Edc/edw Care

[Xaotic Script]

Hi Everyone,

A while back, with the help of fellow members, I got a Pilot Metro fountain pen and Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher. I use this pen as an everyday carry/writer and found that, like other pens that I used to own, the nib keeps accumulating ink on the top and sides. First, am I experience normal fountain behavior, and second, should I keep the nib clean or just let it be?

 

Thanks for all responses.

[ac12]

Ink accumulating on the nib is really of no practical concern, unless is it accumulating in large enough quantity to drip onto your paper.

[Sasha Royale]

You have it with you all the time. Changes in temperature can result in "sweating" of ink. If it doesn't affect function, try to ignore it. If you cannot ignore, give it a wipe with a tissue.

[sirgilbert357]

All my Esterbrook nibs do this too. Depending on my mood, it can be mildly irritating and I'll wipe it with a tissue. Try to keep it nib up and away from your body heat if you can...

[jar]

A spotless nib is like a ten year old in a suit; something more manikin than kid.

[sjs]

It is possible to get ink on the nib mechanically, from bumping or shaking the pen while capped. But if you get ink on the nib without that, it is called nib creep.

 

Some inks do this more than others. I'm not sure what properties of the inks make them more or less prone to it, but I have noticed that the worst offenders seem to be more saturated, or have fancy properties like bulletproofness or a different colored sheen.

 

If you have a creeping ink, wiping it off won't last long. After you write a few pages, it'll come back. And nib creep never seems to build up so much ink that it will affect the writing, so it's not necessary to clean it. If you really want it gone, try more well-behaved inks, such as Iroshizuku, J. Herbin, Waterman, Sailor, etc.

[Xaotic Script]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the helpful and quick replies. So basically my pen behaves normally with the extra ink on top of the nib. I think the creep comes from both capping (this is a non threaded type) and being in a shirt pocket or clipped to a polo shirt. Glad to hear I don't have a leaking pen or did something during cleaning.

 

Thanks again!