How come I missed this thread?
Amazing info, thanks Schin and everyone!
I assume that you used a flame and the tip has turned either dark blue or brown? That does indicate that the temper has been drawn, but you should certainly try it and see what you think.
A couple of months ago, while battling with a Brause EF66 that did not want to cooperate, I put a flame to it, very briefly. Yet it did turn dark blue or brown.
I put it aside and tried it again a couple of days ago to see if using magical thinking, it would cooperate.
Of course, no. Here's what I see: the ink (in this case, watercolor) still "sticks" to the upper part of the nib but refuses to go down one millimeter where it would reach the paper (in fact this was the case before the potato and the toothpaste and the flame).
It would seem as though the metal is now resisting to let gravity pull the liquid downward.
So my question is: it is one thing to remove the factory oil with a potato and it is another to destroy the nib with a flame. Assuming the temper has been drawn, are there any other tricks to get the ink to flow in such an overflamed scenario?
This is a purely scientific experiment because I have given up on this EF66 (and besides I have about a dozen other faithful nibs for real work). I welcome other creative ideas
I might actually try dipping it in oil. Or beer? Usually that works miracles...
