Got my "stealth" pen yesterday and first impressions are that it is an awesome looking pen, really well made and in a fabulous case. However - I'm not won over by the writing experience yet, primarily because it takes so long to get the pen started, even after just an hour or two. I'm using a Diamine black ink which suits every other pen I own. And once the Levenger is started, the ink flows nicely and it writes smoothly - even for a left-hander like me. But if it's always going to be a pain to get going, it's unlikely to be a "daily" pen.
instantsquidInsta, regarding to the ink starting taking a while to flow, if you used a traditional method of filling up the cartridge, then inserting it in, then yes I see it taking a while.
If you refer to the instructions ( of how they want you to fill it) , you should be able to write INSTANTLY, which was how it worked out in my case. Reference the little booklet provided in the storing box for more info.
bkupiecHi, thanks for the reply. I filled the cartridge as per the instruction booklet. Each time the pen has been left for more than a few minutes, ink seems to withdraw completely from the nib, and takes several minutes of effort to get it to flow again. Once started, the pen writes fine - only for the behaviour to repeat next time the pen is put down for any length of time.
instantsquidI had the same hard start issue when I bought my L-Tech direct from Levenger many moons ago. Mine was the plain stainless nib in fine, but once it sat for even a minute or two it simply did not want to start again. Only remedy I found that consistently fixed the hard starting issue was to unfortunately replace the entire nib unit. TWSBI Vac Mini, TWSBI Mini, TWSBI 580, Edison #5, and Franklin Christoph #5 nib units are effectively drop in replacements (might break warranty?), so there's some choice to be had if anyone else has to go that route. I've been using a Franklin Christoph nib unit with great results.
wiemerimerI have this pen from a previous drop and initially had this issue. I was using Diamine short cartridges. Once I started using the converter it started to work without issue. I think there is potentially a fit problem with some cartridges and is the main reason why this pen starts slow.
pyeekzeroHi - I've been using the converter exclusively from day one. I'm using Diamine bottled ink, which I have no issues with in over 15 other pens. I will persevere with this pen as I think it looks great - but all is definitely not as it should be.
instantsquidSame here... anything more than 30 seconds and it doesn't write straightaway. I can't even copy text from my computer screen without it getting stopped up.