# First fountain pen done (almost)



## InvisibleMan (Apr 17, 2012)

In preparation for a kitless adventure, I finally made my first fountain pen - a Jr. Gent.  I blew up the cap with a careless swipe of my small skew, but it should be fixable tonight.

I do have a question as I've never used a fountain pen before.  Do kit nibs/components just not work, or am I doing it wrong?  I know they're supposed to be sub-par, but mine just plain stinks.

I'm using the cartridge that came with the set.  If I set the pen aside for even a few minutes (or less), it just will not write.  No ink at all.  I disassemble, take the cartridge off and put it back on, and it will work, although it skips when I write.  Set it aside, pick it back up to write, and nothing.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  Standard?  How much improvement can I expect from an upgrade?  Will it still skip a bit, run dry, etc....?


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## Twissy (Apr 18, 2012)

You sometimes get problems, and they are definitely not as good as the ones you will be using when you go kitless 
Some good info in the library on nibs, try this one: here
Regards
John


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## chriselle (Apr 18, 2012)

Try some quality ink.  It plays a big part in the experience.


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## 76winger (Apr 18, 2012)

Stock nibs *WILL* work if you get them aligned and tuned correctly. I have a carry around Designer Elite that still has the stock I and it writes fairly well. But I followed a lot of the advise from many of the forum discussions and documents in the library here:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f139/iap-library-general-reference-77366/

I've also put Heritance and Bock nibs on the pens I intend to sell due to the concerns expressed in many threads about perceived value with them versus lowered perdition of value when using the stock nibs. But these upgrade nibs still need to be tuned as well, they're not always plug and play.

And ink can reportedly play a big part of the quality writing experience. I'm too new to FPs to have much experience with many, so I've relied on the recommendations of many here to guide me down my own journey with FP inks. So far I've had good luck with the few choices of Noodlers and Private Reserve inks I've tried.

From your description of your problem, I'd be taking the section apart, inducing pulling the nib out. Clean it all up. Make sure there's nothing blocking the passages where the ink flows. And ensure you have the slot of the nib as close to perfectly aligned with the slot in the feed as you can get it. These slots are TINY and a jewelers loupe is invaluable in getting a close enough view to scrutinize it all. Hopefully through all this you'll find the problem. Then you can address getting the tines of the nib lined up so it writes smoothly and not scratchy. Good Luck!

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner


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## PenMan1 (Apr 18, 2012)

Actually, most component set nibs write fairly well, right out of the plastic baggie. Of course, that's assuming that you discard that blue stained horse urine that comes in the other little plastic baggie.

You'll get a half dozen different recommendations on the "best" ink, but Private Reserve Velvet Black or Midnight Blue in international cartridge form stays at my final assembly station. I'm sure there are "better" inks available,  but those 35 cent PR cartridges do just fine for me.


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