Fountain Pen Maintenance: 4 Simple Steps

Fountain pens may not be too precious compared to our other luxuries in life, but for art enthusiasts, these pens are invaluable and should be handled with care.

To many artists and calligraphers, modern fountain pens are their best tools in creating their masterpiece. To them, losing a fountain pen means delays in their projects so they need to spend time cleaning and maintaining them to make them last.

Fountain pens can last for many years if they are given the right amount of care.

Caring for your pen is not a particularly difficult or laborious process and will save you a lot of money on expensive nib replacements, so feel free to peruse our tips below to ensure you get the best out of your writing instrument.

Preparing Fountain Pens

If it is the first time the fountain pen is used you should prime the pen. Simply fit the ink cartridge into the pen and hold it upright, squeeze the cartridge hard until you see some ink come out of the tip.  If you are using a fountain pen converter, turn the screw part of the converter anti-clockwise and force some ink out from the tip.

When you are using fountain pens fromDryden Designs, It shouldn’t be difficult to prepare the pen for first-time use. It has been designed to be user-friendly while being sophisticated so they are easy to prepare for the first time.

If your pen still doesn’t write, try to cover the pen tip completely with some tissue, then shake the pen vigorously until you can see some ink is left on the tissue. Be careful not to hit anything when shaking the pen otherwise the nib might get damaged.

Maintenance: Cleaning and Flushing

Inevitably, fountain pens will dry out if not in continuous use. We recommend cleaning out your fountain pen at least 4 times a year, perhaps more often if your pen will be out of use for longer periods. To flush it properly, do the following:

1. Remove the ink cartridge from the pen and run the nib, filling mechanism and feeder under cool water.
2. Shake out any excess water and dry the nib with a clean, lint-free cloth.
3. At this point your pen will be ready for use again, that is if you don't mind your ink getting progressively darker as the ink displaces the water in the feed. If this is a concern, wash out the cap and leave it to completely dry overnight. Leave the rest of the pen (nib-down) in a glass with a sheet of paper at the bottom to catch any remaining water.
4. Bonus tip: ensure you complete the process above every time you change ink color or brand, or the residue from the previous ink will form with the new one to create a rather unpleasant viscous substance unsuitable for writing.

And if you are not using them, be sure to put them in a fountain pen case. Some pens already come with a case but others don't. You can buy a durable one online which can store up to 20 pens. This will help protect your pens from dust, weather and your kids goofing around.

With just these simple and easy-to-follow steps, you will surely be able to make your pens last long.