Hi everyone. I was wondering, how do you clean a Sheaffer Calligraphy Pen? Here is a picture of the one I have:



Thanks.

-pens243

Just run water over the nib section, or maybe unscrew the nib section and let it soak in a glass of water, changing the water until it's clear.
Dave

Davefoe is correct. Also, if you have a sheaffer converter, you can draw water in and out with it. This is how most people clean cartridge/converter pens.

Hi,

I agree with my colleagues above. For practical purposes - since you're dealing with a new pen that's unlikely to need "aggressive" cleaning - these techniques should work very well.

You might want to know, though, that there are other options. In cases where the normal procedures may not be adequate (e.g., dried ink clogs), you can also try the following:

1. Rubber ear syringe (inexpensive and readily available at pharmacies): unscrew the section, remove the old cartridge and fit the end of the syringe over the cartridge-piercing nipple protruding from the back of the section. Immerse the section partway in cool water - submerge the nib completely - and squeeze the bulb of the syringe to draw water in and out. Repeat until there's no more ink emerging from the nib.

2. Ultrasonic jewelry-type cleaner (you'll find specific recommendations for designs elsewhere on the site, if you search "ultrasonic"): remove the old cartridge and plop the section into the cleaner. Run the cleaning cycle once or twice, until there's no more ink emerging from the nib and/or nipple end. I usually follow such a cleaning with a quick ear-syringe flush, as described above.

Note, also, that a weak solution of ammonia (maybe 1 part ammonia in 10 parts water) can be used with either technique; you would want to follow the ammonia-solution treatment with a plain-water flush.

I realize that this is almost certainly overkill in the case of this pen, but one never knows: sometimes calligraphy pens sit idle for long stretches, entailing a risk of ink drying out in the pen. So it's good to know that there are other cleaning methods available to you, should you happen to need them.

Cheers,

Jon

...and it really, really works, especially with the ammonia solution.

Rubber ear syringe? Wow, I've always just blown the water through as if I were blowing up a balloon. Is that bad? I guess it would be with the ammonia....

It depends entirely on your own opinion of "Tastes good". I find old ink a little off-putting, myself.