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Ugly Pens: Rotring Core
(lemmy.world)
Look at it! Behold the butyl overmold on the comically oversized cap! See the screen printed lines like a 90s basketball sneaker! Feel the forced ergonomics of the weird section! Examine the submarine portholes of an ink view window!
…It actually writes okay though. Rotring made good nibs.
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for the information. It probably is the ink, since I've used it in all the pens. It is listed as India Ink. It's this stuff right here. I went with India Ink because that's what we were always told to use when I took drawing classes. Does that look like it is the problem? Can you recommend a specific ink for me?
Yeah, that stuff is no bueno for fountain pens. It's meant for dip pens.
So, the part of the problem with the W&N drawing inks is that all the retail art supply stores put them right in the same section as all of their fountain calligraphy pens, and there isn't enough information available standing there in the aisle (or even written on the box) that these inks are not suitable for use in the fountain pens they're inevitably sold right beside.
Fountain pen ink is formulated to be completely water soluble and is dye based and not pigment based, so they don't permanently dry within the feed mechanism and can't clog it with particulate matter. Dip pens have neither of these limitations, so dip pen ink can contain pigments (little particles of gumf floating in the ink as colorants) and can contain binders and hardening agents like gelatin and/or shellac. You don't want this stuff in your fountain pen.
On the bright side, you can get a cheap dip pen set (the Speedball nib holders and their myriad of nibs are widely available at craft stores) to use up your Windsor & Newton ink. I have a row of the stuff sitting on my shelf as well, for use with my glass dip pen.
Thanks for the information.
Oh yeah, that'll do it. India Ink can be death to fountain pens if left even overnight. Honestly, your pens might never work quite right again, but at a minimum soak and then flush them again with the hottest water you can physically touch to try to soften up the shellac and get it out. Some people completely disassemble and try flossing the combs of the feed, and some just give up.
For a nice deep black FP ink, Aurora is good, as are Pilot, Lamy, and Sailor. I'm enjoying J. Herbin Perle Noire myself right now. Pelikan and Waterman are little less dark, but should also work well in pretty much any pen.
Finally, if you want new pen recommendations, we're all here.
Ah darn. That sucks. This one pen was a gift and I guess I possibly destroyed it. I'll try to clean it again and see what happens. What about lacquer thinner? Can I soak it in that to get the ink out? Thanks for your help.
Don't use lacquer thinner. That will attack any plastic or rubber parts in the pen.
However, various alcohols can eventually dissolve shellac, including denatured (methyl) and Everclear (ethanol).
After soaking it in very hot water last night I got the bright idea to try to scrape it with a little wooden coffee stirrer. I broke the rubber gasket that goes around the post on the receiving end. So I think that tip is done. I bought a replacement tip last night for $10.
If nothing else works, you can try, but you start to run into what the harsher chemicals will do to the plastic of the feed. Without some materials science research (always plausible on Lemmy), this would be best done in an incremental escalation process, LOL. If there's sentimental value, you could always replace the section/nib unit and keep the barrel and cap, though that does effectively double the price of your pen. Or shoot, maybe write the company; I think Wordsworth & Black are sort of boutique rebranding operation, and they might be happy to keep a customer satisfied with a fairly small cost of goods on the spare parts.
Good luck! I dodged the bullet on India ink, but I have a dead Parker Vacumatic in my parts drawer that will speak to the fact we all make mistakes.
Okay, thanks again for all of the great information. I have it soaking in almost boiling water right now. I heated the water on the stove until just before boiling and the took it off the heat and dropped the nib in there. I couldn't even draw water through it using the converter. If that doesn't loosen it up, and I don't think it will, then I'll try lacquer thinner before looking to replace parts. Cheers
After soaking it in very hot water last night I got the bright idea to try to scrape it with a little wooden coffee stirrer. I broke the rubber gasket that goes around the post on the receiving end. So I think that tip is done. I bought a replacement tip last night for $10.
It sucks because it was finally flowing again too! I just wanted to scrape the dried up stuff off the receiving end, and I didn't realize there was a rubber gasket there. At least I was able to find a replacement that didn't cost as much as the entire pen itself.
Yeah, they're oddly complex little devices for what is effectively a straw with a thumb covering one end. Glad you're at least going to get the gift writing again.
And more importantly, keep it writing! I'm really glad I said something because I love these pens and I've been really disappointed that they never worked whenever I reached for one.