Schmidt stainless refills

[dansills]

So pretty much have only been making the higher end kits with the stainless 5888 Schmidt refills and well I am just not happy. Either I am doing something gravely wrong or these refills just plain suck!

First of all they are not writing nearly as smooth initially as what I would have thought - kinda scratchy almost. I have double taken apart and reassembled only to get the same result. Ideas?

Second of all after about 10 days of normal use while at work I notice that when signing my name the ink will kinda well give out - almost like its running out of ink even though it's relatively new. Even when just printing instead of signing i still have to press very hard and go really slow just to get ink to flow? I wish I had a pic but hopefully you get the idea. Ideas?

Anyone else experiencing the same or have any suggestions other than "make fountain pens"? ( actually got that advice already!)

 

[mredburn]

I wont recommend FP's but I would ask if you have contacted the vendor you bought them from to see if they have had similar problems reported from other clients that would indicate a bad batch. The paper may also be a problem. The angle you write at may be affecting their performance? I use them exclusively in the roller ball pens I build and haven't noticed a problem except with a journal I bought from Staples that they tend to skip on. but the paper feels very slick and kinda like it has a coating on it.

 

[ed4copies]

Are you re-capping the pen when not in use? Or does it sit on your desk, open?

Is it a fine, medium or other?

 

[dansills]

Hadn't thought of the angle issue. The paper is bulk copy from staples typically and not slick at all. The kits came from CSUSA with black ink but I bought the blue ink refills from Lanier pens. Having the same problem with both

Ed yes re-capping right away and they are medium. You think a fine may help the issue??? Perhaps my writing angle needs a fine point?

 

[warthog]

I am having issues with the same ink cartridge. They just will not flow the ink the way they should.

 

[penmaker56]

The odds are, that the 5888 refill has gotten too old. Liquid ink refills, can, and do dry out, even sitting on a supplier's shelf with the cap on. Normally a 5888, just like the 888, is a very smooth writing refill, but when they dry out, they become scratchy, then just give up.

 

[seamus7227]

My daily writer is this:

I use a 5888(medium point) either from Indy~pen~dance or Exotics(both are very reasonable)in blue ink and have never had any problems.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

I've sold hundreds and never had a problem . Richard is right, if the refill is not fresh it could dry up just as any roller ball no matter the brand can and will. Also as has been discussed the paper used to write on also will play into the equation. Roller balls will skip on any paper that is coated or is ultra smooth.

 

[PenMan1]

Dan:
I notice that you live in Ocala, Fl. It is almost as hot and humid in Ocala as it is here. I have found that ALL refills (gels and ceramics especially) work very poorly when exposed to high temps and high humidity.

I used to have the same issues. Now I store my refills in airtight Rubbermaid containers and keep them in temperature controlled rooms.

Get a couple of brand new refills, store them for a week in the Rubbermaid (to "condition" them to surroundings) then when you use them i'll bet you will find they perform much better.

 

[PenMan1]

FWIW:
If you do shows, seperate your refills from the rest of your "show stuff" in the back of the truck and keep the refills and charged pens in the temperature controlled portion of your vehicle. DAMHIKT!

 

[PenMan1]

Additionally, every component set comes with a fine point refill. Try a medium. IMHO, the medium is smoother and writes more evenly.
My customers perfer the medium over the fine by nearly 2 to 1.

 

[IPD_Mr]

I will be honest with you, I have had problems with the 5888 and the EasyFlow. Neither one likes a Post-It note and I love the sticky little things.

The biggest culprit is usually shelf life. I just reviewed the Schmidt catalog and found this kind of funny. "Safety technology features extended shelf life characteristics." It doesn't say it has extended shelf like only that it features shelf life characteristics. I guess we need a corporate lawyer to sort through that one. I looked specifically for a shelf like time on these refills. I found one a while back on the EasyFlow but not on the 5888. Here is what I see happening. Schmidt keeps an inventory and probably doesn't have a 5888 sit on the shelf for more than 30-90 days. So Daycom comes along and buys say 20k pieces. Now we have travel time to Taiwan and then however long before it is packaged and shipped out from Daycom. I would imagine that Daycom ships to CSUSA via container ship. So now you have travel time to CSUSA which if by ship it is 30 days on average. I would also imaging that CSUSA keeps 2-3 months worth of stock on hand. So depending on where they are inventory wise when you order there could be another 60-90 on the refills. Some folks such as myself maintain an inventory of kits. That kit could sit as long as a year. Actually I have some Imperials and Emperors that are over a year old still in the box. No I think you can have an understanding that even though it is a brand new kit, the refill can be quite old. Now nobody has done anything wrong in this scenario. Daycom is trying to provide a good quality refill with their kit. Just try to realize that just because it is a new kit and the cap has never been off the refill doesn't mean that it is a fresh refill. I cannot speak for Lanier, but it could be a similar situation. For something like this it is always best to provide a fresh refill. Now how can you tell if the refill is fresh? Talk to your vendor. Find out if they buy direct and how long they sit on the shelf. These are good quality refills and you should not have problems with them. I leave one out uncapped 24-7 and generally only use it from noon until 4pm M-F and I never have a problem with it until it starts to run out of ink. For me that is about once a month give or take.

 

[seamus7227]

I leave one out uncapped 24-7 and generally only use it from noon until 4pm M-F and I never have a problem with it until it starts to run out of ink. For me that is about once a month give or take.

DITTO

 

[SteveG]

A lesson I take away from this thread is that I will start pulling RB refills from my supply of component sets that I have on hand for long periods (Mostly Emperor and Imperial) that were purchased during the clearance at CUSA. If the refills test good, I will use them in the finished pens that move quickly in the market place.

 

[PenMan1]

I order component sets in bulk, I try to order them this time of year because many vendors offer the best pricing during slow periods, but also because I have time to check each set before storage.

The first thing I do upon checking in parts is to remove the refills from the baggies and move them to a climate controlled emvironment.

 

[dansills]

Awesome help everyone! Indy I believe you are onto something withy the shelf life and I will definitely inquire about that going forward. I am convinced that the refills are old and I have to admit I am leaving them in a very humid garage. So yes Penman, dead on with the humidity issue and I will be putting your method to use removing the refills from the kits. Speaking of this time of year and best pricing for kits - any group buys scheduled????

At any rate... Going forward it's a/c only for the refills along with the wood! Thank you everyone for the help! Heading to the garage to confiscate some refills....