Lamy Studio/1.9 nib; not getting shimmer w/shimmering ink

**tde44** · September 6th, 2020, 11:18 AM

I have a Lamy Studio fitted with the 1.9 nib. Trying to use Diamine Peacock Flare shimmering ink.

The pen writes fine but there is very little if any shimmer. The shimmer comes out fine with some other pens I have which have flex nibs.

I do "agitate" the pen prior to writing and am using Tomoe River 52gsm paper.

Any suggestions would be welcome!

**Chrissy** · September 6th, 2020, 02:17 PM

Tighten the bottle cap and shake the bottle well immediately before filling your pen.
Also, have the pen barrel off and ink converter twisted down and ready to suck up ink from the bottle straight away, and put the nib well down into the ink. Then you will get maximum particles into the converter.

You are right in that you will always need to agitate the converter before writing too.

**tde44** · September 7th, 2020, 07:50 AM

I've always shaken well and immediately filled...did not help. FWIW I have no problems with a different pen (not a LAMY) and this ink. Using 2 other pens, one with a broad nib and the other an UltraFlex nib.

I then tried a thorough cleaning including a pen "flush". Waited until it was dry and tried again. Still no luck and it seems even when I agitate the pen when I pause (even for a moment) it does not help. Did another clean and tried a different shimmer ink (Snow Storm) with the same results. At least I ruled out the specific bottle of ink.

Finally last night I did another thorough cleaning and refilled with a different (not shimmer) Diamine ink and it writes beautifully.

So, I'm wondering if it is a problem with shimmering ink in the feed or with the 1.9 nib. Next time I refill I will swap the nib out for a Fine and try again.

**Detman101** · September 7th, 2020, 11:28 AM

I tried the "Diamine - Golden Ivy" and I could not get the results that I'd seen online in videos, photos and such.
I know that I am not the smartest or most knowledgeable when it comes to these fountain pens...
So I gifted it to another member that can perhaps use it more effectively than I could.

**Chrissy** · September 9th, 2020, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by tde44

I've always shaken well and immediately filled...did not help. FWIW I have no problems with a different pen (not a LAMY) and this ink. Using 2 other pens, one with a broad nib and the other an UltraFlex nib.

I then tried a thorough cleaning including a pen "flush". Waited until it was dry and tried again. Still no luck and it seems even when I agitate the pen when I pause (even for a moment) it does not help. Did another clean and tried a different shimmer ink (Snow Storm) with the same results. At least I ruled out the specific bottle of ink.

Finally last night I did another thorough cleaning and refilled with a different (not shimmer) Diamine ink and it writes beautifully.

So, I'm wondering if it is a problem with shimmering ink in the feed or with the 1.9 nib. Next time I refill I will swap the nib out for a Fine and try again.

Although my Lamy Safari and Al-Star pens write very well with all of my Diamine Shimmer inks, it's possible that the feed may have a small blockage that needs addressing. I have managed to remove one or two my Lamy feeds to clean them out thoroughly, but I don't have a Studio. I've never seen any shimmer particles blocking my feeds when I've removed them to clean them out, but it's possible that you might get better results if you can remove and clean your feed.

I've never had a problem getting shimmer to show up on TR paper no matter which pens/nibs I've used.

**tde44** · September 9th, 2020, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Chrissy

Originally Posted by tde44

I've always shaken well and immediately filled...did not help. FWIW I have no problems with a different pen (not a LAMY) and this ink. Using 2 other pens, one with a broad nib and the other an UltraFlex nib.

I then tried a thorough cleaning including a pen "flush". Waited until it was dry and tried again. Still no luck and it seems even when I agitate the pen when I pause (even for a moment) it does not help. Did another clean and tried a different shimmer ink (Snow Storm) with the same results. At least I ruled out the specific bottle of ink.

Finally last night I did another thorough cleaning and refilled with a different (not shimmer) Diamine ink and it writes beautifully.

So, I'm wondering if it is a problem with shimmering ink in the feed or with the 1.9 nib. Next time I refill I will swap the nib out for a Fine and try again.

Although my Lamy Safari and Al-Star pens write very well with all of my Diamine Shimmer inks, it's possible that the feed may have a small blockage that needs addressing. I have managed to remove one or two my Lamy feeds to clean them out thoroughly, but I don't have a Studio. I've never seen any shimmer particles blocking my feeds when I've removed them to clean them out, but it's possible that you might get better results if you can remove and clean your feed.

I've never had a problem getting shimmer to show up on TR paper no matter which pens/nibs I've used.

Thanks for the suggestion...I will try to see if I can remove the feed to more thoroughly clean it, or perhaps use my ultrasonic cleaner to see to it.
I agree w/regard to the TR as even in a different pen with a fine nib you could always see the shimmer...that's why this has me perplexed.

**Chrissy** · September 15th, 2020, 02:12 AM

There are times when I'm perplexed by some pens too. I have several Parker 45 pens. Sometimes when I eject ink from one it shoots out at a right angle from the hole near the feed collar. There seems to be no specific reason for this and under a loupe I've found nothing blocking the feed channels.

I have some pens that show up shimmer better than others and the nib width doesn't always seem to be a factor. It's one of life's oddities.

Just in case you have more than one Lamy pen and it takes the same type of nib as your Studio, have you tried switching the nib into the other pen to see if that works?

**tde44** · September 15th, 2020, 10:14 AM

I've tried another nib (fine) but that didn't help...don't have any other LAMY's.

**Chrissy** · September 15th, 2020, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by tde44

I've tried another nib (fine) but that didn't help...don't have any other LAMY's.

So do you also have this same problem in your other Lamy with F nib or do you get shimmer with that pen? Then you don't get shimmer with either nib in the Lamy Studio?

**tde44** · September 15th, 2020, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Chrissy

Originally Posted by tde44

I've tried another nib (fine) but that didn't help...don't have any other LAMY's.

So do you also have this same problem in your other Lamy with F nib or do you get shimmer with that pen? Then you don't get shimmer with either nib in the Lamy Studio?

Sorry about the confusion. Same Studio pen, I have the 1.9 and the Fine nibs for it. Don't have any other LAMY's. No shimmer with SAME pen EITHER nib.

**BoBo Olson** · November 9th, 2021, 01:02 PM

Perhaps it's the gray color but in Herbin the glitter showed up well there.

In my 5 Diamine glitter shading inks, I'll have to try a BB nib, in I have to tilt the paper to the light to see the glitter. No black or grey glitter.

In I was chasing shading, that would have to be a regular flex BB, but a semi-flex BB might show more glitter being a wetter nib.

Lamy is a nail outside the Imporium, so I don't know how wet they would write. I've not tried glitter ink in my 1.5 Joy....I should the next time I ink it.