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My Pens Keep Drying Out Really Fast Except For One. Any Advice?


MTHALL720

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The Problem: All my pens, regardless of brand/model, with the exception of One, all dry out very fast. If I don't use them daily, then after a careful re-inking, they will stop writing after just 2-3 days of storage.

When I unscrew them I can see where there is plenty of ink, but sometimes there is a big air bubble between the ink that is in the nib and the rest of the ink supply. Sometimes there is no air bubble but I still can't get them to write.

 

What I have done so far: Prior to re-inking a pen, I clean the nib, and ink reservoir, with warm, distilled water until all the previous ink has been flushed out. I am accounting for as many variables as possible by using just one ink - Noodler's, and the same kinds of paper (Heavy ink jet, notepads (Brazil made), and Sugar cane? paper (Staples), and all have broad nibs, I store all my pens horizontally in my pen drawer.

 

Goals: I like very wet writing pens which start right up every time I use them. Much to my consternation the only pen I have which performs flawlessly is my Lamy Safari. I have had a Studio, and another model Lamy but without the same success.

 

Any ideas are much appreciated.

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Hi MT,

 

Do you live in a dry climate? You may want to consider humidifiers if the humidity level in your home is below 35%.

 

Also, while I've never had much trouble with Studios,... one pen that has NEVER dried out on me is the Platinum 3776 Century with the slip and seal cap... a great pen... I have five or six of them... never an issue, (all broad nibs, except one medium).

 

Be well and enjoy life. :)

 

 

- Anthony

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Hello again, MT,

 

Just to follow-up, you may want to consider another ink... I've had Noodler's bulletproof inks dry out on me, too,... some of them can be persnickity... :D ...try a standard ink from Diamine, Waterman, Montblanc, or the like... and see if the problem resolves itself that way.

 

Rots a ruck... Be well. :)

 

 

- Anthony

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Thank you for the ideas.

I now live in Maryland which is actually fairly humid.

I am willing to try another ink.

Sounds like the 3776 is an ideal pen.

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Without knowing any specifics: Maybe there is some dry air flow under the drawer where you store them, say from a floor radiator which is also behind a desk or even from a PC's cooling fans. Also: Wood can be either cold or warm without betraying it to the touch because, unlike metals, it exchanges heat very slowly.

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Sounds like the 3776 is an ideal pen.

Be mindful that Platinum #3776 Century models are the ones with the 'Slip and Seal' mechanism (i.e. spring-loaded inner cap) in their screw caps. There are Platinum #3776 models – including some fairly high-end/expensive ones, and even if they have screw caps instead of snap caps – that do not have it.

 

Platinum Plaisir and Preppy pens, as well as the DPQ-700A desk pen, have something similar, in spite of being very cheap and fitted with snap caps.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I have a Bexley pen that will dry out, if not used in ~24 hours. Read somewhere about Monteverde inks with ITF helping pens with this issue - and it did make a huge difference. Pen can now go 3 to 4 days unused, yet write well as soon as the nib touches paper. YMMV

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Thank you for the ideas.

I now live in Maryland which is actually fairly humid.

I am willing to try another ink.

Sounds like the 3776 is an ideal pen.

Hi MT,

 

No problem, you're welcome. :)

 

Btw, I hear ya,... I'm right on the Jersey shore, so humidity is rarely a problem for me... or so you would think,... but with forced air heat,... sometimes low humidity can be an issue on really cold days.

 

Be well. :)

 

 

Be mindful that Platinum #3776 Century models are the ones with the 'Slip and Seal' mechanism (i.e. spring-loaded inner cap) in their screw caps. There are Platinum #3776 models including some fairly high-end/expensive ones, and even if they have screw caps instead of snap caps that do not have it.

 

Platinum Plaisir and Preppy pens, as well as the DPQ-700A desk pen, have something similar, in spite of being very cheap and fitted with snap caps.

Yes. :)

 

 

I'll also add Platinum's new model... the Procyon; which has the slip and seal cap as well,... but I don't care much for it. I find the step-down a bit too much and the metal threads a bit too sharp,... so I can't recommend it.

 

But it never seems to dry out. :D

 

 

Be well all... and enjoy life. :)

 

 

- Anthony

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Anthony,

Great to see you back!

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The Lamy Safari is one of my pens that works, just as the Safari does for you. Others are the Lamy 2000, Parker 51, Sheaffer school transluucent pen, Sheaffer Touchdown Imperial, Montblanc 144 1980s and Waterman Carene medium. The rest dry up, except perhaps Cross Solo. I have tried all sorts of measures and only a refill works. Put the pen into the ink bottle and refill it.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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When refilling the pen it helps the cause to work the filler twice or three times. You want to try to saturate the feed and restore the capillary action. I have a lot of pens, two hundred or so, and the pens I am using now are in the group I listed and also the Sheaffer Prelude, which seems to stay moist from day to day, even if I use it for only one short line or so. The best are Parker 51 and Lamy 2000. These are the most reliable pens I have used.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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My Safari is a pen that dries out faster then other pens. My Studio stayed wet much better then my Safari. One thing that helps is storing pens on their side. Also piston filled pens in general don't dry out as easy. For example my Wife's TWSBI Eco has been able to stay wet and ready to go after months of sitting.

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One thing that helps is storing pens on their side

This, all the way! Took me a while to learn this, living in a dry climate especially. If I leave pens at home, it's in a tray on their side. I carry them with me in a pouch that I ensure stays on its side.

 

And, of course, individual pens behave differently, even within the same model sometimes. For example, the Platinum models with the sealing inner caps are proven to be long-lasting. I was also surprised how well my Lamy AlStar stayed wet when I was still using it.

 

Sometimes you can even hack a pen to not evaporate, like the Noodler's pens by filling the converter or cartridge with ink and the barrel with water.

 

So many data points to gather, so little time!

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I’ve overcome drying and skipping problems by ultrasonic cleaning the nibs... sometimes multiple times. I really like Sailor ink to not dry out in my pens.

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I've had this problem many times. (I thought I was crazy).

 

First, switch to a different ink because you know exactly how the Noodler's ink works in each of those pens.

 

When you do the cleaning, flush with a dish soap high in glycerin (I'm a fan of Mrs. Meyers). Be sure to flush the converters and the feeds. Check to see if you have sediment on the nib.

 

What are your results after you do those steps?

 

If you still have trouble, try a sonic cleaner (I love mine). I still use Mrs. Myers.

 

I have tried humidifiers but I found that inks have different viscosity and surface tension. The problem with my first TWSBIs for example was that the in capacity was so large that when I used the ink, the surface tension increased and the pen wouldn't start up right away. Once I had used the pens - a lot - they actually improved. I also found that some inks will never perform well in specific pens and now I both use inks that are wet and custom nibs that have wet feeds.

 

Please keep us informed of your progress.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yeah, the preppy didn't do it for me, but I tried it and still have some. What saved me was Sheaffer Legacy Heritage with a BB stub. Oh, wait, that isn't wait saved me, that's what shoved me down the rabbit hole.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Amber, do you mean the Platinum Preppy could not prevent the ink from drying in the nib and feed in your case, after the pen has been left unused for a few days?

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Dill, she meant that the preppy just was not a pen she enjoyed.

 

I kind of agree. the nibs and the performance of the pen are just outstanding but the pen itself just feels cheap and (bleep). The fact that it's sold with the barcode painted on does not help, the silly name, nor does the plastic clip. I am glad I picked up a plaisir though, it really is the preppy for people who hate preppies (it also uses the slip/seal)

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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