On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 00:17:16 -0400 (EDT), "Ryan M. McConahy"
said:

Ryan Hi! I bought a used stainless steel Sheaffer Targa with a
Ryan medium nib online that doesn't write right. It will barely
Ryan write, if at all, unless I apply a lot of pressure -- not so
Ryan much that I fear wrecking it -- but far more than should be
Ryan necessary. I've cleaned it with water, 409 diluted 3:1 with
Ryan water, and household ammonia diluted about 4:1 with water
Ryan and still have no luck. I examined the tines with a 10x
Ryan magnifying glass and they looked fine. However, the portion
Ryan of the nib extending beyond the feed appears to slope up
Ryan relative to the rest of the nib but that might just be the
Ryan natural form of the nib.

it is, so don't worry about that.

Ryan I'm using Noodler's Eternal Verdun with the Sheaffer sac
Ryan converter and have tried using a Sheaffer cartridge with the
Ryan same results. Also, if I write with the pen upside-down, it
Ryan writes consistanly with a fine line, but is scratchy on the
Ryan downstroke. When writing normally, it doesn't feel scratchy
Ryan much. Interestingly, I find that it writes on wet paper --
Ryan so I'm wondering if the gap between the tines just need to
Ryan be widened a little. If so, could someone provide
Ryan directions?

it's best to practice on some nibs you don't care too much about
first. i suggest a pilot varsity or dip pen nibs. the best tools are
your fingernails. working one tine at a time, pull the each tine away
from the slit, trying not to snap off the iridium or getting the tines
out of alignment. go slowly.

good luck.

--


Ceci n'est pas une pipe.