The Fountain Pen Network is a fun group for finding fountain pens and those fascinated by them.
What to do when a pen fails? Repairs can be costly and fixing a pen can present a chance to learn more about pens. Isn’t learning more what it’s all about? Isn’t there some fun in trying and failing?
OTOH, some of us struggle to fix anything. Is it worth the trouble to try? Is it worth trying to fix a pen even when you know you’re likely to ruin it? And that someone else could do a better job?
For a second there i thought the use of “Phobic” had more to do with the ink liquid’s interaction with the pen. But then it’d be Hydrophillic, not hydrophobic, otherwise the pen wouldn’t work
Shit… are they talking about me too? Are they talking with the antique stapler? I’d believe it about the metal ruler, but not the stapler! Not the fountain pens! Noooooooo
I was going to say I hadn’t had to fix one but then I remembered that wasn’t true. I haven’t had to fix the nib feed or the nib or any of that stuff but …
I did have to glue the butt end back on a cheap parker-style pen. I used a hot glue gun. It looks pretty terrible but then the pen was pretty cheap and it writes as well as it ever did.
I can understand not wanting to risk repairs on an old or expensive pen but if you’re the only viable option to repair the pen, why not go for it? It’s already a broken pen. Give it a try. Worst come to worse, you’re in roughly the same position you started in. Best come to best, you’ve got a working pen you didn’t have before.
(Now may be a good time to mention that BBS is actually responsible for me getting into fountain pens. My current favorite is a cranky Ohto Dude.)
I like how you think. I want to do it too. I will. But my idiosyncratic approach requires that I first assemble a reference library and consult experts. THEN I break the nib.