Which Pens Have The Best Inner Caps?

[antichresis]

Which pens, in your experience, have the best inner cap seals?

I sometimes find some inks getting rather saturated compared to their original state after just a few days to a week of being in the pen, even if it is relatively airtight when I try blowing into the cap. This has good side-effects (some inks sheen easier, some are more legible) but also bad like nib crud and clogging/ink starvation when writing. Of course, the obvious answer would be to get a #3776 with the Slip & Seal Cap or the Preppy/Plaisir, but are there other options?

Edited May 10, 2017 by antichresis

[chromantic]

From my limited experience, my pens with screw-on caps - Pelikans, Sheaffer - fare the best.

 

Of the snap-ons, the Sheaffer school pens and the Pelikano P450 are the best. The Sheaffers may be down to Skrip ink - the caps do not appear to seal tightly, yet the pens write immediately no matter how long they've sat; I have noticed a little darkening as I get towards the end of the cartridge. The P450s are the same in writing immediately after sitting, one has 4001 Pink in it while the other has GvFC Deep Sea Green.

[jar]

Blowing into the cap tells you nothing related to how well it seals.

 

None of my pens shows inks getting rather saturated compared to their original state after just a few days to a week of being in the pen including those pens nearing a century old.

 

I don't use ink that develops nib crud.

 

I cannot even imagine leaving a pen filled and unused for over a week including my Platinum #3776 Century ones.

 

Maybe the issue is not related to the pen or ink?

[Buzz_130]

You might have to de-ink a few of your pens and only keep the ones in rotation that you can use regularly.

 

Buzz

[Driften]

The Platinum 3776 Century is advertised as being able to go a year with out drying out. I have not have mine that long to know if its true but it has not had an issue. My Pelikan M200 series pens don't dry out on me, my better Pilots (74/91/92) don't seem to have the issue. My TWSBI ECO's seem to also be good.

 

My Pilot MR and Lamy Al Star do let ink evaporate out and the ink gets darker. I think my Pilot VP was doing it when I used an old model con-50, but don't think it's doing it with cartridges.

 

I have not had crud developing in any of my pens. That might be your ink selection.

 

I think there is a thread in the pen review section were people were sharing their experiences on this subject.

[displacermoose]

While a faulty cap seal can cause this issue, I've had it happen when the converter is not properly seated for whatever reason. It also can happen with cartridges that have cheaper (and therefore more porous) plastic.

[pajaro]

Pelikan, Parker 51, Montblanc 144, Lamy Safari.