How To Properly Clean A Fountain Pen

[Karenne]

Hello everyone,

 

I am a bit new with fountain pen and am wondering how to properly maintain my lovely pens. I went and watch a lot of videos, read articles (like the one on RichardsPens.com) on how to properly clean a fountain pen. Then, I checked fountain pen brands' website, and also went ahead and try to look up some discussions here on FPN. In the end, I am still left a bit puzzled. I see two sides to this: one side states, "Take your fountain pen apart and clean it that way so you can get everything out in the feed's collector and nib," and the other side is, "don't take your fountain pen apart, that is how you mess them up!"

 

I also see other conflicting ways of cleaning a fountain pen (not just from FPN, but from different sources as well): lukewarm water vs. cold water, glycerin vs. no-glycerin, soak the pen vs. put your pen under running water and rinses out that way vs. using an ear bulb to flush, etc.

 

I would like to hear your experience, wisdom, and knowledge on how to properly clean a fountain pen. If possible, could you please note how to clean pen using converter, build-in piston, and a vacuum? All in all, any advice on how to properly clean a fountain pen would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Karenne

[Sandy1]

 

Hi,

 

There's a lot of personal nuance to cleaning an FP.

 

A lot will depend on the ink+pen combo, and your manner of handling your pen: Do you write a lot? Do you let the pen sit idle for days/weeks on end? etc. Also, is this a 'general maintenance' clean-up or a thorough cleansing when switching between [non-compatible] inks? (Restoration is a different kettle of fish.)

 

In this Topic there are sound points of departure : Limit to Soaking https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/229245-limit-to-soaking/?p=2453755

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

ETA:

 

Note: Part of my [OCD] interest in pen cleaning was triggered when I started to do Ink Reviews. The pens had to be scrupulously clean to evaluate the new ink, hence not carry forward any previous ink; and my template includes a 'Clean-Up' heading. Another part is that I am but the temporary custodian of my pens, so any subsequent custodian will be tickled pink to receive any one of them.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Sandy1

[Karenne]

 

Hi,

 

There's a lot of personal nuance to cleaning an FP.

 

A lot will depend on the ink+pen combo, and your manner of handling your pen: Do you write a lot? Do you let the pen sit idle for days/weeks on end? etc. Also, is this a 'general maintenance' clean-up or a thorough cleansing when switching between [non-compatible] inks? (Restoration is a different kettle of fish.)

 

In this Topic there are sound points of departure : Limit to Soaking https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/229245-limit-to-soaking/?p=2453755

 

Bye,

S1

 

Hi S1,

 

I do write with my fountain pen a lot, and rely on them to be working, especially when taking notes. I do take notes almost every day, so my pens do not sit idle for long. Another thing is that I do switch out ink colors whenever I run out of the other one I filled in previously, this way I do not get bored of one color. Also, currently, I am using the ink brand Diamine.

 

From what I have learned from doing my research, general maintenance is the fill/flush system, and then the thorough clean-up is the one where a lot of people say take your pen apart and clean them.

 

Also, thanks for the link.

 

Karenne

Edited March 25, 2017 by Karenne

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

We await the generous contributions from other Members...

 

Oh, if you are using various inks from various pens, kindly consider starting an ink sample compilation, such as discussed here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/248422-creating-an-ink-sample-book/?p=2714269

 

Bye,

S1

Edited March 25, 2017 by Sandy1

[Chrissy]

Hello and welcome to FPN.

I flush all of my pens with warm water, sometimes soapy water, then pen flush. With C/C pens I regularly use an ear bulb to flush them. I have never used glycerin in a pen as a cleaning agent.

 

How much you take them apart depends on which pens they are. Parker 45's always have their nibs taken out for cleaning. Auroras, Omas's & Montblancs never do.

[jar]

I'm in the "Don't take it apart unless there is a serious problem that will keep it from working and you have tried ALL of the other options" contingent. I flush pens if I am not going to be using it for more than a few days and put it away.

[mitto]

Flushing and flushing. I dont take apart my pens unless absolutely necessary.

[ENewton]

I flush my pens with distilled water, and in the case of pens that use converters, I also soak the section overnight in distilled water. Then, if I won't be using the pen for a while--if I plan to put it aside and use another pen instead--I leave the section and converter to dry for a few days before reinserting the converter, screwing on the barrel, and capping the pen.

 

I do not remove the nib and feed of any pen for cleaning.

[mitto]

+1

[LizEF]

(I'm mildly obsessive, and this degree of cleaning doesn't bother me, nor does it take long, but I don't empty pens every day, probably not even every week.)

 

I used to strip pens as much apart as they'd easily come, but I don't do that any more (except my Ecos) unless it seems necessary to get them clean (e.g. a clingy ink that just won't come out of the nib and feed - even with pen flush).

 

In the text below, cleaning after the initial rinsing could be done with a pen flush rather than water (followed by rinsing with water a few times) if the ink is stubborn (usually permanent inks). My pen flush is 10 parts water, 1 part ammonia, drop or two of Dawn dish soap.

 

Here's what I do with cartridge/converter pens:

1. Put the body and cap aside
2. Rinse the nib and feed until most ink is gone (fast-running tap - lukewarm / warm water - I don't like freezing my fingers, and see no reason the parts can't deal with warm water)
3. Remove the cartridge / converter, and put the grip section aside
4. Rinse out the cartridge / converter (fill, empty, fill part way, shake, empty, repeat until shaking gives clear water). All this is done under a slow-running tap (I find a small, slow stream from the tap works best and allows me to suck water into the converter / let it trickle in). If it's a cartridge, I fill a cup with water and use a syringe to squirt water into the converter and suck it back out (if I want to keep the cartridge), still filling part way and shaking (I find this works well).
5. Set the cartridge / converter (and syringe) aside.
6. Run water through the other side of the section until the color is mostly diluted, then:
   1. If a bulb syringe will work, fill it with water and flush (when the water starts looking clear, I let it run into my cupped hand to see if the pooled water also looks clear). When the water looks clear, I use the bulb syringe to suck water back through the nib and feed, empty the syringe, and do one last flush with clean water.
   2. If a bulb syringe won't work, I use a converter to do this. At present, this is only some of my Pilot pens, and I use the squeeze converter that came with the Metropolitan. I do the same as with the bulb syringe.
7. If things aren't working (e.g. a stubborn ink), I'll remove the nib and feed (all the ones I have are friction fit) and clean further.
8. Exception: I have a Pilot Vanishing Point. I have no intention of trying to figure out how to separate nib or feed from the rest of that assembly.

Piston / Vacuum Fillers:

1. For my TWSBI Ecos, I rinse the nib and feed as above, then remove them from the pen, rinse them off, and put them aside to dry. Then I rinse out the pen body in the easiest way I can - hold it under the slow-running stream, suck water in, shake it, squirt it out, repeat until clean. I suppose you could do this with the nib and feed still in, but it seems considerably slower, also, it doesn't dry as quickly.
2. With my Visconti Homo Sapiens, I fill it with water the same as with ink, shake, empty, repeat until clean. It annoys me slightly, but I gave up on this one ever drying before the next fill. If I had a nib unit removal tool, I would probably remove the nib unit to facilitate drying, but I don't, and this is more me obsessing than the pen needing the water to evaporate before I fill it again...

In all cases, I leave the various bits of pen apart so they'll dry, then reassemble for storage - I generally switch pens when a pen runs out of ink rather than refilling a pen with the same or a new ink. If I were going to refill with the same ink, I wouldn't clean the pen first, unless it had been a while or I felt like there was a specific need to clean it.

[Kelly G]

I'm in the "Don't take it apart unless there is a serious problem that will keep it from working and you have tried ALL of the other options" contingent. I flush pens if I am not going to be using it for more than a few days and put it away.

+1. Under normal use, as you describe, there is no need to disassemble pens to clean them.

 

If you are changing inks, understand first if there are known compatibility issues, if so flush with water more thourghly. If not, flush a few times and call it good. Enjoy the unique shading while any remains of the former ink write out.

 

If you are not changing inks, a light flush every 4 to 6 weeks should be sufficient. There are some of my pens that see the same ink consistently that are not flushed until signs of flow change appear.

I use slightly warm water, barely warm to the touch, for flushing. If I have a particularly stubborn pen I use a 10% household ammonia solution followed by a thorough clear water flush.

 

Some pens are more difficult to clean, the Parker "51" for example. I tend to use the same ink consistently in those sorts of pens. As you get to know your pens and inks you will develop a feel for how much cleaning is required.

 

My best advice is to avoid taking your pens apart. That is of course unless you only use inexpensive pens you don't mind replacing when they are damaged, as they will be with too much fiddling. If you are simply curious about the inner workings of your pens, do a lot of reading on their design, the techniques for disassembly, and practice on inexpensive pens first.

 

The bottom line is they are your pens, do as you wish but proceed with informed caution. And, have fun with the experience!

[Karenne]

(I'm mildly obsessive, and this degree of cleaning doesn't bother me, nor does it take long, but I don't empty pens every day, probably not even every week.)

 

I used to strip pens as much apart as they'd easily come, but I don't do that any more (except my Ecos) unless it seems necessary to get them clean (e.g. a clingy ink that just won't come out of the nib and feed - even with pen flush).

 

In the text below, cleaning after the initial rinsing could be done with a pen flush rather than water (followed by rinsing with water a few times) if the ink is stubborn (usually permanent inks). My pen flush is 10 parts water, 1 part ammonia, drop or two of Dawn dish soap.

 

Here's what I do with cartridge/converter pens:

1. Put the body and cap aside
2. Rinse the nib and feed until most ink is gone (fast-running tap - lukewarm / warm water - I don't like freezing my fingers, and see no reason the parts can't deal with warm water)
3. Remove the cartridge / converter, and put the grip section aside
4. Rinse out the cartridge / converter (fill, empty, fill part way, shake, empty, repeat until shaking gives clear water). All this is done under a slow-running tap (I find a small, slow stream from the tap works best and allows me to suck water into the converter / let it trickle in). If it's a cartridge, I fill a cup with water and use a syringe to squirt water into the converter and suck it back out (if I want to keep the cartridge), still filling part way and shaking (I find this works well).
5. Set the cartridge / converter (and syringe) aside.
6. Run water through the other side of the section until the color is mostly diluted, then:
   1. If a bulb syringe will work, fill it with water and flush (when the water starts looking clear, I let it run into my cupped hand to see if the pooled water also looks clear). When the water looks clear, I use the bulb syringe to suck water back through the nib and feed, empty the syringe, and do one last flush with clean water.
   2. If a bulb syringe won't work, I use a converter to do this. At present, this is only some of my Pilot pens, and I use the squeeze converter that came with the Metropolitan. I do the same as with the bulb syringe.
7. If things aren't working (e.g. a stubborn ink), I'll remove the nib and feed (all the ones I have are friction fit) and clean further.
8. Exception: I have a Pilot Vanishing Point. I have no intention of trying to figure out how to separate nib or feed from the rest of that assembly.

Piston / Vacuum Fillers:

1. For my TWSBI Ecos, I rinse the nib and feed as above, then remove them from the pen, rinse them off, and put them aside to dry. Then I rinse out the pen body in the easiest way I can - hold it under the slow-running stream, suck water in, shake it, squirt it out, repeat until clean. I suppose you could do this with the nib and feed still in, but it seems considerably slower, also, it doesn't dry as quickly.
2. With my Visconti Homo Sapiens, I fill it with water the same as with ink, shake, empty, repeat until clean. It annoys me slightly, but I gave up on this one ever drying before the next fill. If I had a nib unit removal tool, I would probably remove the nib unit to facilitate drying, but I don't, and this is more me obsessing than the pen needing the water to evaporate before I fill it again...

In all cases, I leave the various bits of pen apart so they'll dry, then reassemble for storage - I generally switch pens when a pen runs out of ink rather than refilling a pen with the same or a new ink. If I were going to refill with the same ink, I wouldn't clean the pen first, unless it had been a while or I felt like there was a specific need to clean it.

 

Oh wowzer, thanks for the very detailed step-by-step. I appreciate that! And you also answered some of my questions too as well as give me an idea how to clean my TWSBI mini

 

+1. Under normal use, as you describe, there is no need to disassemble pens to clean them.

 

If you are changing inks, understand first if there are known compatibility issues, if so flush with water more thourghly. If not, flush a few times and call it good. Enjoy the unique shading while any remains of the former ink write out.

 

If you are not changing inks, a light flush every 4 to 6 weeks should be sufficient. There are some of my pens that see the same ink consistently that are not flushed until signs of flow change appear.

I use slightly warm water, barely warm to the touch, for flushing. If I have a particularly stubborn pen I use a 10% household ammonia solution followed by a thorough clear water flush.

 

Some pens are more difficult to clean, the Parker "51" for example. I tend to use the same ink consistently in those sorts of pens. As you get to know your pens and inks you will develop a feel for how much cleaning is required.

 

My best advice is to avoid taking your pens apart. That is of course unless you only use inexpensive pens you don't mind replacing when they are damaged, as they will be with too much fiddling. If you are simply curious about the inner workings of your pens, do a lot of reading on their design, the techniques for disassembly, and practice on inexpensive pens first.

 

The bottom line is they are your pens, do as you wish but proceed with informed caution. And, have fun with the experience!

Got it. Don't take you pen apart unless you absolutely have to. Cool!

 

So, my final question that has yet to be answered is: should I use warm/lukewarm water or cold water for flushing? I saw Chrissy touched on it a bit, but I would like to hear (or read) from the rest you guys as well. This because I have read somewhere the temperature of the water can mess the materials the pen is made up of. Is this true?

 

Karenne

Edited March 25, 2017 by Karenne

[Chrissy]

Rule 1: If you're working over the kitchen sink then be sure to put the plug in before you start dismantling your pen.

I prefer lukewarm water for flushing just because I don't like freezing my fingers either. Only water as hot as boiling point could damage many pens.

I also buy the Platinum brand of pen flush that I use for pens that can be soaked. I mix up a sachet as directed and keep it in a lidded jar. When my pens are as clean as I think I can get them in water, I leave them in the pen flush up to their sections overnight.

[Karenne]

Rule 1: If you're working over the kitchen sink then be sure to put the plug in before you start dismantling your pen.

I prefer lukewarm water for flushing just because I don't like freezing my fingers either. Only water as hot as boiling point could damage many pens.

I also buy the Platinum brand of pen flush that I use for pens that can be soaked. I mix up a sachet as directed and keep it in a lidded jar. When my pens are as clean as I think I can get them in water, I leave them in the pen flush up to their sections overnight.

Oooohhh, okay. What I am getting here is that, you rinse out with water first, but not with extremely hot water, until it is all clear, and then you allow the pen's inner parts, feed, and nib to be soaked in a pen flush. Is that right?

 

So about the pen flush stuff, I was reading about that last night and I saw a few different types: Goulet Pen Flush, JB Perfect Pen Flush, Koh-I-Noor Rapido-Eze, and a self-mix of ammonia and water. I now see that there is another one, the Platinum brand. Out of all of these, which would you guys recommend for maintenance? By maintenance, I mean cleaning it out thoroughly for putting in new ink, whether of the same or of different color.

 

Karenne

[LizEF]

So, my final question that has yet to be answered is: should I use warm/lukewarm water or cold water for flushing? I saw Chrissy touched on it a bit, but I would like to hear (or read) from the rest you guys as well. This because I have read somewhere the temperature of the water can mess the materials the pen is made up of. Is this true?

 

I think it highly improbable that your fingers could tolerate water hot enough or cold enough to damage the materials of a modern pen. I suppose there could be exceptions, but I find it improbable. If you have a vintage pen, it's wise to ask specifically about that pen. If you have a pen made of unsealed wood (from which the section doesn't separate), or some other strange material, ask about it. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

So about the pen flush stuff, I was reading about that last night and I saw a few different types: Goulet Pen Flush, JB Perfect Pen Flush, Koh-I-Noor Rapido-Eze, and a self-mix of ammonia and water. I now see that there is another one, the Platinum brand. Out of all of these, which would you guys recommend for maintenance? By maintenance, I mean cleaning it out thoroughly for putting in new ink, whether of the same or of different color.

 

IMO, you don't need a pen flush unless the ink is being stubborn, it's (partially) dried, or you just want to speed things up. (At least, that's been my experience.) My mix was based on recommendations of more experienced users from various online sources. I've used it on dried ink in old pens, on Noodler's Bad Blue Heron, and on De Atramentis Document Inks - worked fine. In other words, I don't think it matters which one you use unless you have some special condition best treated by a specific pen flush (e.g. staining or stubborn dried ink). I chose to mix my own because it's cheaper and readily available (don't have to worry about ordering more if I run out).

[eharriett]

This was, I believe, one of the first questions I ever posed to this forum (all those months ago). I settled on a routine. I have a small cup of distilled water I keep in my bathroom. Unless it is a vintage pen or other pen with a sac, I remove the nib and after flushing with water, I let the nib unit sit in water overnight to clear the ink off the feed. Wash out the c/c right there.

 

If it is a vintage or sac pen, if I'm clearing out ink to put it in storage, I'll flush until clean and then fill with water overnight to see what else comes off. If it isn't clean the next day, I'll repeat.

 

My daily writer right now is a vintage Snorkel I keep the same ink in, so every other Sunday, I just refill whether empty or not. Same ink.

 

And no matter what, always always ALWAYS wash out the cap!

[Sandy1]

 

Oh wowzer, thanks for the very detailed step-by-step. I appreciate that! And you also answered some of my questions too as well as give me an idea how to clean my TWSBI mini

 

Got it. Don't take you pen apart unless you absolutely have to. Cool!

 

So, my final question that has yet to be answered is: should I use warm/lukewarm water or cold water for flushing? I saw Chrissy touched on it a bit, but I would like to hear (or read) from the rest you guys as well. This because I have read somewhere the temperature of the water can mess the materials the pen is made up of. Is this true?

 

Karenne

 

Hi,

 

I use ambient room temp water for the most part. Certainly nothing hotter than my blood temp.

 

As a matter of personal practice, I do not squander water, so do not leave a tap open while cleaning a pen. I rig a siphon from a jug/demijohn to replenish rinsing/soaking vessels.

 

I see no reason to use many liters of [potable] water to remove the bit of ink from a written-dry pen.

 

I do my clean-up in the dry sink of the mudroom. The rinse water is collected then used to water the roses. (Or if using Diamine aniline dye inks may be carried forward for initial rinse/soak of subsequent pens.) Watering the geese with the run-off of a Diamine Sapphire clean-up is unlikely to result in a gaggle of charming Blue geese.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

P.S.

The humble Platinum Preppy with its many-finned collector and transparent section makes for a good test bed to benchmark your clean-up technique.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Sandy1

[Noihvo]

 

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a glass the size of a small vase I got at a restaurant years ago. I fill it wit lukewarm tap water and depending on the pen cycled water through the pen a few times, changing the water when it gets dark enough I can't tell if I am just putting inky water through or not. I will often fill a bulb syringe from it and force through the section or converter. With my Esterbrook's I will remove the nib, and flush it with a bulb syringe. I will also run water through the nib. Sometimes I will pull out the 10:1 distilled water: ammonia mix........ for really nasty ones. With most pens I seem to change inks every few flushes.

[ac12]

As with others, I do NOT disassemble a pen to clean it. Some pens can unscrew, but others are friction fit, and that is the problem. If you take apart a friction fit pen too many times, the parts wear then you loose the friction fit and the pen won't stay together. Even the screw parts will wear, and if you screw in too hard, you may strip the threads. IOW, I do the best I can WITHOUT DISASSEMBLEY.

 

I do NOT wash the cap, I use a dampened cotton swab to clean out the old ink. The danger is water in the cap will get between the inner and outer cap, and you will not be able to get that water out. On some pens, the clip is secured by prongs that are between the inner and outer cap. If the clip is ferous metal, it will rust.

 

If you are changing inks, soaking the section overnight is a good idea. I have cleaned and flushed the pen till no trace of inks comes out, yet after an overnight soak, the cup has a cloud of ink in it. The reason is that there are parts of the feed that are out of the ink flow path, so flushing will NOT get ink out from there. If I have an ink cloud in the cup, I will flush the pen, then repeat the overnight or 8 hour day soaking, and repeat until I do not have a cloud of ink in the cup. This is more important when going from a dark ink (like black) to a lighter ink (like turquoise).

 

I use plain tap water, NO added stuff, and it works just fine, for me.

This is presuming that the ink has not dried up in the pen. Because that is an entire different cleaning problem, because then you likely have a clogged in channel to deal with.

 

I select the pen/ink combination based on the ink and the pen.

• Pens which are more difficult to clean (like the Parker Vacumatic or worse a Parker 51 Vacumatic) will only get easy to clean inks (like Parker, Waterman or Pelikan)
• Clear or translucent pens will get easy to clean inks, and inks that do not stain.
• Inks which are harder to clean are only put into pens which are easy to clean, and if necessary, to take apart. This means cartridge/converter pens (like Parker 45).
• The exception to the rule is my Parker 51. It is inked with PR DC SuperShow blue. That is a long term pen/ink combo. PRDCSS blue has been in the P51 for 3+ years, and I have no plans to change inks. So I do not worry about full cleaning to change inks.