Platinum Carbon - How Much Pen Maintenance?

[ajoe]

I love Platinum Carbon Black and have been using it in dip pens, but conflicting reports about pen cleaning have kept me from using it in my FPs.

 

I have read everything from "you gotta clean thoroughly every week" to "never cleaned, never had a problem".

 

How much cleaning is required when using this ink, and would it be different for converters vs piston filled?

 

Thoughts? Opinions?

[Bookman]

I have had Platinum Carbon Black in my Platinum Carbon Desk Pen for about 3 years. I have cleaned the pen once, just to do it. It didn't need it; it writes instantly every time--no dry starts; and it has never skipped. YMMV.

[graystranger]

I know I have gone two or three years with PCB in an EF Carbon Desk Pen without cleaning out with no problems. This pen started writing wider than its normal EF line after that time, and I easily flushed out the section with a bulb syringe and it was back to normal. I think it had accumulated some paper fibers in the nib during that time. Never had a problem.

 

My second Carbon Desk Pen is a M (line is like a Lamy F) and I've had it for probably 8 or 9 months and never cleaned it out at all, write with it every day in my daily journal and no problems except when the cartridge runs out - then I refill the cartridge with an ink syringe and haven't bothered with flushing out the section yet.

 

I've had this ink in a Platinum Balance, a Preppy, and recently in my new Platinum PTL-5000A pen. I just don't worry about it at all.

 

I forgot to mention that the EF desk pen and a couple of the others have gone some months without being used at all, but these pens caps (and the desk stand) seal so tight that there is no problem with the ink drying in the feed between writing sessions. They start writing immediately. Never have hard starts with them at all.

 

Not sure I would use this ink in a pen that is prone to drying out between uses. However, I think this ink will flush out even when dry. May take some soaking in pen flush overnight if it has totally dried out, but dried Platinum Carbon Black ink cleans off plastic, glass, and metal easily with a damp tissue. By the way, you can write on plastic, glass, and metal with this ink, it just takes a long time to dry and when dried fully does not wipe off with light wiping. You can take it off with some water or vigorous rubbing.

 

I don't think there is much difference between the ink in a converter or a piston fill. However, to play it safe I would probably not use it in an expensive piston fill pen that cannot be easily cleaned out. The Lamy 2000 and all TWSBI pens would be fine and I think any piston fill pen with a removable grip section would be fine too.

 

I would not worry about this ink at all. My policy is to flush the pen out when the pen and ink acts up. Until then, I leave it alone.

Edited September 20, 2018 by graystranger

[DasKaltblut]

I left it in a Plaisir for 3 years accidentally. There were no problems.

[ajoe]

I'm starting to see a pattern here.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I feel a lot better about loading up some pens.

 

[Almu]

Nothing new to add here really, but I'll post anyway

 

Two months in Lamy Safari, no cleaning, no problems.

About a month in Rotring Rapidograph 0.1 (technical pen), again no cleaning, no problems.

 

Many people say these Rapidograph technical pens clog all the time, but mine have worked perfectly even with Platinum Carbon ink. I don't really like the ink because it feathers so darn easily, but otherwise it's really, really good.