How To Remove Stains From High End Fountain Pen Nib?

[penwala]

Hi - after storing the pens on and off for some time - I finally have the courage to use the dunhill AD2000 18K white gold fountain pen nib. Unfortunately over the time, the nib has collected some stains. How do I go about removing these stains? My wife said bleach but something tells me that is not right....

Thanks guys..

[jar]

A wet finger.

[penwala]

WOW !!!...I am just afraid that I would end up damaging the nib...isn't there a solution I can dip the nib into?

[jar]

WOW !!!...I am just afraid that I would end up damaging the nib...isn't there a solution I can dip the nib into?

 

Yes, it's called water. You can even add a little dishwashing liquid if you want.

[Ghost Plane]

Extended rinsing, rub with a gentle cotton cloth, more rinsing. Patience is a virtue when it comes to dried on ink.

 

Next time, flush your pens and let them dry before you put them away for an extended period of time.

[Chris]

It really is that simple. The stains are dried ink and ink is soluble in water. Other than a little washing up liquid if necessary and lots of rinsing afterwards there is nothing else needed. Use cool water, neither hot nor ice-cold.

 

Actually, if ink has dried inside the pen (you'll know if it has as ink won't flow smoothly), you may need more cleaning and flushing but again water is your friend.

 

Chris

[Vargouille]

Also, if it seems really stuck on, and into the engravings, you could you a weak solution of 1 parts Windex, or similar ammonia-containing glass cleaner, to 2-4 parts water. This may also help get dried ink in the feed, but you will want to use more dilute solutions.

 

EDIT: As to your worry of damaging the nib, don't be. Nibs are, by nature, more resilient than say, rice paper. You can rub quite vigorously and only get minor, if that, plating loss. Just don't drop it.

Edited January 1, 2011 by Vargouille

[jar]

Also, if it seems really stuck on, and into the engravings, you could you a weak solution of 1 parts Windex, or similar ammonia-containing glass cleaner, to 2-4 parts water. This may also help get dried ink in the feed, but you will want to use more dilute solutions.

 

EDIT: As to your worry of damaging the nib, don't be. Nibs are, by nature, more resilient than say, rice paper. You can rub quite vigorously and only get minor, if that, plating loss. Just don't drop it.

 

 

Not Windex. Stick to just plain non-sudsing ammonia if you want and a mixture at one part ammonia to ten parts water.

[Vargouille]

Also, if it seems really stuck on, and into the engravings, you could you a weak solution of 1 parts Windex, or similar ammonia-containing glass cleaner, to 2-4 parts water. This may also help get dried ink in the feed, but you will want to use more dilute solutions.

 

EDIT: As to your worry of damaging the nib, don't be. Nibs are, by nature, more resilient than say, rice paper. You can rub quite vigorously and only get minor, if that, plating loss. Just don't drop it.

 

 

Not Windex. Stick to just plain non-sudsing ammonia if you want and a mixture at one part ammonia to ten parts water.

Oops. That's what I always use.

[Ernst Bitterman]

The reason being that Windex has various other non-ammonia things in it that aren't necessarily so hot for pens (from Wikipedia, so take it advisedly: The Sam Wise patent #3,463,735 lists several example formulae, one of which is 4.0% isopropyl alcohol (a highly volatile solvent) 1% ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (a less volatile solvent), 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate (a surfactant), 0.01% tetrasodium pyrophosphate (a water softener), 0.05% of 28% ammonia, 1% of a dye solution, and 0.01% perfume). In North America, non-bluesmelly ammonia is readily available in most of the places one can find Windex, but in other places it might not be so readily available. I believe in the UK one has to beg at a pharmacist's feet for it.