When A Pen Won't Start

[iRabb]

When a pen is particularly hard to start, what are some of the best ways to get it going quickly? This one happens to be an eyedropper that does very well once the ink starts to flow, but after being capped overnight (nib up), it's a bear to get going the next day. Same thing after leaving it capped for a while during the day. Other than that, it's a decent writer.

 

Thanks!

[Mr. Pink]

I usually have success by just dipping the nib in the ink for a few seconds.

[ac12]

If you have a baby bottom profile to the tip, the only fix is to reprofile the tip to remove most of the baby bottom profile.

 

If it is hard starting due to the nib drying out, I have a glass inkwell that I use as Charles mentioned. A quick dip of the nib into the water, then hold the pen nib up for about 15-20 sec, and the ink is flowing again.

[Steven]

Try storing the pen vertically nib down. With some pens, the ink drains out of the feed accumulator when sitting in the normal nib up vertical position and it takes a while for the ink to reflow back. Those above that suggested re-dipping the nib is the other way to solve this problem. If ink has dried in the feed it will not restart easily and will require wetting the nib with ink to dissolve the solids or flushing with water.

[Abner C. Kemp]

Gently tap the nib on some paper. It helps to get gravity working in your favor and saturate the feed. However it's best to use a piece of scrap/blotting paper because it is possible for a dot of ink to spit out of the nib. As a disclaimer, you obviously don't want to use too much force and spring your nib, but I'm sure you already understand that.

 

The other option is to dip the nib in some ink. But I don't always have ink handy so the tapping is an easier option.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Abner C. Kemp

[iRabb]

If you have a baby bottom profile to the tip, the only fix is to reprofile the tip to remove most of the baby bottom profile.

 

If it is hard starting due to the nib drying out, I have a glass inkwell that I use as Charles mentioned. A quick dip of the nib into the water, then hold the pen nib up for about 15-20 sec, and the ink is flowing again.

 

Can you explain baby bottom profile, please?

[iRabb]

Thanks, all. I will try these suggestions, and I look forward to learning about the baby bottom profile.

[Chi Town]

Please keep us posted as to which one works :-)

[iRabb]

Please keep us posted as to which one works :-)

 

Posted?? Is that some sort of fountain pen pun? Not long ago I would not have gotten it, but now I do!

[ac12]

Here are a couple links for baby bottom:

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/glossary/B.htm

http://www.google.com/imgres?client=firefox-a&hs=OmP&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1361&bih=801&tbm=isch&tbnid=NDWZjoOMN5MYpM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdirck.delint.ca%2Fbeta%2F%3Fpage_id%3D559&docid=2zKuFPo8F8aZ3M&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdirck.delint.ca%2Fbeta%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F06%2Fdrawbaby.jpg&w=2060&h=1118&ei=vWHnUsT4D4PvoASxlIGoCw&zoom=1&ved=0CFQQhBwwAA&iact=rc&dur=4303&page=1&start=0&ndsp=22

[Anirban4u]

 

Posted?? Is that some sort of fountain pen pun? Not long ago I would not have gotten it, but now I do!

[iRabb]

Here are a couple links for baby bottom:

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/glossary/B.htm

http://www.google.com/imgres?client=firefox-a&hs=OmP&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1361&bih=801&tbm=isch&tbnid=NDWZjoOMN5MYpM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdirck.delint.ca%2Fbeta%2F%3Fpage_id%3D559&docid=2zKuFPo8F8aZ3M&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdirck.delint.ca%2Fbeta%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F06%2Fdrawbaby.jpg&w=2060&h=1118&ei=vWHnUsT4D4PvoASxlIGoCw&zoom=1&ved=0CFQQhBwwAA&iact=rc&dur=4303&page=1&start=0&ndsp=22

 

Thanks, that's helpful. It rules out baby bottom as a cause for my problem.

 

Leaving it capped with the nib down overnight enabled me to start it with just a few nib taps on paper, as opposed to dozens. So far, that's the best answer. The bottle of ink that's in the pen is in my office, so I'll have to try that later. ChiTown, you are now "posted."

[sotto2]

I suspect the old movie stereotype of someone touching a fountain pen nib to their tongue had at least some of it's origin in fountain pens that needed a little juicing up to get their ink flow started. Of course, I would never admit to (or recommend) anyone doing that to their own fountain pen.

Edited January 28, 2014 by sotto2

[Centopar]

I suspect the old movie stereotype of someone touching a fountain pen nib to their tongue had at least some of it's origin in fountain pens that needed a little juicing up to get their ink flow started. Of course, I would never admit to (or recommend) anyone doing that to their own fountain pen.

 

*Whispers*

 

I do that.

[DRWWE]

I suspect the old movie stereotype of someone touching a fountain pen nib to their tongue had at least some of it's origin in fountain pens that needed a little juicing up to get their ink flow started. Of course, I would never admit to (or recommend) anyone doing that to their own fountain pen.

The above technique really does work. Just don't stick out your tongue for a while after you start writing.

 

Storing the pen nib-down helps but also just leaving them horizontal works too. I stopped keeping pens nib-up a while ago, except when they are in my pocket. My pens usually are left lying down on my desk and for the most part start just fine when I need them.

[Tas]

I suspect the old movie stereotype of someone touching a fountain pen nib to their tongue had at least some of it's origin in fountain pens that needed a little juicing up to get their ink flow started. Of course, I would never admit to (or recommend) anyone doing that to their own fountain pen.

 

Guilty as charged.

However NEVER do this to a pen loaded with ESS Registrar's Ink. The taste! THE TASTE!!

[WirsPlm]

Have you tried diluting your ink a bit (pure distilled water to avoid contamination)? There are some inks that are hard starters and I found that diluting them a bit helped significantly with getting going and didn't really impact anything else, but this depends on what ink it is and how saturated.

 

 

Guilty as charged.
However NEVER do this to a pen loaded with ESS Registrar's Ink. The taste! THE TASTE!!

 

I can never understand people who deliberately put their tongues on pen nibs, but that sounds like an undeserved punishment. I get a finger wet and rub that on the nib (or a paper towel or something) to avoid tasting whatever I'm writing with.

[georges zaslavsky]

clean it with herbin pen cleaning solution

[william2001]

The Parker method:

Tap the cartridge or the converter to release the ink.

-William S. Park

[cbaytan]

Throughly cleaning the pen,
Passing the brass sheet from the nib slit (designed for FP's),
Breathing upon the nib,

Dipping nib into tap water,

Adding ink bottle a drop of dishwasher detergent or two,

Sending it to a nibmeister to fix babybottom.

Would be my methods.