Ink longevity in pens.

[purerockfury]

I really need to learn how to search these forums. I used several search terms to find an answer and came up blank every time.

I was wondering what is an average time that ink could be left in a pen and not used. I understand different pen and ink combos will act differently but there has got to be an average or something someone can come up with. I ask this because when I can finally make more pen purchases I plan on getting more Lamy Safaris (would like to collect most if not all the colours) and put matching inks in them. As I will probably switch out the pens often, I am wondering would it be better to just fill the pen with a little ink to use for the few days I will use the pen? Or can I leave it in let's say a month or so and not have to worry about the ink drying up?

 

[Eeyore]

It partly depends on the pen design (and the cap!). Some pens dry out in a few days. Others you pick up after two or three weeks, and they start immediately.

In general, I would not leave ink in a pen I'd not use for a while, let's say two weeks or more.

 

[purerockfury]

That's what I was thinking. I may just fill the pens a little and empty them when I know I am putting them away.

 

[Eeyore]

That's what I was thinking. I may just fill the pens a little and empty them when I know I am putting them away.

I usually keep my pens in the rotation until they are empty, but then I normally have no more than 3 or 4 pens inked at the same time.

 

[andrew98]

Same here. I try to have only a few pens inked at once. I should probably only ever load one or two, as it takes me quite some time to run through a converter of ink. I have some pens, Pelikans mainly, that can go weeks without use, then work immediately when I start writing. The Pilot Metropolitan is another one that doesn't really seem to dry out easily. I agree that the cap design is really important.

-Andy

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I was going to say I've forgotten I had some Pelikans inked and picked them up weeks later with no issue. Some others not so much. I've had a couple that would need a flush after two or three days.

 

[andrew98]

I was going to say I've forgotten I had some Pelikans inked and picked them up weeks later with no issue. Some others not so much. I've had a couple that would need a flush after two or three days.

Pens with an inner cap (cap liner?) seem to do better than caps without that, especially if the cap has a hole in it, as many vintage pens do.

-Andy

 

[Eeyore]

The first generation of Parker Sonnets had the reputation of drying out very quickly. I must say that my 1st generation Sonnet "flighter" dries out quicker than my later Sonnets indeed.

Which reminds me that I should ink that pen sometime again ... so many pens, and just one hand to write with ...