Storing Fountain Pens

[ph33nyx]

I was just wondering how everyone stored their fountain pens when not in use. I've been keeping mine in a pen holder in my home office with the nib up, but it seems like if they sit for a few days like this I have a hard time getting them to write when I need them.

[Philosophy Student]

If the caps are on well enough you should have no problems starting up your pen. Exceptions may be types of ink that clot or certain nibs that aren't properly set. But if you keep them in a cup with the nib pointed up, you should have no problem.

If you leave a pen for a month or more you may need to start up your pen by swiping a moist lint free cloth over the tines.

But if you plan on not using them for a while remove the ink and rinse it out to avoid nasty build up. But if there is ink in the pen them store them point up.

[ph33nyx]

If the caps are on well enough you should have no problems starting up your pen. Exceptions may be types of ink that clot or certain nibs that aren't properly set. But if you keep them in a cup with the nib pointed up, you should have no problem.

If you leave a pen for a month or more you may need to start up your pen by swiping a moist lint free cloth over the tines.

But if you plan on not using them for a while remove the ink and rinse it out to avoid nasty build up. But if there is ink in the pen them store them point up.

The caps seem like they're all on tight. I'm using Noodler's ink in them all (Parker 51, Lamy CP1, and Sheaffer Imperial II) yet they all behave the same. I usually have to run the nib under warm water prior to using them even after a day, or two.

[pal]

I keep my fountain pens in a wooden display box, laying flat. I have found that this is the best way to store a pen. Sometimes I may not use a pen for several months and when it seems hard to start, I just run the nib under the spigot for a second.

[mouscacha]

+1 on storing them flat. I've left my pens going for a couple months, but no more than that. I don't want dry ink in my pens!!!

[Uncle Erik]

Be sure to flush the ink with cold water before storage and get them dry. To fully bleed the water out, stuff the bottom part of a glass with toilet paper and leave the pen nib down in the paper for about 24 hours. All of the water (and any remaining ink) will drain into the paper.

Then store the pen flat and out of direct sunlight, heat or a damp environment. A pen tray in a desk drawer is fine. Also, wipe them down with a damp cloth to get fingerprints and oils off the pen.

I have close to 200 pens by now - they will keep safely for years this way.

[ezmike]

If you want to know about the qualities of different inks check out this link:

http://www.richardspens.com/?refp=inks

Mike