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Thread: Small Hard Start Issue

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    Senior Member SkyCyclePilot's Avatar
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    Default Small Hard Start Issue

    I have a new Leonardo Furore with a medium Jowo #6 steel nib. The tips of the tines are aligned. The vein is the right width, right down to the point, and centered perfectly over the feed. The nib is resting properly on the feed, and has been flossed clean, as has the feed itself. The nib and feed assembly have been soaked in warm water with a tiny drop of dish soap, then soaked, rinsed, and flushed with plenty of fresh water, and allowed to dry.

    And, the pen writes perfectly, with just the right amount of wetness - except for the first three of four millimeters, after the pen has been sitting for a while. The ink is Diamine, which I've used in plenty of pens, without issue. For that first three or four millimeters, there is no ink, then everything is fine.

    I've been doing this for a long time, and have solved this problem before, but this time I've run out of ideas, and it's driving me nuts.

    Any suggestions would be much appreciated...

  2. #2
    Senior Member Detman101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    Do you, perchance, have an Iroshizuku ink available to test with?
    If not, perhaps try this...

    Tools needed:
    • 1 Toothpick
    • 1 drop of dishwashing soap
    • Your pen



    METHOD:
    - Prepare your pen ink reservoir by removing the section or converter to allow access to the ink
    - Dip the very absolute tiniest portion of the tip of the toothpick into the dishwashing soap
    - Swirl the affected tip of the toothpick around in the ink of your pen
    - Reseal the pen and allow the microscopic amount of dishwashing soap to mix with the ink (breaking the surface tension aptly) by rotating the pen for 2 minutes
    - Retest the inks ability to properly exit the nib after the pen has been sitting for a while
    - If successful...you need a slightly more fluid ink for that particular pen....Perhaps Diamine inks will not do
    - If unsuccessful...you can replay steps 1-5
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

  3. #3
    Senior Member SkyCyclePilot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    Do you, perchance, have an Iroshizuku ink available to test with?
    If not, perhaps try this...

    Tools needed:
    • 1 Toothpick
    • 1 drop of dishwashing soap
    • Your pen



    METHOD:
    - Prepare your pen ink reservoir by removing the section or converter to allow access to the ink
    - Dip the very absolute tiniest portion of the tip of the toothpick into the dishwashing soap
    - Swirl the affected tip of the toothpick around in the ink of your pen
    - Reseal the pen and allow the microscopic amount of dishwashing soap to mix with the ink (breaking the surface tension aptly) by rotating the pen for 2 minutes
    - Retest the inks ability to properly exit the nib after the pen has been sitting for a while
    - If successful...you need a slightly more fluid ink for that particular pen....Perhaps Diamine inks will not do
    - If unsuccessful...you can replay steps 1-5
    Yes, actually, I do have a bottle of red Iroshizuku. I also have another nib on the way, and a couple more feeds in my "junk" box. Thank you for the suggestions. The microscopic amount of soap sounds interesting. I've never heard of that trick before.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Detman101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    Quote Originally Posted by SkyCyclePilot View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    Do you, perchance, have an Iroshizuku ink available to test with?
    If not, perhaps try this...

    Tools needed:
    • 1 Toothpick
    • 1 drop of dishwashing soap
    • Your pen



    METHOD:
    - Prepare your pen ink reservoir by removing the section or converter to allow access to the ink
    - Dip the very absolute tiniest portion of the tip of the toothpick into the dishwashing soap
    - Swirl the affected tip of the toothpick around in the ink of your pen
    - Reseal the pen and allow the microscopic amount of dishwashing soap to mix with the ink (breaking the surface tension aptly) by rotating the pen for 2 minutes
    - Retest the inks ability to properly exit the nib after the pen has been sitting for a while
    - If successful...you need a slightly more fluid ink for that particular pen....Perhaps Diamine inks will not do
    - If unsuccessful...you can replay steps 1-5
    Yes, actually, I do have a bottle of red Iroshizuku. I also have another nib on the way, and a couple more feeds in my "junk" box. Thank you for the suggestions. The microscopic amount of soap sounds interesting. I've never heard of that trick before.
    Best way to make overly dry inks...wetter.
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

  5. #5
    Senior Member SkyCyclePilot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by SkyCyclePilot View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    Do you, perchance, have an Iroshizuku ink available to test with?
    If not, perhaps try this...

    Tools needed:
    • 1 Toothpick
    • 1 drop of dishwashing soap
    • Your pen



    METHOD:
    - Prepare your pen ink reservoir by removing the section or converter to allow access to the ink
    - Dip the very absolute tiniest portion of the tip of the toothpick into the dishwashing soap
    - Swirl the affected tip of the toothpick around in the ink of your pen
    - Reseal the pen and allow the microscopic amount of dishwashing soap to mix with the ink (breaking the surface tension aptly) by rotating the pen for 2 minutes
    - Retest the inks ability to properly exit the nib after the pen has been sitting for a while
    - If successful...you need a slightly more fluid ink for that particular pen....Perhaps Diamine inks will not do
    - If unsuccessful...you can replay steps 1-5
    Yes, actually, I do have a bottle of red Iroshizuku. I also have another nib on the way, and a couple more feeds in my "junk" box. Thank you for the suggestions. The microscopic amount of soap sounds interesting. I've never heard of that trick before.
    Best way to make overly dry inks...wetter.
    Excellent!

  6. #6
    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    It sounds to me like the nib is merely suffering a small amount of dry out and this is more likely due to the pen itself rather than the ink. It's probably just the way the cap forms a seal with the pen when the pen is capped and left overnight. This is actually quite a common thing and is more apparent on some pens than others. When I have pens that have this tendency I keep them in a sleeve or even a plastic sleeve like many new pens come in.

    If you have a penlight try checking the inside of the cap to ensure that the cap inner isn't split. (if it has one)

    The other possibility might be that the converter/cartridge isn't forming a good enough seal at the inner end of the nipple. Is it a bit loose? Could it need replacement?
    Last edited by Chrissy; December 16th, 2021 at 03:16 AM.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    carlos.q (December 16th, 2021), jar (December 16th, 2021), scrivelry (December 16th, 2021)

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    Senior Member SkyCyclePilot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    For anyone interested... I finally gave up and changed the feed assembly - an identical one from Leonardo. Even with a loupe, I could find nothing different between the two feeds, but the "new" one solved the problem. Go figure.

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    Detman101 (December 19th, 2021)

  10. #8
    Senior Member Detman101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Small Hard Start Issue

    Quote Originally Posted by SkyCyclePilot View Post
    For anyone interested... I finally gave up and changed the feed assembly - an identical one from Leonardo. Even with a loupe, I could find nothing different between the two feeds, but the "new" one solved the problem. Go figure.
    Indeed, glad to hear it all turned out well.
    Fountain Pen feeds can be finicky things.
    I remember ordering two ebonite feeds from FNF back last year some time.
    One would conduct ink...the other would not....though they appeared the same.
    Strange.
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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