I'll consider it.

[wingwiper]

Baby bottoms are definitely a culprit, however if your pen is new from Pilot it can’t be that as their quality assurance is the best or close to IMOP.
My 823 with broads can shimmy on some papers, which I usually just switch up the ink to something drier if that helps?


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