Emptied a storage locker recently and discovered some old pens I haven't touched in about 15 years.
All Pilot (Left) with a rubber bladder, two Parkers with piston fillers, and three Schaefers with cartridges. Can I clean them up with warm water? They were not put away clean. I think I'll just try run warm water up into the piston and bladder tanks to try wash them out, but wondering how easy it will be to get all the water out. Any tips appreciated.
Gunky old pens?
- Thread starter Leverspro
- Start date
A good soak in warm water, with a little Dawn if some of the ink residue is particularly stubbourn, should return them to like new condition.
For the piston fillers, let the pens soak in the water/solution overnight before attempting to turn the piston, just so any dried ink can soften before you start winding the piston.
That Targa is a nice pen. I have one that I still use that I bought in 1983.
For the piston fillers, let the pens soak in the water/solution overnight before attempting to turn the piston, just so any dried ink can soften before you start winding the piston.
That Targa is a nice pen. I have one that I still use that I bought in 1983.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thank you @silverlifter Much appreciated!
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
I soak mine overnight in tepid tap water. That hasn’t failed yet.
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- #5
How do you get them dry after soaking? Do you use compressed air?
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
The trick I was taught by someone on this forum, was to stand it nib down on a bed of tissue after flushing, to wick all the moisture out. That's worked very well for me.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
You can just let them air dry. Usually I am not that patient because I’m re-inking. I stuff a fast food paper napkin (usually very absorbent) in the converter/cartrige end, and use a piece of the same on the nib with a tiny clip to hold the paper to the nib - like an earpod clip or the very smallest binder clips. Those napkins will soak up a lot of liquid fast and the pen ink feed will throw the water to the napkin, exactly as it was designed to do. This method doesn’t take long in my limited experience, 10-15 minutes should do it.
I just soak mine. I’ve read some put in a bit of ammonia but haven’t found that necessary yet.
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- #9
Thanks for the tips! Wow, super fun to use a FP again. It's been years for me. I seem to have the Shaeffer flowing again. My ink is also 15 years old, so not sure of the shelf life there. I soaked the nibs and piston tubes for a couple of days. The Parker still won't flow, so I guess it's back to the water bucket for that one. This is the working one.
I have bottles from the late 1980s that still write fine. If it has been stored out of sunlight and is airtight, you should be fine.
Those inlaid Sheaffer nibs are some of the best ever made!
Those inlaid Sheaffer nibs are some of the best ever made!
apparently you can use old inks unless 1) you can see stuff floating on the surface 2) stink 3) there are deposits
I have been told to never use warm/luke warm water to soak pens.
You can put dish soap, a drop, in the water solution.
To help purge gunky ink from nib+feed sections I use an empty honey plastic squeezy bottle, stick the section in the hole and hold it while I squeeze. Alternatively a ultrasonic cleaner.
Ammonia for very difficult pens.
HTH
I have been told to never use warm/luke warm water to soak pens.
You can put dish soap, a drop, in the water solution.
To help purge gunky ink from nib+feed sections I use an empty honey plastic squeezy bottle, stick the section in the hole and hold it while I squeeze. Alternatively a ultrasonic cleaner.
Ammonia for very difficult pens.
HTH
- Thread starter
- #12
You should avoid hot water, unless you are attempting to soften shellac to disassemble the pen. Warm water will cause no harm.
Unless your pen, or the part you submerge like the section, is ebonite, in which case prolonged exposure, ie., soaking, in water will discolour it.
Unless your pen, or the part you submerge like the section, is ebonite, in which case prolonged exposure, ie., soaking, in water will discolour it.
@Leverspro, always cold water whenever you have to 'un gunk' a pen, even in the squeeze bottle. I use a hair dryer to soften the shellack on vintage pen sections. Button filler pens have screw in sections that could be shellacked, I never do it after replacing a sac, as a precautionary method I put a bit of silicone grease.
Marco
Marco
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- #15
Hmmm. Ebonite pen. That would be sweet!
Ebonite is a lovely material. It's warmth in the hand is truly delightful. Cheaper ebonites do have a faint scent that can be a little polarizing, though. Personally, I quite like it.
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- #17
Hmm thought I had this pen flowing again.
But it's skipping really bad (ink doesn't flow steady) 
. I guess I'll start over with the soaking and maybe try find a squeeze bottle that can put some water under pressure through it.
. I guess I'll start over with the soaking and maybe try find a squeeze bottle that can put some water under pressure through it.
A baby's bulb ear cleaner works well for this. I found one laying around the house from when my kids were little. I had to cut the tip back a bit so it would fit around the ink feed.
- Thread starter
- #19
Really appreciate the help here! Today I repurposed an old squeeze bottle of ketchup and spent some time pushing water through the pen. I can't believe how hard it is to get it to run clear on a rag after many rinsings! I hope I can get it to work. Cheap gel pens work too well with zero skipping for me to mess with this for too long. I think while I write and can't afford the pen to get in the way. Thanks again for the helpful suggestions.
For those inlaid nibs, you are better soaking it. For several days if necessary. It will come right after that.
