Oi, Cathy! Apply the first rule, inked with Waterman Blue Serenity, if it works, the problem isn't the pen. I found a review of the Ritma and another of the Monza with the flex nib. Flow problems are common. One of the reviewers noted that the problem was in the ink or converter. The issues disappeared when he inserted a cartridge. Another said the skipping and hard start ended when he inked the pen with Waterman. The pen is very nice, I understand you want to eliminate the problem. I hope you have good luck. I will follow the next episodes with interest. best regards!
Thanks, Miguel! I switched inks yesterday and started using Diamine Earl Grey, and so far I haven't had any problems with the ink drying out in the nib. I think the problem is that the feed is too short. The tines on this nib are longer than normal and too much of the nib slit is exposed.
@@gadgetstop321 Glad to hear your Monteverde is working well after changing the ink! If so, best not to adjust anything else. I looked around on the internet and saw that that nib is very problematic. If you disassemble the nib to clean it, see if it is properly inserted and aligned. The Jowo nib on my Perkeo was 2 mm out of section and caused me problems. When I put it back in, in the correct position, it started working perfectly. I have seen a photo of the oniflex Jowo where the slit is closer to one feed channel than the other. I also noticed that the tip is very polished and rounded, which can cause baby bottom. But the photo had poor definition and didn't look good. At Goulet they noted that the tines are too far apart. They think that is a problem.
I have the Ritma "regular" edition w/a medium nib & i think it's the omniflex nib; that was my first Monteverde nib too, it was a dud. What amazes me is that you said you tested it at the store & now it decides to do this, so weird. God bless Kathy!
The nib itself is really nice and I like the way it writes, but the feed seems to be too short. The tines on this nib are longer than normal so more of the nib slit is exposed.
You're welcome. Silicone grease is a good idea. I also have a spare o-ring that I'm going to try putting on those threads and see if that keeps the finial from working loose.
Love that cap, goes pl0p one way and snAp the other way, and looks really nice imosho (in my oh so humble opninion), gonna have to get one of these (: The drying out part is a concern though.. Maybe try some Iroshizuku or something 🙃
It is disappointing that this pen doesn't perform perfectly with just any ink, but once you do find an ink that works, it's a joy to use. My personal favorite ink for this pen is Diamine Earl Grey. 😀
I guess I’ll stick with my Lamy Nexx on a lanyard. Two of the colors in the Nexx line have a loop on the top end of the clip for attachment. I have found it to be one of my most comfortable pens in the hand with a rubberized triangular grip.
I need to mention the Nexx to my sister. I gave her my Lamy Studio (her first Lamy) and she loves the way it writes. Now she wants knock-around Lamy to use at work.
Hi, I’ve got a Conklin with its “duraflex” nib, and looks very similar. Who knows, but I had issues with it drying out very quickly, not starting, what seems like similar problems. I started using Noodler’s “Blue” ink (only) and for me, the problem went away. Thanks for the video. I was considering this pen, liked the magnetic cap, looks really nice in green… ya, not now. 😵💫
I switched inks yesterday and started using Diamine Earl Grey and I haven't had any problems so far. It looks like the feed is too short. The tines on this nib are longer than normal and since more of the nib slit is exposed the ink seems to dry out faster. This pen is actually really nice, I'll just have to remember to stick with wetter than average inks.
I'm trying to see if I can go a whole year without buying another pen in order to save up for an 823, so I am relieved every time you review a pen that's a dud! 🤣 Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews!
Well, good luck Eleine! I hope you succeed. The 823 seems like a pen worth waiting for. I hated to see Doug Rathbun taking a break from making fountain pen reviews. He saved me lots of money.
Cathy, there's clearly a design issue with this scribe. As I see it, the fact that you can interchange the pen cap finials is where you have the main problem - an air leak; without a seal, metal on metal is not airtight, & I don’t consider silicone grease will solve that issue; however, a smear of silicone sealant (as used in kitchens/bathrooms), then screw the finial into place will definitely make it air & water tight, then allow to cure overnight. A more protracted (& involved) solution is to source a piece of silicone tubing that will fit snugly into the internal circumference of the cap barrel, so that, in effect, you reduce the drying out of the nib/feed when the pen is capped; obviously, the wall of the tubing must be thin enough so that the shoulders of the nib do not impede the cap from fitting to the section of the pen, but short enough just to cover the length of that nib/feed. I own two Monteverde’s & neither give me ink starvation issues - one model, the ‘Impressa’ is also a metal bodied pen - it too has no inner sleeve in the cap, but it’s fine; the finial interchangeability is your nemesis. Rather surprised at Monteverde...oh, & for your information, the barrel is indeed, Anodised Aluminium. I wish you well in sealing up that cap, Best, Andrew :)
I received mine in the mail yesterday and the nib is truly disappointing. It came to me crooked (not even bent, just crooked!) and I've been looking to swap it out because I love the size and feel of the pen itself. I have a spare Kaweco nib that should fit
That's a bummer! The nib on mine is actually really nice. I like the way it writes, but the feed seems to be too short. The tines of the Omniflex nib are longer than normal so too much of the nib slit is exposed and the nib dries out. A nib with shorter tines, like a Kaweco nib, should perform better. I hope it works!
The drying out problem makes this a no-go for me, but I have doubts that whether the feed is actually drying out or the issue is somewhere else. Thanks for the review, but there are better pens out there in this price range.
You're welcome Deb! I wish Monteverde and Conklin could get a handle on their quality control. They've had a number of pens that I was interested in, but they are not reliable writers. I think the problem with my Ritma is that the feed is too short for the nib and average inks just dry up in the longer than normal tines. I switched to a wetter ink (Diamine Earl Grey) and it seems to be doing better, but I haven't tested it with the lanyard yet.
@@gadgetstop321 thanks for your reply, I also doubted that might be the nib and feed are not a complete fit, or might be the nib design is flawed! Hopefully this will resolve your issues. 🤞
@@theartesana The lip of the cartridge may have had a crack. That happened to me one time with my Kaweco Liliput and it caused ink to burp out of the nib as well as leak out of the cartridge into the pen body.
@@gadgetstop321 I recently switched to the converter in hopes it remedies my problem. Though, I am now hesitant in taking it anywhere with me. You live and learn. Thanks for sharing your experience. ❣️✨
its not the pen its the nib the omni flex nib was terribly made I dont know why they made it that way it is probably because the tines have been over flexed and there is no way to fix it the simplest answer that i can tell you is that you should ask for a replacement nib unit with a non flex nib
The nib itself is really nice, and I enjoy writing with it, but I think the feed is too short. The tines of this nib are longer than a normal nib and the ink seems to dry out in the slit quicker. I switched inks and started using Diamine Earl Grey and I haven't had any problems so far.
@@gadgetstop321 yeah its definitely the Nib I have one in my conklin which is the same same jowo nib that comes with it and there is something with the coating of the colored nibs that doesn't facilitate the ink to the nib in certain inks. thats good about the diamine earl grey :)
1. The plain finial should have a clip built into it. Or there could be a separate ringed clip the finial holds on. It doesn't serve much of a purpose otherwise, since the lanyard is easily removable. 2. Looks like you unfortunately got yourself a dud. I haven't heard the greatest things about Monteverde.
I think I've discovered the problem. There's nothing wrong with the nib, it's great, but the feed is too short. The tines stick out too far past the feed so a dry or even an average ink dries out in the nib during normal pauses in writing. I switched inks (I'm using Diamine Earl Grey) and I haven't had any problems so far. I've been using it for about a day, but I haven't tried it with the lanyard yet. I agree with you about the clip. I would love it if this pen had come with a clip on a removable ring.
Oi, Cathy! Apply the first rule, inked with Waterman Blue Serenity, if it works, the problem isn't the pen.
I found a review of the Ritma and another of the Monza with the flex nib. Flow problems are common. One of the reviewers noted that the problem was in the ink or converter. The issues disappeared when he inserted a cartridge. Another said the skipping and hard start ended when he inked the pen with Waterman.
The pen is very nice, I understand you want to eliminate the problem. I hope you have good luck. I will follow the next episodes with interest. best regards!
Thanks, Miguel! I switched inks yesterday and started using Diamine Earl Grey, and so far I haven't had any problems with the ink drying out in the nib. I think the problem is that the feed is too short. The tines on this nib are longer than normal and too much of the nib slit is exposed.
@@gadgetstop321 Glad to hear your Monteverde is working well after changing the ink! If so, best not to adjust anything else.
I looked around on the internet and saw that that nib is very problematic. If you disassemble the nib to clean it, see if it is properly inserted and aligned. The Jowo nib on my Perkeo was 2 mm out of section and caused me problems. When I put it back in, in the correct position, it started working perfectly. I have seen a photo of the oniflex Jowo where the slit is closer to one feed channel than the other. I also noticed that the tip is very polished and rounded, which can cause baby bottom. But the photo had poor definition and didn't look good.
At Goulet they noted that the tines are too far apart. They think that is a problem.
@@gadgetstop321 Watch this TWSBI video.
ua-cam.com/video/x0pNht6vsfE/v-deo.html
That's an interesting video!
I have the Ritma "regular" edition w/a medium nib & i think it's the omniflex nib; that was my first Monteverde nib too, it was a dud. What amazes me is that you said you tested it at the store & now it decides to do this, so weird. God bless Kathy!
The nib itself is really nice and I like the way it writes, but the feed seems to be too short. The tines on this nib are longer than normal so more of the nib slit is exposed.
I wonder if it would help to put silicone grease onto the finial threads. It might stop any air leaks there. Thanks for the review, Kathy.
You're welcome. Silicone grease is a good idea. I also have a spare o-ring that I'm going to try putting on those threads and see if that keeps the finial from working loose.
Thank you for your input
You're welcome, Ben!
Love that cap, goes pl0p one way and snAp the other way, and looks really nice imosho (in my oh so humble opninion), gonna have to get one of these (:
The drying out part is a concern though..
Maybe try some Iroshizuku or something 🙃
It is disappointing that this pen doesn't perform perfectly with just any ink, but once you do find an ink that works, it's a joy to use. My personal favorite ink for this pen is Diamine Earl Grey. 😀
I guess I’ll stick with my Lamy Nexx on a lanyard. Two of the colors in the Nexx line have a loop on the top end of the clip for attachment. I have found it to be one of my most comfortable pens in the hand with a rubberized triangular grip.
I need to mention the Nexx to my sister. I gave her my Lamy Studio (her first Lamy) and she loves the way it writes. Now she wants knock-around Lamy to use at work.
I got mine at Jetpens since Goulet doesn’t carry the Nexx. About the same price as a Safari, so would be a good knock-around pen.
Hi, I’ve got a Conklin with its “duraflex” nib, and looks very similar. Who knows, but I had issues with it drying out very quickly, not starting, what seems like similar problems. I started using Noodler’s “Blue” ink (only) and for me, the problem went away. Thanks for the video. I was considering this pen, liked the magnetic cap, looks really nice in green… ya, not now. 😵💫
I switched inks yesterday and started using Diamine Earl Grey and I haven't had any problems so far. It looks like the feed is too short. The tines on this nib are longer than normal and since more of the nib slit is exposed the ink seems to dry out faster. This pen is actually really nice, I'll just have to remember to stick with wetter than average inks.
I'm trying to see if I can go a whole year without buying another pen in order to save up for an 823, so I am relieved every time you review a pen that's a dud! 🤣 Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews!
Well, good luck Eleine! I hope you succeed. The 823 seems like a pen worth waiting for. I hated to see Doug Rathbun taking a break from making fountain pen reviews. He saved me lots of money.
Cathy, there's clearly a design issue with this scribe. As I see it, the fact that you can interchange the pen cap finials is where you have the main problem - an air leak; without a seal, metal on metal is not airtight, & I don’t consider silicone grease will solve that issue; however, a smear of silicone sealant (as used in kitchens/bathrooms), then screw the finial into place will definitely make it air & water tight, then allow to cure overnight. A more protracted (& involved) solution is to source a piece of silicone tubing that will fit snugly into the internal circumference of the cap barrel, so that, in effect, you reduce the drying out of the nib/feed when the pen is capped; obviously, the wall of the tubing must be thin enough so that the shoulders of the nib do not impede the cap from fitting to the section of the pen, but short enough just to cover the length of that nib/feed. I own two Monteverde’s & neither give me ink starvation issues - one model, the ‘Impressa’ is also a metal bodied pen - it too has no inner sleeve in the cap, but it’s fine; the finial interchangeability is your nemesis.
Rather surprised at Monteverde...oh, & for your information, the barrel is indeed, Anodised Aluminium. I wish you well in sealing up that cap,
Best,
Andrew :)
Nice reaction for those pen...
Thank you!
I received mine in the mail yesterday and the nib is truly disappointing. It came to me crooked (not even bent, just crooked!) and I've been looking to swap it out because I love the size and feel of the pen itself. I have a spare Kaweco nib that should fit
That's a bummer! The nib on mine is actually really nice. I like the way it writes, but the feed seems to be too short. The tines of the Omniflex nib are longer than normal so too much of the nib slit is exposed and the nib dries out. A nib with shorter tines, like a Kaweco nib, should perform better. I hope it works!
The drying out problem makes this a no-go for me, but I have doubts that whether the feed is actually drying out or the issue is somewhere else.
Thanks for the review, but there are better pens out there in this price range.
You're welcome Deb! I wish Monteverde and Conklin could get a handle on their quality control. They've had a number of pens that I was interested in, but they are not reliable writers.
I think the problem with my Ritma is that the feed is too short for the nib and average inks just dry up in the longer than normal tines. I switched to a wetter ink (Diamine Earl Grey) and it seems to be doing better, but I haven't tested it with the lanyard yet.
@@gadgetstop321 thanks for your reply, I also doubted that might be the nib and feed are not a complete fit, or might be the nib design is flawed! Hopefully this will resolve your issues. 🤞
I had a problem with it leaking ink all over my leather pouch! So disappointed. Did you have any leaks?
I haven't had any leaks. Were you using a cartridge or a converter?
@@gadgetstop321 an ink cartridge.
@@theartesana The lip of the cartridge may have had a crack. That happened to me one time with my Kaweco Liliput and it caused ink to burp out of the nib as well as leak out of the cartridge into the pen body.
@@gadgetstop321 I recently switched to the converter in hopes it remedies my problem. Though, I am now hesitant in taking it anywhere with me. You live and learn. Thanks for sharing your experience. ❣️✨
its not the pen its the nib the omni flex nib was terribly made I dont know why they made it that way it is probably because the tines have been over flexed and there is no way to fix it the simplest answer that i can tell you is that you should ask for a replacement nib unit with a non flex nib
if you want a real flex pen go with fountain pen revolution
The nib itself is really nice, and I enjoy writing with it, but I think the feed is too short. The tines of this nib are longer than a normal nib and the ink seems to dry out in the slit quicker. I switched inks and started using Diamine Earl Grey and I haven't had any problems so far.
@@gadgetstop321 yeah its definitely the Nib I have one in my conklin which is the same same jowo nib that comes with it and there is something with the coating of the colored nibs that doesn't facilitate the ink to the nib in certain inks. thats good about the diamine earl grey :)
however I cant promote fountain pen revolution enough give them a try you wont be sorry
Hate it when feathering happens!
I don't like feathering either!
1. The plain finial should have a clip built into it. Or there could be a separate ringed clip the finial holds on. It doesn't serve much of a purpose otherwise, since the lanyard is easily removable.
2. Looks like you unfortunately got yourself a dud. I haven't heard the greatest things about Monteverde.
I think I've discovered the problem. There's nothing wrong with the nib, it's great, but the feed is too short. The tines stick out too far past the feed so a dry or even an average ink dries out in the nib during normal pauses in writing. I switched inks (I'm using Diamine Earl Grey) and I haven't had any problems so far. I've been using it for about a day, but I haven't tried it with the lanyard yet.
I agree with you about the clip. I would love it if this pen had come with a clip on a removable ring.
@@gadgetstop321 Yay for diagnosing the feed problem.