Blue Fingers

[Jaywalker]

My Sheaffer Snorkel fountain pen makes my fingers blue, weeks after I last filled it and wiped it off. Sorry for the basic question, but how do I diagnose the problem? Thanks.

[NinthSphere]

I would start with where the ink is coming from. Ink in the cap? Above the nib? Above the section?

[Jaywalker]

There was quite a lot of ink in the cap, wetter near the end (Tassle? Derby?), that apparently moved down onto the grip section. I've wiped the grip section and cleaned out the cap and will see if that works, though I'm curious as to how the ink got there in the first place. The cap doesn't look crooked and the nib isn't long enough to touch the end of the cap. Perhaps I just need to be more cautious replacing the cap. Perhaps it's something else.

 

In any case, if it happens again I'll do a better job of locating ink. Thank you, NinthSphere.

[chromantic]

On my Sheaffer school pens inked with Skrip ink, just a slight jar, like setting it down too hard, is enough to make the nib spray a little ink out: onto whatever surface - paper, desktop - I've laid it on uncapped or into the cap if it's capped.

[Buzz_130]

Snorkels were designed to fill your pen and not get your fingers inky. When you fill your pen, you shouldn't have to wipe anything. The only part of the pen that should be submerged into the ink for filling is the end of the snorkel. My first piece of advice is to check how you are filling your pen.

 

From there, spend some time writing with the pen. As the ink flow from the reservoir to the nib, you'll have more opportunities to see if you have an active leak.

 

Last, watch how you are using your pen when no writing. Tapping the paper? Shaking while pointing? Rough handling? Those can lead to ink in the cap as well.

 

Let us know what you discover.

 

Buzz

[Jaywalker]

Will do! It's been a few days and I haven't found any new wet ink in the cap or on the grip section, just the leftover smudges in the cap I didn't completely get out. So far, so good.