Can FPs be laid on their side?

[mbrown3]

I left my new Aurora 88 on its side overnight after having filled it last night, and when I went to use it today, ink had leaked into the cap and covered the nib and surrounding area. Is this normal? I haven't had any trouble with this before, but most of my pens are RBs, I only have a couple of FPs and they don't get a ton of use, but still I haven't seen this problem. Should they be stored "upright", or is there a problem with my pan, that I should have looked at?

[Paladin]

I am using mostly Pelikan pens. All my pens have either a built in plunger or ink convertor.

 

My pens are almost always on the side with the exception when they are in my shirt pocket. After filling the pen, I release 5 drops of ink back into the bottle. I then bring the plunger back up fully. For good measure, after cleaning up the pen, I write a few lines to ensure all the excess ink is cleared. Never had any problems with leaks.

[gyasko]

I left my new Aurora 88 on its side overnight after having filled it last night, and when I went to use it today, ink had leaked into the cap and covered the nib and surrounding area. Is this normal? I haven't had any trouble with this before, but most of my pens are RBs, I only have a couple of FPs and they don't get a ton of use, but still I haven't seen this problem. Should they be stored "upright", or is there a problem with my pan, that I should have looked at?

 

This isn't normal. I'd guess there is a leak somewhere.

 

[PAKMAN]

Except when riding up in my pocket all of my inked pens lay on their sides. Could be excessive nib creep if you are using a Noodlers ink, but it may be that it was full-full and a temperature change caused some ink to come on out!

[captnemo]

I don't know about the Aurora 88, but this topic of orientation came up on FPN a while back and many people pointed out that storing with the nib up was unnecessary. I had always diligently stored mine nibs up but after that thread I decided to be less careful. I keep 8 to 10 pens inked and I started leaving my two most common pens just laying on the desk. No problems. Then I decided to be ornery and started storing all my inked pens nib down. I've been doing this now for a month or two and there have been zero problems, no leaks, no stains in the caps, nothing. One of my pens is an eyedropper conversion, another has a converter and the rest cartridges.

 

So it would seem that a properly set up FP that does not leak air anywhere does not need to be stored nib up.

 

I should add that the above might not be true for pens with ink sacs. Given how FPs work, there would be a difference in this area between a rigid ink reservoir and a flexible one. Whether the difference is significant or not, I don't know.

Edited February 27, 2008 by captnemo

[Paddler]

This is not normal. Ink should not leak out of a pen like that. You should be able to leave a pen pointed up, down, sideways, or any orientation in between without having it leak.

 

Some people tell of ink gradually coating the nib and eventually spreading to cover the section and the inside of the cap. The condition is called "nib creep" but it shouldn't have anything to do with leaving the pen on its side.

 

Paddler

 

[mbrown3]

Hmm, well I am using Noodlers. How do I get rid of this and keep it from happening again? Thanks!

Edited February 27, 2008 by mbrown3

[StickMan]

I'm starting to build up a collection, and I've got a few pens that have spent more than a few days sitting on their sides inked up. I've had a couple leak somewhat into the cap. Although I've only noted it with some of the oldest BHR pens with sacs.

 

I'm planning on building a tray to install into a cigar box I bought. My plan was to install it into the box on a slight incline, just enough to overcome any tendency for the ink to flow out.

[PAKMAN]

I have a vintage Parker Dupold Sr. that the nib touches the inner cap when closed. No problem normally, just a tiny bit of ink in the cap when I clean out the pen. However, with Noodlers Legal Lapis the nib creep kept feeding ink to the nib and the nib transfered it to the cap and It was a mess every time I uncapped the pen. I gave up on Legal Lapis for this pen which was a shame since it is a beautiful Lapis blue!

[Shangas]

1. Leaking = not normal. Get it fixed.

2. Under ordinary circumstances - leaving a fountain pen lying horizontally on say, a desk - is perfectly fine.

[tulipa]

My Waterman Ici et la lies on the side in my purse all the time unless I take it out to write with it. Never have ink leak problem.

[StickMan]

I wonder if you just leave it on its side, undisturbed, long enough then gravity has a chance to overcome surface tension and leakage might be inevitable.

 

Or maybe if it has enough time for some evaporation to take place, that might disturb the equalibrium that prevents leakage.

[skybird]

My pens are always on their side - mostly dry and on display ;-)

But the ones I write with are always on their sides except in my pocket from time to time.

Either duos or 51/61s - Never a problem............................

[myles]

I mainly use Noodler's inks and my pens can spend half-a-day lying on their sides when not in use.

They used to mainly lie on their sides overnight as well but now I use a suede-lined square pen cup I saw at a local supermarket, mainly to keep them confined in one area and less tempting to cats.

 

Never had any troubles, except for one Lamy Safari that seems to leak a little around where the nib fits in to the section, and is probably more a pen problem than an ink problem (I've only ever seen zero to moderate nib creep, and never enough to cover the nib, but others have reported different experiences).

 

I'd also say get the pen checked. In the meantime, as an interim measure, you could try storing it nib-up overnight, and/or changing the ink.

 

Regards, Myles.

[sandeep108]

No problems for me at all, leaving all my pens on their side. Nowadays at work, I take them out and keep them nib up in a couple of stands I have. Actually this created a major leakage problem for me when the converter piston (repaired earlier) of one my older pens leaked and ink sloshed all over and into the barrel.

 

Normally FPs ought not to leak, if they are in proper condition and handled gently. Leaks can occur with jerks though. That is why for carrying around in pockets, etc. all FPs clips, caps, etc. usually are designed to keep the nib upwards.

[gregoron]

Yes, and I never had any problems with it. In fact, I read somewhere at the Waterman forums that some Kultur fp's with starting problems had this problem resolved with pens stored on their sides.