Staying Inked? Best And Worst

[Recoil Rob]

I just uncapped my Namiki for the first time in 8 months, wrote beautifully immediately.

 

My Montegrappa will stop writing if I don't use it for 5 minutes.

 

Your best and worst?

[eawtan]

My best - Platinum Cool, always stored nib up and writes immediately even after ignored for months (I refill once the cart is totally empty which is typically close to a year). Close 2nd are preppy's (I have 3 inked) that never hard start, I use them more frequently.

Worst - Platinum Desk Pen and Montblanc Noblesse, both will stop if left for 3 days, a real pity as they have nice nibs.

[pajaro]

Best: Pelikan, Parker 51, Montblanc, Sheaffer snorkel and Imperial, Retro 51, Parker Vacumatic. Cross Solo

 

Worst: Parker Sonnet, Parker 45,

Edited December 6, 2017 by pajaro

[sub_bluesy]

Worst: Visconti Pininfarina Carbon Graphite. Give it 5 min with the nib retracted. It’s kind of ridiculous.

 

Best: I would say Platinum 3776. That one always writes. Love that pen with a music nib!

[Chrissy]

My Montblancs are stored horizontally and they always write fine first time.

 

My Waterman Phileas pens and Hemispheres dry out regularly.

 

I have two Parker Sonnets and after sealing the cap finials they no longer dry out.

[migo984]

My best - Platinum Cool, always stored nib up and writes immediately even after ignored for months (I refill once the cart is totally empty which is typically close to a year). Close 2nd are preppy's (I have 3 inked) that never hard start, I use them more frequently.

Worst - Platinum Desk Pen and Montblanc Noblesse, both will stop if left for 3 days, a real pity as they have nice nibs.

The Platinum Cool is such an under-rated pen. I have a few, and I use a couple to carry out long-term ink tests, including pigment & IG. They have a great seal on their slip caps & I agree, they never seem to dry out. The only inks I wouldn’t put in them are those with shimmer particles.

[minddance]

Pelikan, Pilot (gold nibs only, not the SSteel Kakuno, Plumix) Platinum Preppy and 3776, Lamy 2000, Sailor 14 and 21k, Kaweco Sport, WingSung 3008/698, FCastell Loom.

 

Dry out: Waterman Phileas, Lamy Safari/AlStar, Pilot Prera, Jinhao (x750,450,159,8802,886,599,911).

[chromantic]

Best - Generally anything with a threaded cap; this includes Pelicans M-series, Sheaffer Cadets and Kaweco Sports. The nib may dry out with certain inks if I stop to think too long but usually will write immediately after uncapping. For snap caps, my two Pelikan P450 can't be beat, write immediately no matter how long they've sat.

 

Worst - Waterman JIFs, but here again is ink dependant. The one with Inspired Blue will write immediately after having sat, unless the ink in the cart has totally evaporated. Most Sailor inks need help starting if sitting for more than a day.

[fabri00]

The Platinum part of the "click and seal" serie are unbeatable.

I mean Preppy, Plaisir, 3776, balance (I'm not sure about this last).

[DasKaltblut]

I have a Platinum Plasir that has had a cartridge of Platinum Carbon Ink in it for 2.5 years, and still starts up right away. I was going to clean it, but I'm too curious now about how long it will go!

Edited December 6, 2017 by DasKaltblut

[Bo Bo Olson]

I often have 17 pens inked....that's what happens if one goes to Inky Thoughts, and the pens tend to sit.

I have a German postal sponge in a rubber cup***, that I dip the nib into....a shot glass works too.

 

***We are terribly old fashioned over here, with our antique licking stamps. Should be able to order one from Germany, postage is not near as expensive as in the States........or you can find an old rubber postal cup on your local national Ebay and cut a sponge your self.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[mitto]

Best: Pelikan, Parker 51, Montblanc, Sheaffer snorkel and Imperial, Retro 51, Parker Vacumatic. Cross Solo

 

Worst: Parker Sonnet, Parker 45,

Same for me except my P45s never dry up. They write just like my P51s.

[ENewton]

The Platinum Cool is such an under-rated pen. I have a few, and I use a couple to carry out long-term ink tests, including pigment & IG. They have a great seal on their slip caps & I agree, they never seem to dry out. The only inks I wouldn’t put in them are those with shimmer particles.

 

I have a Platinum Balance, which I believe is the same pen as the Cool, except opaque. I use it for iron gall ink, and after a couple of years some of the plating on the nib has come off--which might or might not be due to the ink--but it never has hard starts or other behavior problems.

[inotrym]

Faber-Castell Emotion dries out within a few days if left unused. I use it regularly so I don't have hard starts, only a little darker color for the first few strokes. I am a little bummed because this is one of my favorite pens, but what can you do?

 

I am fairly happy with Pilot and TWSBI, but I can't think of a pen that is particularly immune to drying out.

 

I am hoping to get a Sailor Pro Gear for Christmas. Is Sailor any good in this regard?

[LizEF]

I've only ever left my Sailor unused for 2-3 days, and it starts up just fine. My TWSBI Eco can go at least a week (and I suspect longer) without drying out.

 

My Waterman Kultur was so bad - noticeable change overnight - that I mutilated it to seal the air leak (there's now a thread with info on how to fix it without (visible) mutilation).

[migo984]

I have a Platinum Balance, which I believe is the same pen as the Cool, except opaque. I use it for iron gall ink, and after a couple of years some of the plating on the nib has come off--which might or might not be due to the ink--but it never has hard starts or other behavior problems.

Yes it is the same pen, except the ‘demonstrator’ Cool doesn’t have gold trim, so no plating to come off the nib.

[hh1990]

Unsurprisingly, my pens with an inner sealing cap start right up: a Sailor Pro Gear, Pilot Custom 74s, Platinum 3776s, and a Pilot Custom 823.

[dogpoet]

My best is probably a Lamy 200, and the worst is definitely a Noodlers Konrad. The Rotring 700, Parker 25 and Scheaffer Targa are all pretty good as well.

[PAKMAN]

Worst is a Monteverde that seems to have an inner cap crack, best (believe it or not) goes to a Bic fountain pen that sat unused, nib up, in a cup for 2 years and when uncapped wrote on the first stroke!

[pajaro]

I often have 17 pens inked....that's what happens if one goes to Inky Thoughts, and the pens tend to sit.

I have a German postal sponge in a rubber cup***, that I dip the nib into....a shot glass works too.

 

***We are terribly old fashioned over here, with our antique licking stamps. Should be able to order one from Germany, postage is not near as expensive as in the States........or you can find an old rubber postal cup on your local national Ebay and cut a sponge your self.

 

Great suggestions. I used to carry a little spray bottle to wet the nib of a hard starter.