Fountain Pen Tips

My Pen Writes Scratchy

Is ink still coming out? Then this could be an issue with the nib itself. You can use a magnifying glass to take a closer look at the tines of your nib to ensure they are properly aligned. Misaligned nibs often create the sensation of extra grip or "scratching" on paper. After ensuring the tines are aligned, feel the end of the tip with your finger; be careful to run it gently. Do you feel any burrs or weird edges? It could be that the tip of your nib has etched from ink or developed a burr. This can You can fix this issue with high-grit micromesh and delicate wet-sanding, but be aware that most pen manufacturers will void warranties for sanding nibs, so please proceed at your own risk. You may instead wish to contact the manufacturer and ask for a replacement nib instead. If you do proceed with wet sanding, make sure to go slowly, and check the progress of your work periodically by testing the functionality of the nib with ink and paper to ensure you are satisfied with your work. 

My Pen Isn't Writing

Is your old fountain pen not working the way it did when you first bought it? This isn't necessarily a sign of irreversible damage. When your pen no longer allows a steady stream of ink through its feed, it's usually because old ink has dried and clogged the flow of ink. Often times fountain pens can be restored to original working order with just a few simple rinsing steps that you can perform at home.

When to Rinse Out Your Pen

It's recommended to perform this action every 3-4 weeks when storing ink in a pen that is not in use, or every time you change out the ink in an actively used pen in order to avoid ink clogs or damage. You may put the old ink back into the original bottle for reuse; you do not need to waste valuable money or ink.
Fill a glass with clean, cold water and gently swish the nib and feed of your pen in the glass to dislodge to dislodge dried ink particles. Never utilize hot water - this may warp the pen feed or damage the body your pen. When the water becomes too dirtied to see through, change out the water in your glass. If you are unable to fully dislodge the ink causing the blockage in your pen, attempt to use a syringe, cleaning kit pump, or your faucet (make sure to use a mesh drain strainer so you don't lose pieces of your pen!) to gently push additional water pressure through the nib and feed. 

For particularly tough clogs, put one drop of dish soap in a glass of room-temperature water, mix, and soak the nib over night (make sure not to do this with steel nibs that are not explicitly listed as stainless steel; they may rust). For non-stainless steel nibs, repeat the above steps with the dish soap water instead of clean water; do not leave your nib overnight. 

Most fountain pen inks are made with water-based inks that can be washed out of your pen if dried, but it's important to know that certain specialty inks may damage a pen if not removed prior to drying/their pigment suspension evaporating. 

Information on Inks in Relation to Maintenance

All inks are composed of at least these three primary ingredients:

1. Vehicle - A liquid that carries pigments or dyes
2. Binder - A chemical that binds the pigment or dye to its solution and to the paper
3. Coloring Agent – colored particles (i.e. pigments or dyes)

These ingredients affect the properties that we care about in ink in a variety of ways. 

Dye-Based Inks

These are your approachable, most forgiving-to-fountain-pen color soluble inks. While not always easily washable (lookin' at you, alcohol-based permanent markers), they can eventually get their way out of fountain pen mechanics if a similar soluble solution is applied. When doing this make sure to check for warnings and additional information on your pen, as we cannot be responsible for any damage caused by improper application of washing solutions to your fountain pens (for example, most TWSBI pens have warnings in their boxes and taped to the pens themselves stating that you cannot utilize alcohol with their pens, so alcohol-based cleaning solutions and inks should stay away). They tend to be less colorfast than pigment-based inks, but the trade-off may be worthwhile if you're looking to maintain the life of your pen and you're only looking to maintain a short-term record of your notes (i.e. 25-30 years, vs centuries). 

Pigment. Waterproof, and Archival Inks

While these inks may differ in function or suspension type, one notable link behind all these inks is that they very water resistant - once the ink in the pen begins to dry, the ink is very difficult to remove from your pen. If you're like me, make sure to set a reminder or alarm the day that you fill these pens to perform maintenance or remove the ink from them 3-4 weeks out from when you last filled. Otherwise, the ink may be very difficult to remove and your pen may not write or function as intended.

Shimmer / Pearl / Glitter / Iridescent Inks

These specialty ink types are notable because they have large particles that are added to the suspension of ink pigments. Unsure if you have one of these inks? Take a look at the bottom of your settled ink bottle - if there's large particles sitting on the bottom that can be shaken up and dispersed throughout your ink, then you have a Shimmer, Pearl, Glitter, or Iridescent Ink. While shimmer inks are more likely to clog over time, completely cleaning your fountain pen between refills and storing your pen horizontally on a flat surface while shimmer ink is in use are the best ways to help extend the life of your pen. Making sure to perform routine rinses and ink refills every 3-4 weeks or storing your pens empty between using shimmer inks are the best ways to ensure longevity.