How Difficult Are White Pens?

[Purphoros]

Hey everyone!

 

I'm currently in the market for a pen and the Pelikan M605 Translucent White has caught my eye. From what I understand however a white lacquer pen is a hard thing to keep clean. Does anyone have experience with how much of a commitment keeping a white pen white is?

 

EDIT: My main concerns are with staining and yellowing. I've heard that red ink can stain the interior of a demonstrator before and I'm concerned about something similar but on the exterior of a white pen.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Purphoros

[surprise123]

I honestly don't know... though they sound hard to clean.

[Runnin_Ute]

The only white pen I have is a TWSBI Eco, but all that is white is the cap and piston knob. It has been easy. Although an all white pen would likely be more difficult.

[Uncial]

The threads get very grubby and inky and can be a bit of a pain to clean. The interior cap can also get very inky but I rarely look in there.

[Purphoros]

The threads get very grubby and inky and can be a bit of a pain to clean. The interior cap can also get very inky but I rarely look in there.

Have you had any issues with staining? That is my concern as I would not like the idea of having an off-white pen because I didn't clean it frequently enough. I've also heard of accounts of demonstrators being stained by red inks, do you know anything about that?

[Purphoros]

The only white pen I have is a TWSBI Eco, but all that is white is the cap and piston knob. It has been easy. Although an all white pen would likely be more difficult.

Any staining or yellowing?

[Inksomnia]

I have Pelikan m100 aka. Stormtrooper. And white threads are hard to keep clean. I have used purple ink in the pen once and it still have some staining in the threads. I have switched to my lightest ink, Mont Blanc oyster gray. I find greys don't stain that badly, so I am keeping grey ink there for now on. But it is still pain to keep clean. It is one of those pens that never leave the house. I don't want to put it with other pens, in case of leak. But it is pretty but I'm not sure is it worth all the hastle. But for now, I'm not wanting to get more white pens, even if they are really beautiful. Keeping pen white just takes too much work.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Inksomnia

[Freddy]

Have been usin' a Omas Bibliotheque National for twenty years without any staining..however..

only usin' blue-black Waterman..Skrip blue-black..Pelikan royal blue. No purple..red inks.

After filling wipe section..no problemo.......Found a scan with said pen......look below....

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/7833-what-pens-are-you-using-today/?p=2157762

Fred

[Purphoros]

I have Pelikan m100 aka. Stormtrooper. And white threads are hard to keep clean. I have used purple ink in the pen once and it still have some staining in the threads. I have switched to my lightest ink, Mont Blanc oyster gray. I find greys don't stain that badly, so I am keeping grey ink there for now on. But it is still pain to keep clean. It is one of those pens that never leave the house. I don't want to put it with other pens, in case of leak. But it is pretty but I'm not sure is it worth all the hastle. But for now, I'm not wanting to get more white pens, even if they are really beautiful. Keeping pen white just takes too much work.

Yeesh, have you ever tried a green ink? I've been thinking on using one if I were to get this white pen.

[Purphoros]

Have been usin' a Omas Bibliotheque National for twenty years without any staining..however..

only usin' blue-black Waterman..Skrip blue-black..Pelikan royal blue. No purple..red inks.

After filling wipe section..no problemo.......Found a scan with said pen......look below....

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/7833-what-pens-are-you-using-today/?p=2157762

Fred

Hmm... those Waterman inks are water soluble right? Maybe permanent inks are the issue? I guess color seems to be the main factor based on what I've heard.

[ErrantSmudge]

I have a white Lamy Dialog 3. It's a retractable pen, so it has no cap threads to worry about. The nib/feed mechanism unscrews from the body of the pen for filling and cleaning, so the body of the pen never really gets near ink.

[Runnin_Ute]

Any staining or yellowing?

Not to date. Not on my all clear 580 either.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Runnin_Ute

[Uncial]

I haven't found any staining issues with inks, but I rarely use anything other than sepia inks in that particular pen (it's the white Pelikan tortoise). No yellowing of the white either, but I suspect in time it will do this. Just how long that will be is anybodies guess.

[Steveg58]

I have a Sailor Procolor Sakura which is a very pale pink. I had some staining from my Private Reserve Plum. I would suggest staying away from the very saturated colour inks.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Fears of staining, has kept that from me from white pens. The staining or gunking of the threads is 'new' to those fears.

That white Pelikan tortoise is a very sharp looking pen.

I would imagine a cotton pad dipped into a basic diluted fountain pen ammonia solution would take care of that.

The white Dr./Nurse Esterbrook, seemed to have done well with no problems for a couple of decades of making. I don't recall any remarks on it staining.

 

That was of course pre-supersaturated inks.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[MarcS]

The dirt, oil, acids from my hand stained the bright white barrel of my pen to a dull yellow where it was gripped. Call it patina, but I don't find it beautiful, and I will never buy an expensive white pen.

[Purphoros]

The dirt, oil, acids from my hand stained the bright white barrel of my pen to a dull yellow where it was gripped. Call it patina, but I don't find it beautiful, and I will never buy an expensive white pen.

That's a shame.

[Purphoros]

Fears of staining, has kept that from me from white pens. The staining or gunking of the threads is 'new' to those fears.

That white Pelikan tortoise is a very sharp looking pen.

I would imagine a cotton pad dipped into a basic diluted fountain pen ammonia solution would take care of that.

The white Dr./Nurse Esterbrook, seemed to have done well with no problems for a couple of decades of making. I don't recall any remarks on it staining.

 

That was of course pre-supersaturated inks.

Yeah I might not order a white pen for a while. I'll pursue some other options I don't think I can handle the responsibility yet.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Purphoros

[Shaggy]

I have an ivory pen. The only inks that *don't* stain it are Waterman, and I wouldn't risk the Waterman turquoise (Inspired Blue) because I've heard it can stain.

 

I've been able to remove the most egregious stains with pen flush and elbow grease. I also usually fill it with a syringe so I don't have to worry about ink getting into the nooks and crannies of the section.

[Purphoros]

I have an ivory pen. The only inks that *don't* stain it are Waterman, and I wouldn't risk the Waterman turquoise (Inspired Blue) because I've heard it can stain.

 

I've been able to remove the most egregious stains with pen flush and elbow grease. I also usually fill it with a syringe so I don't have to worry about ink getting into the nooks and crannies of the section.

I'm concerned about the viability of using a syringe in a piston filler though it has crossed my mind. Its been a weird couple of days as I keep getting contradicting information about the staining of white pens, however every person has a different pen, different cleaning techniques, and different inks so I have no idea how representative my sample is.