# Nib leaks



## hrigg (Jul 4, 2009)

Posted in SOYP, I converted a Robusto rollerball into a fountain pen using a longer barrel, but otherwise stock El Toro fittings.  After about two hours of trying to write with it, I switched it back to a rollerball.  I found that my tremors made it too difficult to control the pressure on the nib, and I was getting blotches in what used to be pretty good handwriting.  In the short length of time the pen was displayed for the photograph, ink seeped down into the well of the pen stand.  Is a better quality nib likely to solve both of these problems?


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## Russianwolf (Jul 4, 2009)

Nothing's wrong with it.

On a rollerball or ballpoint, you move ink from the reservoir to the paper as the ball in the tip is rolled. It picks up the ink and rolls it onto the paper as you drag it across the page.

On a fountain, the ink is transfered by gravity for lack of any other term. AS the nib contacts something the ink flows onto it, the longer you leave the nib in one place, the more ink that's transfered.

If you take  a fountain pen and shake it, you will start getting ink dots all over the place as you do. 

Lou will correct me if I'm wrong (he has a lot more exposure to better nibs than I do), but that's my experience.


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## hrigg (Jul 4, 2009)

Thank you.


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## PTJeff (Jul 13, 2009)

my .02

fountain ink travels via capillary action within the slit of the nib.  the breather hole allows air back into the ink storage (CC or cartrige) so there is a balance of pressure.

I would check for leaks that allow more air into storage thus allowing for ink to drip.  my most common leak is where the cartrige attaches to the feed.


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## RussFairfield (Jul 14, 2009)

Situation normal. Fountain pens leak. That's why people who use them have blue or black pockets on the shirts, colored handkerchiefs, and stained fingers. That's why they were replaced by ballpoint pens.


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