The Washing Machine!

[MarkAL]

This morning I could not find my Namiki Falcon. I looked all over for it. I just returned home for lunch and went to take some clothes out of the dryer and lo and behold! There was my Namiki Falcon still clipped to the shirt I wore yesterday. It had been washed and tumbled dry. The shirt was ruined. I did not even look to see if the rest of the clothes were ruined or intact. However, the pen seems fine! I have to rinse it out and let it dry, but so far it seems none the worse for wear.

 

Anybody else ever do something like this? I hope I'm not the only one!

[handwriter]

smaller things went thru some times but not a pen...so far...gimme some time

[rwilsonedn]

How true to the spirit of the FPN community. I can see you pawing through several hundred dollars' worth of ruined clothes to make sure your Falcon was OK ...

ron

[Twyla]

I washed a ballpoint once when I was 19-ish. I noticed it in the dryer because of the awful petroleum-ish smell emanating from the laundry room. Fortunately, it got tangled up in one shirt, and only left ink marks on that: and the shirt was one of my (now husband) then-boyfriend's beaters, so no real harm done.

 

Really, though, since then I've accidentally washed work schedules, school papers, cash, small change... I think I really need to put more effort into looking in pockets before washing.

 

Fortunately, my fountain pens don't ever go in my pockets.

 

Edit: will I ever learn to spell?

Edited September 2, 2010 by Twyla

[kestrel]

During my navy days my 70 series Elysee survived not one but two trips through the ships laundry while neatly tucked in a flight suit pen pocket. We're talking industrial size machines and harsh detergents using salt, not fresh, water to do the washing. The pen didn't leak a drop of ink and was still a daily writer years later.

[lsmith42]

... The shirt was ruined. ... However, the pen seems fine!

At least you have your priorities straight...

[pajaro]

Did this with a Parker rollerball. Why is it that you never find these messes until they have already been through the drier? Murphy at work.

[FrankB]

"At least you have your priorities straight... " - I agree with Ismith.

 

Fortunately, I have not had this experience. Or, maybe I should add "yet!" I carry my pens in a pen pouch, inside a backpack or briefcase. I do however carry a small Swiss Army knife that is about 2 1/2 inches long. It fits nicely into the watch pocket of my jeans, and has on occasion disappeared into said watch pocket. My little knife has made a couple of trips to the laundry room and bears the scars of the experience.

[kathleen]

As a first grade teacher, I came home everyday with crayons in my pockets. They go through the washing machine, do problem. They can ruin an entire load of clothes when they go through the clothes dryer.

My son spent an afternoon cleaning the drum of the dryer after a cheap, stick pen, washed well, but left its ink on the dryer walls and an entire load of clothes.

New rule: You can get away with not checking pockets before a wash, Be certain pockets are empty for the dryer it is a beast. And fountain pens neither was nor dry.

Edited September 2, 2010 by kathleen

[twdpens]

I did it with a Parker 45 filled with black Quink. Luckily I rescued it in time to save both pen and shirt.

 

Martin

[ailleurs]

How true to the spirit of the FPN community. I can see you pawing through several hundred dollars' worth of ruined clothes to make sure your Falcon was OK ...

ron

 

:roflmho:

 

You mean that's not the first reaction one should have?

[Zekay]

Fortunately I never washed one of my pens (yet).

 

I did forget to take a felt tip permanent marker out of the pocket of my work shirt recently. Fortunately it had a very tight snap cap, and it didn't leak a drop! If it would have leaked I would have had a big problem, because it was washed together with some clothes of my parents, my brothers, and my sister in law. That would have been a bad day, explaining to all of them that I ruined their clothes!

 

This incident thought me 2 things: Always check your pockets. And use "edding" brand permanent markers, because in case you forget, they are washing machine proof!

[bphollin]

If any fountain pen is to be washed, may I suggest a Lamy 2000? Mine has gone a round or two, but so far the cap has remained firmly tight and all ink has remained where expected. (Helps to catch before the dry cycle--that fiberglass can get hot!)

[penspouse]

As a first grade teacher, I came home everyday with crayons in my pockets. They go through the washing machine, do problem. They can ruin an entire load of clothes when they go through the clothes dryer.

My son spent an afternoon cleaning the drum of the dryer after a cheap, stick pen, washed well, but left its ink on the dryer walls and an entire load of clothes.

New rule: You can get away with not checking pockets before a wash, Be certain pockets are empty for the dryer it is a beast. And fountain pens neither was nor dry.

 

When my kids were little, I remember an entire load of light clothes that came out of my dryer with multi-colored confetti crayon dots all over EVERY piece of clothing. Hubby and kids got to wear confetti underwear (It didn't show). I spent hours getting colored dots out of Hubby's tux shirts.

[MarkAL]

Well I'm glad to see that I'm not alone! To be sure, I was much more worried about the pen than the clothes...my wife, however, disagrees

 

The Falcon is an awesome pen!

[Chris]

Guys, I thught a rinse with a little detergent was all that was required to shift even the most stubborn ink

 

Chris

[Moynihan]

This morning I could not find my Namiki Falcon. I looked all over for it. I just returned home for lunch and went to take some clothes out of the dryer and lo and behold! There was my Namiki Falcon still clipped to the shirt I wore yesterday. It had been washed and tumbled dry. The shirt was ruined. I did not even look to see if the rest of the clothes were ruined or intact. However, the pen seems fine! I have to rinse it out and let it dry, but so far it seems none the worse for wear.

 

Anybody else ever do something like this? I hope I'm not the only one!

 

NO, I have not! (he knocks on wood, throws salt over shoulder, recites prayers prayers from Saxon England, Sumeria, ancient Egypt...)

[Tweel]

I haven't done that, yet...

 

A couple of years ago, someone on acp-p posted that they'd run their Montblanc Le Grande through the washer and dryer, and it did not make it through intact.

 

-- Brian

[karynv]

 

 

Anybody else ever do something like this? I hope I'm not the only one!

 

I've done it twice, and the second time I washed 2 pens. Two of the three survived, but the Levenger is now a leaker. I also have a complete collection of purple spotted nighties, and several good shirts became Saturday shirts. Gotta be careful, gotta be careful, gotta be careful....

[MarkAL]

I haven't done that, yet...

 

A couple of years ago, someone on acp-p posted that they'd run their Montblanc Le Grande through the washer and dryer, and it did not make it through intact.

 

-- Brian

 

Ouch! So much for precious resin.......