4 ms·

I went through a fountain pen phase where I used for everything. I still love fountain pens and all the different colored inks. The maintenance is getting a bit

by u678u 6y ago

I went through a fountain pen phase where I used for everything. I still love fountain pens and all the different colored inks. The maintenance is getting a bit annoying though so I've started using good quality gel and rollerballs. Those cheap ballpoints really suck, its one of those things where a few dollars really makes your life better.

timvdalen 6y ago
What kind of maintenance do you do on your fountain pens? I have a bit of a 'habit' myself, but I can't say I experience any need for real maintenance.
- lb1lf 6y ago
  Not OP, but in my piston-filler pens I try to lube the gaskets with a tiny amount of silicone grease once a year or so.
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago
  Not the poster, but I flush the ink holder twice or thrice a year. And wash the nib under running water every few months. Also if you change the ink brand. Or colours.
nextos 6y ago
I still prefer fountain pens because I find good nibs superior to the best rollerballs. Furthermore, they generate virtually no waste. Ink comes in a recyclable bottle and it's water-based, so the paper I write in can be easily recycled without aggressive solvents. The pen itself can easily last a whole lifetime. If maintenance becomes bothersome, maybe you should look into good converters and simple water-based inks. You can easily use a fountain pen like this during many months before you need to go through one cleaning cycle. For cleaning, you can buy some special cleaning agents which you can use just like ink. Some other pen setups like vintage piston fillers and saturated inks can be high maintenance. It makes a big difference to choose a simple ink and a simple pen. The latter can be as easy to use as a rollerball.
- bayindirh 6y ago
  > If maintenance becomes bothersome, maybe you should look into good converters and simple water-based inks. You can easily use a fountain pen like this during many months before you need to go through one cleaning cycle. For cleaning, you can buy some special cleaning agents which you can use just like ink. Most modern "simple" (or boring) inks contain detergents to keep pens clean too. Waterman, Parker, Lamy and Pelikan (esp. 4001 series) are non-staining inside pens. Most of the standard blues (e.g.: Waterman Serenity Blue and Lamy Blue esp.) self destruct in water while resist time unless left under the sun (4001 blue is explicitly discouraged for archiving). This means you can just put your pen section in a cup of water and wait until all water turns transparent again. Then rinse under the tap, let it dry and re-fill. It's this easy. There are faster methods (I rinse & dry a daily driver pen in 5 minutes tops), but we're at HN and not in FPN[0]. :) P.S.: I'm a fountain pen nut, AMA if you want. [0]: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com http://www.fountainpennetwork.com
  - nickdonnelly 6y ago
    > I'm a fountain pen nut, AMA if you want. As am I! Been collecting since childhood. I've spent more money than I care to admit on pens and ink...
  - dunefox 6y ago
    > This means you can just put your pen section in a cup of water and wait until all water turns transparent again. Then rinse under the tap, let it dry and re-fill. It's this easy. AFAIK this is only good advice if your tap water isn't too hard as apparently this can damage the nib.
    - bayindirh 6y ago
      Thanks for pointing out. I've never experienced that problem tho. Also, I've seen no warning about it from the veterans in the FPN. In my country, bottled water is very cheap hence it's used a lot in the household. I prefer bottled water for dunking my pens. In any way, a pen doesn't stay in room temperature water more than 24 hours and inks already have cleaners inside. For a frequently used pen, you don't need to clean it more than 3-4 times a year. It's always possible to "power wash" a pen with a bulb syringe and some water in 5 minutes but it needs some experience and willingness.
subhro 6y ago
What’s up with the maintenance?
Wiles_7 6y ago
I use Pilot's disposable fountain pens. Maybe not as good as the 'real' ones but I like them.
- bluenose69 6y ago
  Indeed, they are very nice pens. They write nearly as well as the more expensive cousins. If you get tired of trashing empty pens, or are looking for something fancier to give as a gift, the Pilot 'Metropolitan' is a nice step up.
  - folmar 6y ago
    You needn't trash them, they are "disposable" but can be refilled quite easily.

by u678u 6y ago

timvdalen 6y ago

What kind of maintenance do you do on your fountain pens? I have a bit of a 'habit' myself, but I can't say I experience any need for real maintenance.

lb1lf 6y ago
Not OP, but in my piston-filler pens I try to lube the gaskets with a tiny amount of silicone grease once a year or so.
jelliclesfarm 6y ago
Not the poster, but I flush the ink holder twice or thrice a year. And wash the nib under running water every few months. Also if you change the ink brand. Or colours.

nextos 6y ago

I still prefer fountain pens because I find good nibs superior to the best rollerballs. Furthermore, they generate virtually no waste. Ink comes in a recyclable bottle and it's water-based, so the paper I write in can be easily recycled without aggressive solvents. The pen itself can easily last a whole lifetime. If maintenance becomes bothersome, maybe you should look into good converters and simple water-based inks. You can easily use a fountain pen like this during many months before you need to go through one cleaning cycle. For cleaning, you can buy some special cleaning agents which you can use just like ink. Some other pen setups like vintage piston fillers and saturated inks can be high maintenance. It makes a big difference to choose a simple ink and a simple pen. The latter can be as easy to use as a rollerball.

bayindirh 6y ago
> If maintenance becomes bothersome, maybe you should look into good converters and simple water-based inks. You can easily use a fountain pen like this during many months before you need to go through one cleaning cycle. For cleaning, you can buy some special cleaning agents which you can use just like ink. Most modern "simple" (or boring) inks contain detergents to keep pens clean too. Waterman, Parker, Lamy and Pelikan (esp. 4001 series) are non-staining inside pens. Most of the standard blues (e.g.: Waterman Serenity Blue and Lamy Blue esp.) self destruct in water while resist time unless left under the sun (4001 blue is explicitly discouraged for archiving). This means you can just put your pen section in a cup of water and wait until all water turns transparent again. Then rinse under the tap, let it dry and re-fill. It's this easy. There are faster methods (I rinse & dry a daily driver pen in 5 minutes tops), but we're at HN and not in FPN[0]. :) P.S.: I'm a fountain pen nut, AMA if you want. [0]: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com http://www.fountainpennetwork.com
- nickdonnelly 6y ago
  > I'm a fountain pen nut, AMA if you want. As am I! Been collecting since childhood. I've spent more money than I care to admit on pens and ink...
- dunefox 6y ago
  > This means you can just put your pen section in a cup of water and wait until all water turns transparent again. Then rinse under the tap, let it dry and re-fill. It's this easy. AFAIK this is only good advice if your tap water isn't too hard as apparently this can damage the nib.
  - bayindirh 6y ago
    Thanks for pointing out. I've never experienced that problem tho. Also, I've seen no warning about it from the veterans in the FPN. In my country, bottled water is very cheap hence it's used a lot in the household. I prefer bottled water for dunking my pens. In any way, a pen doesn't stay in room temperature water more than 24 hours and inks already have cleaners inside. For a frequently used pen, you don't need to clean it more than 3-4 times a year. It's always possible to "power wash" a pen with a bulb syringe and some water in 5 minutes but it needs some experience and willingness.

subhro 6y ago

What’s up with the maintenance?

Wiles_7 6y ago

I use Pilot's disposable fountain pens. Maybe not as good as the 'real' ones but I like them.

bluenose69 6y ago
Indeed, they are very nice pens. They write nearly as well as the more expensive cousins. If you get tired of trashing empty pens, or are looking for something fancier to give as a gift, the Pilot 'Metropolitan' is a nice step up.
- folmar 6y ago
  You needn't trash them, they are "disposable" but can be refilled quite easily.