7 Simple Tips on How-to Use and Care for Your Fountain Pens

Here are 7 super quick tips about taking care of your fountain pens

Photography by: Richard Lee Merritt

Fountain pens are a delicate writing instrument that can bring years of enjoyment if properly used and maintained.  Here I will list seven quick helpful tips on using, maintaining and servicing your fountain pen.

•Holding a Fountain Pen
When properly held, the fountain pen nib should be upright so you can see the engraving on the nib.  Both tines at the tip of the pen should contact the paper at the same time.  Be sure not to apply pressure when writing, the weight of the pen is enough.  Most of us who are used to writing with ballpoint pens, have been trained to press down onto the paper with pressure when writing -- this is not necessary with fountain pens. 
•FACT: The average right handed person writes with their pen at approximately a 55° angle to the paper.

•Using Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges
To install a standard ink cartridge, simply press the ink cartridge onto the nipple of the feed until firmly seated. Gently write on a scrap piece of quality paper to begin the ink flow.  Sometimes you have to be patient here as it could take a minute to get the ink started and flowing.  If it is being really stubborn and won't start after a minute or so, give the cartridge a very gentle squeeze.  (Be very careful not to squeeze to hard, or ink will drip out of the nib/feed -- it's best to do this over a paper towel.)

•Using a Fountain Pen Piston Converter
There are several different types of ink reservoir systems used with fountain pens - but for the simple fact that the majority of today's pens are mostly made for cartridge ink refills, I will only discuss this type in this article.  But, you can also refill your fountain pen ink from a bottle, which usually you have more color options this way and it's much more economical and "eco" freindly too.

To do this you can use what's known as a Converter.
Twist the end of the converter counter-clockwise until the piston head is positioned at the filling end. Press the converter onto the nipple of the feed.  With the nib submersed in the (bottle of) ink, twist the end of the converter clockwise until it fills with ink and stops.  Completely twist the end of the converter back and forth a few times to be sure it is completely filled.  Now, gently twist counter-clockwise and allow two drops of ink to drip back into the bottle.  Remove excess ink from the nib with a paper towel.

•Choosing the Right Fountain Pen Ink
The ink discussion can often be a subjective and broad topic with lots of personal opinions and choices - which is actually part of the fun of using fountain pens .  My advice is to experiment with as many types as you can to find what you like, but be sure to only use ink designed specifically for fountain pens.  India ink and calligraphy ink can cause permanent damage to the nib, feed and reservoir of your fountain pen.  So be sure you buy the right type of ink.

•Choosing the Right Paper for Fountain Pens
This is another quite subjective topic amongst fountain pen users but generally just be sure to use high quality , non-coated paper.  Low quality paper tends to collect on the tip of the nib when writing causing ink to bleed and your lines to skip.  When possible choose quality paper with a high cotton content to get the most out of your fountain pen when writing. 
Note: Writing on recycled types of paper with most fountain pens and inks usually yields subpar results.

•Storing Your Fountain Pens
Always store your fountain pen with the nib in an upright position. This allows the ink to drain from the nib when not in use. Doing this will also prevent clogging issues over time. 

•Cleaning and Maintaining Your Fountain Pen
Fountain pens should be cleaned once a month and every time you change ink brands or colors.  Remove the ink cartridge/converter from the nib and flush with cold water.  It may be necessary to soak the nib for several hours if it is clogged.  Use the converter to flush the nib and feed with cold water.  Repeat until the water is clear and free of ink.  Leave out to dry, or I like to use a can of air to carefully blow out the excess water from the feed, nib, and converter before filling or installing a new cartridge.  Be sure to gently wipe down your pen from any water with a microfiber cloth or something gentle. Do not use hot (or warm) water or solvents as this may damage the nib, feed, and/or finish of your pen.

Comments

[B. Midgley]

I'm looking for some advice on Rotring fountain pens. I have purchased two older models, a 400 and an esprit. Both seem to have ink flow problems that I have not been able to fix and I'm about ready to swear off Rotrings forever. Is this typical of the brand?

[Richard]

Unfortunately I don't have enough experience with Rotring fountain pens to troubleshoot your ink flow problem. I do have a few Rotrings and I will say my experience with these is that they always seem to have an issue with starting very dry if left unused for a couple of days.

But they write fine once you get 'em going -- and use them regularly. You might want to try to experiment with different brands of inks. Sometimes you'll find a certain type of ink works better in a particular pen than others.

If anyone else has any input here please feel free to shed some light on the subject. Thanks.

Richard

[Melvin Greenblatt]

What do you think of Chinese pens? Are they reliable. Are some brands better than others?