How To Clean A Fountain Pen Nib Without A Converter

Congrats…you accept your commencement fountain pen!

Perchance yous read our Top 10 Fountain Pens for Beginners blog and picked out a special starter pen.

Yous and then filled information technology with our handy How to Fill up a Fountain Pen guide, and you've been writing amazing pieces ever since. But now…a daunting job approaches. Information technology'due south time for spring cleaning.

Yes, even fountain pens must be cleaned every once in a while. But when?

Y'all probably need to clean your pen virtually every other time you alter the cartridge or the ink in the converter.
If you're changing ink colors, now'due south the fourth dimension!
It may be fourth dimension to make clean, too, if your pen doesn't "start" right away; you've probably got some dried ink subconscious abroad on the inside. If a fiddling bit of water on the nib doesn't get it going, information technology probably needs a deeper launder.
It's good to go in the habit of cleaning those pens that you won't be using for a while, also – always give them a thorough cleaning before storing them away.

If this task feels overwhelming, it'southward actually super easy! Merely follow our 5-pace guide beneath, and you'll exist writing with a perfectly clean pen in no time.

Needs Listing: pens to exist cleaned, beak removal tool (for a existent, deep make clean), Q-tips, small cup of cool water, fountain pen flush; optional: silver polish

1. Start with a quick dusting!

Yep, nosotros're cleaning the insides of our pen, but we unremarkably similar to take this fourth dimension to grit off the outside of the pen, too, to make certain the full piece is in the best condition it can be. Nosotros similar to utilize a polishing textile like the one pictured here from Platinum (non the pen brand) to get all the excess dust off.

2. Permit's bank check things out and requite information technology a affluent!

Now that we're ready to officially start, permit's take that pen and get all the ink out. If you accept a piston filled pen, and in that location is ink in it, simply expel the ink, and and so suck up some cool water from a pocket-sized loving cup and push it back out. Do this several times. Y'all tin too apply your sink directly for a larger corporeality of water, or a syringe for a more precise amount of h2o. I do recommend using a stainless steel sink equally some inks tin can stain porcelain.

Flush Out Your Fountain Pen To Remove The Ink

3. At present, a deeper flush!

For the best results, we too recommend using a pen flush after using the plain water to help remove not just the ink, but the extra "gunk" (specially on the underside of the neb) that plain water may non clean out. I of our favorite brands is the flush pictured hither from Monteverde USA – its combination of ammonium hydroxide and other ingredients seems to be the perfect residue. You lot'll desire create your own mixture of by and large water and but a niggling scrap of flush. This helps you lot to not use as well much affluent too speedily. Continue sucking it up until the water runs clear. You can do a last water-only rinse or two after you're done to get all the special flushing product out.

Annotation: For pens that are extremely dirty, we recommend that you leave your pen submerged overnight for the best results.

4. More than deconstruction!

If possible, information technology'southward now fourth dimension to deconstruct the pen further for an fifty-fifty deeper clean. If you have a nib removal tool, be certain to utilise it during this step. Grab the tool, fit it on your beak, twist, and twist the nib right off.

Deconstruct Your Fountain Pen Further By Removing The Nib Off

Now you tin can clean the whole nib section by itself, also. Since the pen has been deconstructed, yous can also clean out the inside of the pen the same style, and make clean the inside of the barrel with Q-tips – using more flush if you want to. Feel free to use a flashlight to look inside if you want (your phone will come up in handy if you don't have a flashlight nearby!).

Use A Q-Tip To Clean The Inside of The Pen Barrell

Subsequently cleaning, retrieve to give your pen a little bit of time to dry before using it. You can utilize a paper towel, your special cloth, or just let the pen air dry.

Annotation: If you have a non-piston fill pen, you lot can commonly just twist the nib out without the tool and pull it right out. You'll notice it may non be quite as dirty!

five. A final polish!

If you take some silver polish, this is a nifty time to go a final polish on your pen. Just utilise a fiddling bit on a cloth, and be sure to rub it everywhere so it coats information technology all. Then, more aggressively, tackle the resin parts with the polish, but NOT the golden – or else yous could peel off the plating!

Polishing A Cleaned Fountain Pen With Microfiber Platinum Cloth

Meet, that wasn't so bad after all! You at present know all well-nigh how to get that sparkly, shiny, and new looking fountain pen. Don't forget that one time your pen is nice and clean, yous should always store it vertically in a cup or display stand with the nib pointing upwards to keep it in its all-time status possible.

Now, if yous're more of a visual learner and need to encounter this whole process played out, check out this super-quick, no-fluff instructional video on the cleaning process.

For those of you that want to skip cleaning (shame on you!), we take another option: purchase a new pen!

Yes, if you make up one's mind yous have a pen that's too far gone to clean, or you just want to care for yourself to something brand new instead, you lot know we tin can help you with that, likewise! Just visit our New Arrivals section to see some of the all-time new additions from brands such as LAMY, Monteverde, and Montegrappa.

Or visit our Inkredible Box pages to have us surprise yous each month with a brand new pen & ink philharmonic!

We tin can't look to work with you!