A fountain pen isn’t just any regular pen. It is an instrument that writes beautifully and smoothly, something that common ballpoint pens and pencils just can’t mimic. Having said that, pens this special do come with a little extra work. Knowing how to clean your fountain pen is important, but knowing how often you should clean your pen is also just as essential to fountain pen maintenance. Here are a few tips that we can offer.
Why do you need to clean a fountain pen?
Fountain pens need to be cleaned regularly because they work in more complicated ways than other writing instruments, such as ballpoint pen and rollerball pens.
This is because fountain pens work by means of a process called capillary action. This is when liquid particles pull themselves through a narrow tube using surface tension. You’ll see this as ink works its way down the fountain pen feed and then out of the nib.
As fountain pens are used over time, small debris such as dust, lint, paper fibers, and other foreign objects can lodge their way into the nib slit. Ink components such as shimmering particles can also get stuck in the feed and block ink from flowing. When this happens, your pen’s performance will certainly suffer, which means it is time for a good cleaning.
How often to clean a fountain pen
Most fountain pen users today who have a modern pen filled with regular ink may only need to clean their pens once every quarter (that is, once every three months). Most other pens that aren’t inked should be cleaned once a month, while other pens like vintage pens, pens that dry out often, or those with thick or glittery inks should be cleaned once a week. If you experience issues with your fountain pen such as skipping or hard starts, the best thing to do is clean your pen.
Many pen enthusiasts will clean their fountain pens anywhere between once a week to once a month. Any time you are changing your ink refills, it’s best to clean your pen as well, at least with a quick flush. But of course, this will depend on how you use your pen. These are some of the best practices in fountain pen maintenance and cleaning that can be observed. You can also use a maintenance kit from brands like Sailor to make the cleaning process easier.
The Bottom Line
It is best to clean your fountain pen regularly to keep it in great working condition. Most writers clean their pens once every four weeks, but when in doubt, it never hurts to give your pen a good flush.
Happy writing!
Written by EndlessPens Blogger Ramona Kabigting
