Maintenance of your pen

STEP 5

Fountain pens are long lasting; but, long lasting doesn’t mean that they are maintenance-free. Fountain pens have to be maintained in a proper manner to be long lasting. So, it is very essential to know how to keep it well maintained for a long life. Here are some of the Do’s and Don’ts to follow to maintain your fountain pen.

Do’s

Wash your fountain pen regularly. You have to wash it at least once in a month to avoid clogging. If you are going to change your ink color, you have to wash the pen thoroughly to avoid mixing of old and new ink. The pen has to be washed only with lukewarm or cold water. Distilled water (water without minerals) works the best with fountain pens, because some of the minerals in the normal water may clog your pen. Fill your pen with water and then empty it. Do this a number of times, until the water is clear. This is the proper method of washing your pen. Before storing your pen for a long time without writing, it is a must to wash the pen. Try keeping the pen vertically at all times to avoid clogging. If your pen doesn’t write properly after a long period of rest, wash the nib and then use it.

Don’ts
1. Don’t use hot water, alcohol or any kind of chemical solvents to clean your pen. These things will damage the pen material irreparably.
2. Chemically treated papers are considered stylish, but they leave residue on your pen’s nib and make it clog.
3. Don’t fill your pen half way through when you’re traveling in plane, as it tends to drip in high altitudes. Fill it up completely, or empty it up completely.
4. Don’t lend your pen to anyone. Most of the nibs are suited to one kind of writing. The way you hold your nib can change your handwriting. So, other person may change the nature of the nib with his handwriting.
5. Don’t use a wet cloth to wipe your pen.
6. Don’t use old inks with dirt particles or cheap quality ink, as it will decrease the ink flow and may clog your pen.