I pray this isn't a rabbit hole

[REV579]

I was given a couple of fountain pens by a church member this week-nothing fancy, but it made we want to load of an old fountain pen of mine. After looking, I couldn't find it, so it looks like I run with this one for now.

Is there a way to "care" for this, for the tip and mechanism used to draw the ink into the reservoir? What are some thing to look for when considering a return to a fountain pen?

 

[Jut]

I was given a couple of fountain pens by a church member this week-nothing fancy, but it made we want to load of an old fountain pen of mine. After looking, I couldn't find it, so it looks like I run with this one for now.
View attachment 894552

Is there a way to "care" for this, for the tip and mechanism used to draw the ink into the reservoir? What are some thing to look for when considering a return to a fountain pen?

Not sure what you mean by "care" for it. I just keep my pens capped in a secure place (for me that is in my shirt pocket or briefcase) and they do just fine.

If the person who gave you the pen let the ink dry out in the pen, then it will be gunked up; if that has happened, then just soak the gunked up parts (i.e. the nib, converter, etc.) In cool water for a few days and then flush it out with clean, cool water.

As for a new pen. Let us know your price range and what your aesthetic preference is, and the suggestions should roll in[emoji1]

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[KellyG]

Not to worry, fountain pens are no more a rabbit hole than razors, blades, etc.

 

[rockviper]

 

[Heckle]

Looks like a nice Jinhao x250 ! Looks like some ink has been left in it. Not a real big deal though, a little flushing should clean it up.
Take some clean water and put it in a small glass, put the nib section in the glass and twist the converter back and forth. If the ink starts to come out, keep doing it until it flows clean (of course replacing the water). When I normally flush my pens, I use two cups. One with clean water, the other for the dirty water.

If nothing much comes out, (as Jut mentioned) you can let it soak for a little while to try and loosen any dried up ink then try to flush again.

There are some great links in the B&B Member's Guide to The Nib thread. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Sorry to break this to you, but EVERYTHING is a rabbit hole to the right person. Some people peer in and think "Nah, what I've got is fine", others leap in and adopt the freefall position.

I've found three pens I'm really happy with, for very little money. I do like cartridge converters, and like that pen of yours, I prefer the cartridges they take to be standard international.

As for returning to fountain pens, just clean that up and flush it if necessary as described above, fill it up, and use it. Don't over think it. It's a pen

 

[KellyG]

Sorry to break this to you, but EVERYTHING is a rabbit hole to the right person. Some people peer in and think "Nah, what I've got is fine", others leap in and adopt the freefall position.

I've found three pens I'm really happy with, for very little money. I do like cartridge converters, and like that pen of yours, I prefer the cartridges they take to be standard international.

As for returning to fountain pens, just clean that up and flush it if necessary as described above, fill it up, and use it. Don't over think it. It's a pen

+1

 

[JCinPA]

I'm susceptible to the rabbit hole at first, usually, but then I settle down with a couple tools and quite with the AD. Luckily the pens I've gotten are cheap, but good. One Lamy in medium one with fine nib are my most used writers, and I got 3 Jinhaos for $15 to try a few inks. I also have an old Cross Townsend in medium I love.

I have black, blue, blue-black, green and purple, and I think I'm done. I just don't have the interest in anything else at the moment.

I've seen some collections on here that are redonkulous, though, so if you tend toward AD, beware!

 

[musicman1951]

I'm pretty sure if you buy 3 or 4 nice Pelikans you can nip that rabbit hole in the bud, so to speak.

 

[pault]

If you happen to have a supersonic jewelry cleaner, that does a nice job on nibs, let them soak for a bit and then turn it on flushing dirty water frequently.
I would put the reservoir in at also, when cleaning that, turn the knob up and down to free and dried ink from the side and get it clean again.
When you think all is done, you can assemble the reservoir and put the nib to a paper towel to see if it draws out clear.
In any case at that point if it looks good, load it up .

 

[Slivovitz]

Not to worry, fountain pens are no more a rabbit hole than razors, blades, etc.

Just checked a spreadsheet. I've bought 4 shaving related items starting in 2012, the most recent being two inexpensive brushes in 2017. On the other hand, I made a lot of purchases from 2009 through 2011. I don't expect to run out of soap or any kind of blades, ever. I have a large razor collection, DE, SE, injectors, some oddities. A few shaving mugs.

Checked a different spreadsheet. Starting 2017, three pens and four inks, a couple of notebooks. But I built up quite a stock from 2011 to 2016.

Sorry to break this to you, but EVERYTHING is a rabbit hole to the right person. Some people peer in and think "Nah, what I've got is fine", others leap in and adopt the freefall position.
...

Yes. On the other hand, even for a rabbit hole prone person such as myself, it's possible to calm down eventually. See above.

 

[brianw]

A Rabbit Hole ?

 

[tankerjohn]

I prefer regular ball pens instead of fountain pens. My colleagues gave me as a gift an expensive fountain pen. But this pen breaks if someone else with different handwriting would start writing with it. I used this pen only when I signed important documents and contracts. Later I hired a new assistant. On her first day, she did a lot of things that she shouldn’t. My last drop was when she came into my office without a pen or pencil and took my fountain pen. I told her that we can't work together. She begged me to keep her, but I knew that it would be impossible to work with her. Recently, she emailed me that she sent prayers for me on prayrs.org. I don’t even know how to react to it.

Wow dude! I don’t know. I mean, part of me thinks that your assistant was wrong to touch your stuff. But another part of me thinks that she was probably really nervous on her first day, especially if she was already screwing up, and maybe in her previous places of employment it was common to grab pens off of other peoples’ desks since usually pens are kind of disposable and often regarded as community property. So she grabbed your fountain pen that you don’t even like, rarely use, and left out and unsecured, and you’re torqued about it? Okay, fair enough I guess.

Fortunately for you, it’s a an old wives’ tale that if you let someone else use your fountain pen it will ruin it. Sometimes people unfamiliar with fountain pens will press too hard and accidentally spring the nib. But just having different handwriting won’t adversely affect the pen. So unless she actually broke the pen when she handled it, it should be fine. As for whether you should fire her on her first day or cut her some slack because she’s new...I don’t know. It depends on your leadership style. But I would recommend locking up the fountain pen if you don’t want anyone to mess with it.

 

[Jut]

Wow dude! I don’t know. I mean, part of me thinks that your assistant was wrong to touch your stuff. But another part of me thinks that she was probably really nervous on her first day, especially if she was already screwing up, and maybe in her previous places of employment it was common to grab pens off of other peoples’ desks since usually pens are kind of disposable and often regarded as community property. So she grabbed your fountain pen that you don’t even like, rarely use, and left out and unsecured, and you’re torqued about it? Okay, fair enough I guess.

Fortunately for you, it’s a an old wives’ tale that if you let someone else use your fountain pen it will ruin it. Sometimes people unfamiliar with fountain pens will press too hard and accidentally spring the nib. But just having different handwriting won’t adversely affect the pen. So unless she actually broke the pen when she handled it, it should be fine. As for whether you should fire her on her first day or cut her some slack because she’s new...I don’t know. It depends on your leadership style. But I would recommend locking up the fountain pen if you don’t want anyone to mess with it.

I think @Ace864 does lunch with Springs1.

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[KellyG]

In the FWIW dept. I’ve discovered that I only fall down one rabbit hole at a time. Since this thread was originally started back in 2018, I’ve fallen down the pipe smoking rabbit hole. My fountain pen AD is fully cured. While I still carry and use fountain pens nearly exclusively, I haven’t purchased a pen or ink for over two years; pipes and tobacco, another story. It should be noted that I have enough ink to last years. Perhaps after I retire at the end of the year I’ll thin out the pen accumulation, who knows.

 

[Doc4]