Fountain Pen Tips: "How-to Clean A Clogged Fountain Pen"

(photo: Merritt Handcrafted M1 "OceanSwirl" w/ Rhodium accents)
A very common question I get asked a lot is:
"How Do I Clean or Unclog My Fountain Pen?"

Last year I responded to a question on Yahoo Answers by Shelly V., and I decided to republish it here @RICHARDink.com. I've receieved many positive emails and feedback about the post there, and figured it would be helpful to have the information here as well for those of you that are interested in some tips on cleaning and unclogging your fountain pens.
Note: This is mainly for very minor clogging of ink and basic cleaning and ink refilling tips. There are other (more detailed) options that I don't discuss here for other types of pens and ink reservoirs and more serious clogging scenarios. 

QUESTION:

How do I clean my fountain pens?

I have a Cross pen and a Waterman Phileas pen, both of which don't seem to write when I put in a new ink cartridge. I think it could be because there's too much clogged ink in there. Anyone know of an easy way to clean these? I saw a tip that said to soak them in olive oil, but I'd rather not try that one because it's so hard to get oil out of anything. Or is there someone or someplace I can take the pens to to get them professionally cleaned?

ANSWER:

This is a very common problem, especially if you only use ink cartridges and not cartridge converters. It's normal for old ink deposits in between the nib and feed to build up over time and eventually restrict the ink flow to a sudden halt. No fun.

I always suggest (especially when changing ink brands or colors) to flush your fountain pen's nib & feed with cold water by using a cartridge piston converter -- most cartridge pens accept cartridge piston converters to be used with bottled ink. These are relatively inexpensive and easy to find -- and many cartridge style fountain pens come with one included, so it's possible you already have one.

You should flush your pens every 30 days at least if you don't use them daily. ( I recommend it every other refill or so). And be sure to use COLD WATER ONLY. If the clogging is extreme, then before you flush it with the converter, stand the pen up in a glass of cold water, and let the nib & feed soak for 24 hours. Be sure not to get water on other parts of the pen, just have enough water in the glass to soak the entire nib. Then after 24 hours give it a rinse under cold running water from the tap (protecting the pen body from the water with a cloth) for 10 seconds.

Now proceed to flush out the nib and feed with the piston converter using cold water. Repeat flushing until there are no signs of clogging or old ink deposits. Be sure to let your nib and feed dry out for a few hours or use a can of air to remove all of the moisture around the nib feed and nipple before re-inking your pen.

In some really extreme cases of clogging you can use a mixture of ammonia diluted with water to soak and flush with -- But I recommend a professional do this or if you decide to DIY then use extreme caution. Another solution is to soak the pen in an Ultra-Sonic Machine. I have one that I use and it really does a superb job. Again extreme caution should be used with these methods as you can really ruin a fine pen if you are not careful.

(*Voted Best Answer on Yahoo Answers)

► Want More Tips on Fountain Pen Care? (more)
"7 Simple Tips on How-to Use and Care for Your Fountain Pens"

Comments

[cleaning products]

thnx for the tips! It was successful! yay:)

[Tim]

Brilliant advice, I was about to buy a new Cross pen nib section as mine had not worked correctly for ages. I cleaned with cold water until it ran clear, but the can of air actually unclogged a lot of ink as well (that I didn't know was there). It's now working fine and saved me €40. Thanks.

[Peter]

Some great tips there, look after your fountain pens and they can last a lifetime.