Suggestions To Prevent Drying Of Ink During Brief Pauses While Writing?

[Savit]

I write relatively long durations, but it is not writing 100% of the time. There will be brief pauses, when I will be reading or reflecting, with pen being held open in hand or resting on desk. It is a distraction to close the pen every time when there is a need for 30 seconds pause in writing. Most of the time, ceiling fan will also be on.

Under these circumstances, how can I reduce the drying of ink on the nib as much as possible?

Will any choice of type of nib (fine vs broad) or type of ink (dry vs wet) or adjusting ink flow help reduce drying?

What do you do in such circumstance?

Thanks in advance.

Edited August 11, 2020 by S_B_P

[Black Spot]

dip the nib in the ink well, or dab it on a small cloth.

[gerigo]

Do you use non blue inks? Like black ink? Also do you use a very fine nib, or even extra fine?

[Savit]

Do you use non blue inks? Like black ink? Also do you use a very fine nib, or even extra fine?

 

Yes, I do use black ink, and fine nib (not extra-fine).

 

How does colour of the ink influence drying?

 

Thanks

[langere]

Use a pen with a recessed nob, like a Parker 51 or an old-style Aurora 88. They tend not to dry out as fast, for obvious reasons.

 

Erick

[Savit]

dip the nib in the ink well, or dab it on a small cloth.

Thank you. Keeping an ink well open on the working table may be too risky for me. I will try brushing the nib on a wet cloth..

[Savit]

Use a pen with a recessed nob, like a Parker 51 or an old-style Aurora 88. They tend not to dry out as fast, for obvious reasons.

 

Erick

By recessed nib, did you mean a hooded nib?

Also, I did not understand the reason; can you please explain a bit on why they do not dry out fast? Is it because a less surface area of the nib is exposed to air?

[ENewton]

To me this phenomenon seems highly dependent on the particular ink. I have 17 inks, and only one is prone to dry out if I pause for 30 seconds.

 

What inks have you been using? I suspect that there are many black inks that would not dry out under the conditions you describe.

[gerigo]

This is something that I learned based on a pen that I have that effectively does not have a cap. Long story short, I found out that using inks with larger molecular structures like blacks and reds will dry on the pen very quickly. I might not have used the right wording as I am not a chemist and was conversing with the ink seller. That's the reason why these inks are more lubricated than blue inks. This is also the reason why blue inks tend to be the ink that is suggested as starter inks because they are the most trouble free. This pen that does not have a cap and has an EF nib can write immediately when nib touches paper for weeks with a blue ink fill. Even better if it's slightly lubricated.

 

 

 

Yes, I do use black ink, and fine nib (not extra-fine).

 

How does colour of the ink influence drying?

 

Thanks

Edited August 11, 2020 by gerigo

[sirgilbert357]

I've kept a scrap piece of paper to the side to doodle with the nib right before writing again -- gets the ink flowing again. But I will sometimes also just soft cap the pen.

 

Have you thought about getting a Pilot Vanishing point (or Decimo/Capless)? These pens are great for what you are dealing with and I find the click mechanism quite satisfying to use.

[mhguda]

I keep a little jar with water on the side of my desk, well built in so that I don't accidentally push it over and spill the mess. In time, the water evaporates, and it becomes more like a mix of the inks in the pens I dipped. I sometimes even use it as such... or, I just add water when the level gets too low.

I too live in a tropical climate and have my room fan on when I'm at my desk, so the pen drying out is a known phenomenon. HTH.

[Karmachanic]

Quite often I hold the cap in my left had whilst writing. When pausing hold the cap upright and loosely rest the pen in the cap. Also use this method during meetings and seminars.

[Savit]

To me this phenomenon seems highly dependent on the particular ink. I have 17 inks, and only one is prone to dry out if I pause for 30 seconds.

 

What inks have you been using? I suspect that there are many black inks that would not dry out under the conditions you describe.

This is interesting. I have been using Bril, Camlin and Parker Quink (all in either blue or black). I have not noticed which ink has this problem (or if many have them) - I will observe from now.

[Savit]

This is something that I learned based on a pen that I have that effectively does not have a cap. Long story short, I found out that using inks with larger molecular structures like blacks and reds will dry on the pen very quickly. I might not have used the right wording as I am not a chemist and was conversing with the ink seller. That's the reason why these inks are more lubricated than blue inks. This is also the reason why blue inks tend to be the ink that is suggested as starter inks because they are the most trouble free. This pen that does not have a cap and has an EF nib can write immediately when nib touches paper for weeks with a blue ink fill. Even better if it's slightly lubricated.

 

 

 

Surprising, indeed, to hear that you use your pen for a week without cap.... Which blue ink do you use? And how do you lubricate the ink yourself?

[Savit]

I've kept a scrap piece of paper to the side to doodle with the nib right before writing again -- gets the ink flowing again. But I will sometimes also just soft cap the pen.

 

Have you thought about getting a Pilot Vanishing point (or Decimo/Capless)? These pens are great for what you are dealing with and I find the click mechanism quite satisfying to use.

Thanks for your suggestion of using a scrap paper.

Pilot vanishing point is a dream pen; but it is far beyond my budget..

[JosephKing]

Also, I did not understand the reason; can you please explain a bit on why they do not dry out fast? Is it because a less surface area of the nib is exposed to air?

I'm under the impression that the Parker 51 actually has a small resevoir in the hood to keep the nib lubricated (it was built to negate the quick drying effects of a new ink Parker had formulated).

 

Combine the 51 with blue quink (combo recommended to me by a 'veteran' in the fountain pen business) and you shouldn't have as many issues.

 

A cheaper option that I enjoy is a deskpen, either purpose made (ex: Platinum dp-800) or hacked (ex: Kaweco Perkeo with the cap glued into a block of scrap wood). Just put the pen into the holder when it's time to think.

[gerigo]

 

Surprising, indeed, to hear that you use your pen for a week without cap.... Which blue ink do you use? And how do you lubricate the ink yourself?

It's a retractable nib pen where the nib dries very quickly. I can use almost any blue ink on the pen except for very dry ones like Pelikan 4001 Blue Black. I have used Iroshizuku blues, Franklin Christoph Spanish Blue and they work really well.

 

There is a chemical you can add to alter the lubrication of ink but I would not recommend it personally.

[NumberSix]

I can definitely recommend a Parker 51 for this purpose. I've let mine sit uncapped for 30 min with nary a hard start. (using a well-behaved ink like Quink or Pelikan 4001)

 

Once, I accidentally left my Vac 51 uncapped overnight. The next morning when I sat down at my desk, it hard-started for about half a letter before continuing on as if nothing had happened. These things are tanks!

[A Smug Dill]

It is a distraction to close the pen every time when there is a need for 30 seconds pause in writing. _...‹snip›... how can I reduce the drying of ink on the nib as much as possible?

Use an ink that's not prone to drying on the nib in 60 seconds. Some inks are better in that regard than others.

 

Use a Pilot Capless pen or some such, so that it doesn't take a two-handed operation to seal the nib during pauses.

 

Will any choice of type of nib (fine vs broad) or type of ink (dry vs wet) or adjusting ink flow help reduce drying?

Regarding the type of nib, a hooded nib will do better than an open nib. (Different nib width grades do not mean two nibs are of different types.)

[praxim]

Quite often I hold the cap in my left had whilst writing. When pausing hold the cap upright and loosely rest the pen in the cap. Also use this method during meetings and seminars.

I use this method too, more so back when I was in meetings than now at home.