Richard, Ink.

DIY Nib Grinding: How-to Grind Your Own Fountain Pen Nib

(image: Merritt Maestro Fountain Pen Handcrafted in Golden Box Elder Burl w/ Rhodium and 22k Gold fittings. Photography by Richard Lee Merritt)

How to Grind Your Own Nibs in Just a Few Steps
Online Nib Grinding Guide by Ludwig Tan
Here's a fantastic article published years ago at Glenn Marcus' website.
The article was originally published in the Journal of the Society for Italic Handwriting, Writing Matters, Autumn 2000 & Spring 2001.

This is a fantastic article that thoroughly explains the Why and How to polish and grind the nibs of your fountain pens, complete with hand drawn illustrations.
 
In the article Grinding Your Own Nibs, Ludwig Tan covers the following topics:

► Why grind your own nib?

► Choosing a fountain pen - what is available?

► Grinding your nib

► Preparing the pen

► Understanding the shape of an Italic nib

► STEP 1:Flattening the Base of the Nib

► STEP 2: Flattening the Top

► STEP 3: Flattening the Writing Edge

► STEP 4: Grinding a Nib Down to a Finer Width

► STEP 5: Sharpening the Chisel Point (or, sharpening a blunt nib)

► STEP 6: Polishing & Smoothing Your Nib

► READ THE ARTICLE: Grind Your Own Nibs

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"

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.