New Hunt 108 Not Inking

[Mark M]

Hello,
I have a brand-new Hunt 108 nib which I purchased as a blister-pack set of four nibs, and prior to using it, I soaked it and its pack-mates in a vinegar solution to dissolve and float away the factory oil coating.
This 108 refuses to transfer any liquid to paper, not ink, not water, not nuthin'....!
I noticed, upon loupe inspection,  there is zero gap between the tines, unless and until pressure is applied to splay the tines (of course.)
My thinking at this time is that my vinegar solution could not find its way between the tines due to the tight zero gap, and therefore the tine inner edges are repelling ink just as though the nib were never prepped.
Is there a nifty trick to prop those tines apart, for oil removal treatment?
Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated..!!
Mark M.

[AnasaziWrites]

Hello,
I have a brand-new Hunt 108 nib which I purchased as a blister-pack set of four nibs, and prior to using it, I soaked it and its pack-mates in a vinegar solution to dissolve and float away the factory oil coating.
This 108 refuses to transfer any liquid to paper, not ink, not water, not nuthin'....!
I noticed, upon loupe inspection,  there is zero gap between the tines, unless and until pressure is applied to splay the tines (of course.)
My thinking at this time is that my vinegar solution could not find its way between the tines due to the tight zero gap, and therefore the tine inner edges are repelling ink just as though the nib were never prepped.
Is there a nifty trick to prop those tines apart, for oil removal treatment?
Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated..!!
Mark M.

@Mark M
Don't pry the tines apart.
Rub with alcohol on a paper towel or
rub with spit on a paper towel or
pass the nib over a lit match (both sides).

Any of those will remove the film/coating.

[Mark M]

Thank you, I will try that and report back.
My guess is that no liquid will be able to get in betwixt those very tight tines, so I will try a little heat from a match.
Thanks again..!
Mark M

Edited to add: My first attempt at oil removal, a vinegar bath,  apparently was of no effect....

[Zivio]

Nib preparation mileage and preferences varies! From your post, it is clear that you have done some research on this -- good!

For what it's worth, I'll throw in my personal experience. I've tried many, many methods, except that potato thing. And what I kept coming up with was, regardless of the method, it just took me lots and lots of rubbing before that darn nib would be clean enough to properly accept the ink.  Frustrating! I'd been hopeful to find somebody else's magic method that would work ... because it was irritating to me that it took so long to prepare a new nib.

I should mention that besides the potato thing, I was extremely chary to use the flame method, even though Michael Sull recommended it. I was so worried that I'd ruin the metal in the nib that I just didn't want to risk it. But finally I did, and for me, this has got to be the most "magic" method I'd ever tried!  I'm still extremely cautious, and sometimes I'll need to take several passes, waiting in between for the thing to cool off.  But, wow -- nib preparation in seconds!

I might also mention that when not using a previously prepped nib for several weeks, sometimes it requires prepping again a bit the next time I use it. Not sure why, but might be good to know.

Finally, the flame method opened up opportunity for me to get this little alcohol lamp which doubles for melting sealing was.  And because, cute.

[Erica McPhee]

Haha - it *is* cute! 

I always use the flame method or sometimes saliva if I don’t have matches nearby. Have been doing it for 30+ years and have yet to ruin a nib.

Also, I advise not soaking nibs in any liquid, including in your mouth. If you take the finish off the stem part of the nib, you risk it rusting in your pen. You only want to prep the tines and up to where you dip. 

[Cyril Jayant]

Preparing a nib is a problem for many and once you know how to do it it is just a Fun.
I agree with Erica It is "cute" . I am a potato guy. I use potatoes and I have many potatoes in the fridge in  cool and fresh and Juicy. I guess if your using  potato leave out side it get "harder and rubbery" so that skin is hard and can damage nib while picking. So I prefer to use a fresh one and the fridge will save it's freshness all the time.
I am very careful how I use the with Very EF Vintage Nibs. I do it very gently. Also I use Rubbing alcohol  I have one small Jar ready with my ink jars.   What I do is first I pass into any new Nib and use the potato if it is less effective. Vintage nibs are easy to clean and they are having very less coating. And also I like the " saliva " bath . It removes anything effectively. I use a Paper tissues while I write and when  during writing some times the writing loose it consistency due to the ink flow. So you need to clean the nib with alcohol / Or even with ink and wiping off abundantly. This instant you can use the paper towel Saliva bath.  I also know many used / prepared  nibs re-cleaned as they are not working due to some reason. I think it is  due to the unseen oxidisation of deposits on the  nib cased by moister or ink. So they need whipping off with alcohol or some thing. It is not a big issue. What I do is dip it on the ink clean on a tissue and repeat that several time so the nib is back in action.

I never ever barbecue any nib. Heat is changing the nibs condition of tempering that was done during the original manufacture. If someone over use the heat the nibs original soft nib will change. The people who know how to time it then no problem. But this coating is not anything so hard or severe as we hear. It is just some lubrication to separate the metal with oxygen and sulphur like gazes in the ambient air. Imagine even our body oil will act as those lubricants.   
Some suggest pick your nibs on a potato and leave over night.... again sounds like  Some suggests use toothpaste and brush several minutes. I don't do it either.   

I don't suggest any Vinegar  on any nibs . Unless you want to pickle  them ?     Vinegar is an acid that is very effective on  removing high layers of Rusts . So the nibs. Will ware-out highly than any cleaner.  I think it behaves  something like  Iron gaul ink does. Not very healthy trick.

[Mark M]

Follow-up:
While setting up to give the 108 a quick bath in a match flame,  I dropped the penholder and nib on the floor, which bent the nib's tines, of course 
I did my best to straighten the tines, and got them realigned reasonably well, with the exception of a tiny upcurve at the very tip of one tine, sort of a "micro-fude" on that one tine.
Here's the kicker....that "semi-fude" nib writes really nicely, believe it or not, with its one straight and one bent tine....!!!
Mark M.

[Erica McPhee]

Oh so lucky! I have dropped ones that broke off and had to go to the garbage. That’s great it’s writing nicely! 

[Mark M]

Yes, indeed......I may have "invented" the new "Semi-Fude...!"
 

Perfect for the beginner, order now while supplies last...!!!