How to Keep Your Fountain Pen Writing Smoothly

The number one problem fountain pen users have is keeping their pen running smoothly. We hear this all the time: "I bought this pen a while ago and it wrote fine at first, but now it skips or doesn't write at all."

As a general rule, all that's needed is a cleaning as there is dried ink pigment clogging the works. What this means is that the nib and feed section must be flushed out. If you have the "converter", which is an optional device to fill the pen from a bottle, or if the pen has a built in piston, you will operate these to fill and flush your pen repeatedly until the water runs clear. Just use tepid water, no soap, no cleaning agents of any sort.

If you have been using cartridges, you still have to flush the system, but you're going to have to actually blow water repeatedly through the works. I do this all of the time here at the shop and it works very well.

If your fountain pen is still being stubborn after these steps, you can ramp up the cleaning solution with 10% clear ammonia. Ammonia will dissolve any remaining ink pigment in the feed. Obviously, you cannot to this if you are lacking a converter or piston. Do not put this kind of solution in your mouth!

Usually these simple methods will get your pen back in original working order.