In this video, I demonstrate-in painstaking detail-my pen cleaning routine. Beware, this video contains a lot of detail, which may or may not appeal to you...
When I saw 29 mins, I thought that’s too long, but it really went fast. Great info all the way through. I’ve done a few of those cleaning routines but only next to my sink. You did all that cleaning with nearly no spilling! I had to laugh at the “divine intervention” quip at around 22:20!
Great video. A suggestion for caring for the exterior. Renaissance Wax. Renaissance Wax was originally developed in the British Museum in the 1950's to clean, restore and protect valuable museum objects, art and collectibles. Today it is used to protect and enhance a variety of surfaces: furniture, sculptures, porcelain, knives, fine art, leather, all metals, wood, and much more. A little pricy, but a little goes a long way.
My brother had a parker pen like that when he was in school. Never cleaned it either stopped writing and started to leak all over the place. I think it's in the attic may go and try to find it and try and clean it out. Who knows it may work again.
I liked the showing of the cartridge refilling. I bought a Schaeffer calligraphy pen kit around 20 years ago. I used up one and then refilled it with a syringe from a 50 ml bottle of Skrip red. Best syringe types I found were the ones that came with a printer cartridge refill kit. After going through four 50 ml bottles of Schaeffer Skrip, I’m still refilling the same cartridge. Nice work! Thank you.
A superb instructional video, Stephen. I smiled at the notion of employing milk, but hey, if it works.... I have a similar selection of tools to clean my pens, & certainly, I always clean same after the reservoir is empty; the adage, "look after your implements, & they shall look after you..." has always been my maxim (& for good reason). Pen cleaning has always been labour-intensive, but (for me, at least) that's part of the joy of owning & using fountain pens. My only reservation in this video, is the usage of ammoniacal solutions - I would rather employ a passive method, such as warm water (repeatedly), but hey, each to their own. Thank you very much !! :D
Today, I'm dedicating some time to clean my pens. This video is always a beacon of info and I come back to it when needed! Great! I have most of my little pen collection inked all the time (don't scream, I know I shouldn't). So today, I'm taking care of this bad habit before I destroy my feeds and nibs! Thanks, for posting this vid!
I just bought a Lami safari and I found your review extremely helpful! Sixths cleaning guide is especially useful as I am new to the world of fountain pens. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much for this video. It was very interesting, especially with the lamy example. Keep posting your videos. Thanks very much :) Smoki from germany
I enjoyed your video it was very informative and entertaining.I also managed to a learn a few things but I don't have that much time on my hands so I will need to try and take some shortcuts to clean my pens a bit faster. Thank you.
Great video! i was wondering though. i have a lamy vista which i love but I do not write very much daily. it seems like it is going through the ink fairly quickly. it isnt leaking at all so is it possible that the water in the ink is evaporating out? or does a medium lamy nib just use a lot of ink quickly?
Hi Stephen, hope you`re well. I got my Visconti Rembrand, it is so fantasti I love it. I am only going to be using Visconti blue in it on a daily basis for writing my journal and my short stories. I will flush with water regularly as you suggest but would you suggest taking the Rembrandt apart in terms of the nib and feed occasionally as well? I am a little nervous about taking the nib and feed apart, if indeed they do come apart with a Rembrandt. Cheers.
Thanks for such a extensive review, I learned quite some tricks with a syringe. It also reminds me of a old M800 once bought and the inner wall was so completely covered with a layer of ink that the piston cannot move at all. Fortunately I cleaned it with wine. Alcohol saves pens :D
Thanks, that video is indeed very helpful! I’m currently encounterin the same torture that you described with the Parker 25 flighter with a vintage Faber Castell 53… Problem is, I seem not to be able to remove either the nib/feed section nor the blind cap of the piston fill mechanism. Any ideas how I can do that on these models? The mechanism itself works and after (what felt like) 100 flushes the rest of the red ink seems to come out of the feed but I still would like to maintain the ink barrel and the piston. It would be a shame. The pen is in good condition otherwise.
That's quite the setup you have... kind of reminds me of a mad scientist's laboratory! ;) In all seriousness, this video was pretty useful! I already have my own method of cleaning pens, but you have some more efficient ways that I can use. So, thanks! :)
I wonder if I had silicone grease on my fingers that got onto my Kaweco nib/feed when I filled it as an eyedropper? It was clogged for a while afterwards.
Hello, Doc! If I understood correctly, the Lamy Vista does not need the cleaning cartridge method since we can take the nib and feed out just by pulling it, right? I've just ceived mine today. :)
Hello! This might sound like a dumb question, but how would I go about cleaning a pen that only has a cartridge? I haven't been able to get a converter for it yet, but I know I won't be able to use it for a few weeks and I'd rather not have a cartridge suck to it in the meantime. Will running the nib and feed under water clear it out well enough? I must say, though, I've learned quite a bit from this video that I hadn't before, thank you very much for the information!
So Stephen, “ how does it feel to be an obsessive compulsive?,” lol. Other than a couple of Sheaffer Targars, I have used a MB 149 for 30 years. It’s kept posted in a MB stand exclusively with W. German MB black ink. I have cleaned it several times but less than once a year without problem. Maybe twice it was sent in to MB for service. Only this year during COVID have I started collecting pens and using 2 JB and 1 Diamine ink. My conclusion, all inks are not definitely created equal! Think multiple pens, multiple inks, multiple variables. Maybe I am the obsessive compulsive, lol! Great video.
Thank you for the tips and amazing videos I can't wait till I get my first real fountain pen because when I do I'll treat it better then a hunters rifle XD KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
I use rohrer & klingner alt-goldgrun in my Al-Sport Kaweco BBnib , and i love it so i want to continue usung it, but it is a waterproff ink and i have trouble clening it entirely. DO you have any ideas how do you clean a pen that is filled with waterproof ink?
Hi Stephen, are the Parker Deluxe twist-type converters able to be fully disassembled, since some ink has got behind the seal on the plunger and I want to remove the ink and put some silicone grease on. Thanks
I never heard of milk as a cleaning agent, may be the ink has some fat soluble components and milk emulsion can pull them out. Thanks for sharing this. You did not mention luke warm water, or it is too risky for the feed ?
A small recommendation for all people reading this, this works for my pens it may not work for yours. A good flush or cleaning every 2-3 weeks if you're using the same colour ink works rather well. If you are using pigment based ink then once every week is heavily recommended.
I'm a bit uncomfortable taking the nib and feed out of my pen, being that it is my first and only pen and I have no idea what I'm doing. Is it the only way to clean the pen?
...from no Lamy's to first a Safari, then a 2000 and now a Vista! And I spied your gloss black Safari in your EDC... you are becoming quite the Lamy affectionado... Indeed a Lamy Lover!!
Would an ultrasonic do any damage do you think for stubborn clogs? I use an ultrasonic on my Rapidographs, am new to fountain pens so don't want to damage anything. Sounds like I'm lazy, just afraid of damaging something
The only adverse effect of ultrasonic cleaners I have heard of, is that they can loosen the gold plating on some pens. I have not personally experienced that, but I am careful about putting plated pens in my cleaner.
sbrebrown Thank you for the reply...yes, that makes perfect sense. Will be careful with it if I use it and maybe not put a gold plated nib in. Great videos! Thank you for all you do
I don't know if you already heard but the my feed is black and when I was taking it out to clean half of the black layer of ink came off, so I got a nib half black half silver. So with my nail I pealed the rest of the black coat off and now I have a full silver nib.
I've very much enjoyed the Pilot Iroshizuku Bishamonten in my vermillion Emperor, as well as Star Ruby. But Bishamonten has the occasional surprise gold sheen and lite pink shading to boot. Have you tried that Pilot ink before?
Hi Stephen, I'm fairly new to fountain pens and enjoy your videos very much. One question, why don't you just use the ink syringe with the regular needle attached to both remove old ink from the ink cartridge before cleaning, AND to clean out the ink cartridge instead of going through the bother of using the plastic tubing and the special syringe with the curved plastic needle on it? When I go to clean an ink cartridge, I just use one of my ink syringes with the regular needle it came with to remove any ink I wish to save. The needle on the ink syringe fits all the way to the bottom of the ink cartridge. Then, I flush out the ink syringe and needle to clean it and then use it to clean the ink cartridge. The needle again fits down into the bottom of the ink cartridge the same as the flexible plastic tubing does.. I suppose there is some small benefit to the curved plastic needle on the syringe for cleaning but I simply use a disposable plastic or styrofoam cup which is plenty wide to catch the water when you hold the cartridge and ink syringe with the regular needle over it to flush the cartridge. I'm able to empty ink out of ink cartridges and flush/clean ink cartridges very well with just the regular needle attached to the ink syringe. Just a suggestion to perhaps cut out some additional items/steps.
I've been cleaning my gold plated nibs with one for a few years now and im yet to have a problem, if you were to add a corrosive chemical that might happen but that would be the case with anything. You only add a small amount of washing detergent or bleach (very small amount) and you nib and body are factory new. Also because of the sonic pulses it penetrates deep in the feed and internal mechanisms which is great. Trust me it a must have, all fountain repair men use them:)
HELP! I am having a problem with Diamine Wild Strawberry ink. I bought 2 fountain pens just for using this ink but am having the following problems. When this ink has been in the pen for awhile, it turns into a dark blood-red color when you first write. Then after it flows for a while, it will come out bright and normal but will then turn dark after it has been on the paper for a minute or so. In fact, if left long enough in the pen, it will sometimes even turn into an iridescent green color; literally going from bright red to green. If I clean and flush the pen, then re-ink it writes fine and the color remains stable even with the same paper (printer/computer). But then after a few days to a week it reverts back to changing colors. So, I am really confused as to what is going on. Also, thanks for the great videos!
Yes, by flicking the end of the cartridge to dislodge any liquid there. Of course, the easiest and cheapest method of emptying a cartridge of a water-ink solution is to use the old "mercury-thermometer-shaking" method :)
Let's see. I can't help wondering if, with the cost of shipping and return shipping, it wouldn't simply make more sense to buy a new pen. It'd only be a $10 difference or so. But that's assuming I want another Lamy, which I'm not sure about at all.
I found the tubing needed to connect to the syringe and clean out the cartridges: "Jewelry Tube and Connectors," 5 yards 2 mm diameter by the BeadSmith. :)
I was just going to post the same thing! Google images of "ear syringe bulb" and you'll know what we're talking about :) Also, I was going to add that you could probably empty the Lamy cartridge using the syringe with the blunted needle (as opposed to attaching that tubing to the syringe). Whatever works for you, though! Great video! :)
I'm considering buying that for my lamy safari because it will not write, despite ammonia soaks, vinegar soaks and water soaks, all preceded and followed by snot bulb flushes. But I really don't want to spend on shipping, so I may just leave the pen unused. I never liked it much anyway.
I found this to be extremely helpful. I got two Safari foundations that are with me all the time, but I have this clogging problem. I have had them now for about six months. This video answers the problem. Regarding porn, two marriages later and and poverty, I'd rather watch this than put up with a cold blooded reptile.
You don't need a long needle---just tilt the cartridge so that the ink inside runs to the opening and you can suction it out. I do it this way---much easier than hooking up the tubing :)
It's actually clogged up again after I tried converting it to an eyedropper and making sure not to touch the nib after the silicone step. I'll clean again, and now use it with a cartridge only to see how it does.
I work in the medical field also and use an alcohol prep pad to clean the outside of my pens often. Then I use my t-shirt to buff any residue away. PS: My wife hates when you do pen reviews... It usually means I will want a new pen. LOL
The bulb syringes sold in the USA are of one piece, with a long neck that easily reaches the nipple on a fountain pen. Thus, they do not present the problem that you have to deal with (18:00 and after). So unless you are particularly attached to your technique of using cleaning cartridges, you may want to get a bulb syringe of this sort.
When I was cleaning an old Schaefer School pen I hit on the idea of cutting off the back wafer of an empty cartridge. Then I looked in one of my boxes of old junk and found a syringe that is used to administer vitamins to babies. I tried it an if fit the back of the cut off refill perfectly. All I need to do is press 10cc of water through the grip section until the water runs clean. I have not yet needed to pull the feeder assembly to clean it. The nibs all write well. The biggest problem I have with my pens is inking it up, getting it writing only to have it dry out when I hold it off the paper for 30 seconds.
Where can you find "J.B.'s Perfect Pen Flush" in Europe? You say about to clean the pen with a 25% of ammonia & 75% of water. Is that sure for the integrity of pen or it'll destroy it
Stephen~ Brian Goulet (Goulet Pens dot com) says you have a video in which you intentionally thoroughly stained a demonstrator pen (Ahab, I believe) with Noodler's Baystate Blue ink and showed how to completely remove every bit of the stain. I have not been able to find that video on your channel. Can you please post a link to it? Thank you.
I have a video in which I have stained a pen with Baystate Blue, but I haven't done a video in which I undo the staining. However, as Brian expressed in his video, you can definitely use a 10% bleach/90% water solution to undo staining caused by this ink.
When I saw 29 mins, I thought that’s too long, but it really went fast. Great info all the way through. I’ve done a few of those cleaning routines but only next to my sink. You did all that cleaning with nearly no spilling!
I had to laugh at the “divine intervention” quip at around 22:20!
Great video. A suggestion for caring for the exterior. Renaissance Wax. Renaissance Wax was originally developed in the British Museum in the 1950's to clean, restore and protect valuable museum objects, art and collectibles. Today it is used to protect and enhance a variety of surfaces: furniture, sculptures, porcelain, knives, fine art, leather, all metals, wood, and much more. A little pricy, but a little goes a long way.
My brother had a parker pen like that when he was in school. Never cleaned it either stopped writing and started to leak all over the place. I think it's in the attic may go and try to find it and try and clean it out. Who knows it may work again.
This is really helpful, thank you. Have you considered posting an updated version? :)
I liked the showing of the cartridge refilling.
I bought a Schaeffer calligraphy pen kit around 20 years ago. I used up one and then refilled it with a syringe from a 50 ml bottle of Skrip red. Best syringe types I found were the ones that came with a printer cartridge refill kit. After going through four 50 ml bottles of Schaeffer Skrip, I’m still refilling the same cartridge.
Nice work! Thank you.
Great Vid Stephen, as always!
Thank you, Excellent tutorial! I enjoy your channel very much.
Excellent video. Very useful. Thanks!
Thanks Stephen, much appreciated.
A superb instructional video, Stephen. I smiled at the notion of employing milk, but hey, if it works....
I have a similar selection of tools to clean my pens, & certainly, I always clean same after the reservoir is empty; the adage, "look after your implements, & they shall look after you..." has always been my maxim (& for good reason). Pen cleaning has always been labour-intensive, but (for me, at least) that's part of the joy of owning & using fountain pens. My only reservation in this video, is the usage of ammoniacal solutions - I would rather employ a passive method, such as warm water (repeatedly), but hey, each to their own.
Thank you very much !! :D
Very helpful! Thanks for posting!!
Today, I'm dedicating some time to clean my pens. This video is always a beacon of info and I come back to it when needed! Great! I have most of my little pen collection inked all the time (don't scream, I know I shouldn't). So today, I'm taking care of this bad habit before I destroy my feeds and nibs! Thanks, for posting this vid!
Thank you. I am now inspired to give my fountain pens some extra tender loving care.
I just bought a Lami safari and I found your review extremely helpful! Sixths cleaning guide is especially useful as I am new to the world of fountain pens. Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
While cleaning it I found that the feed would not come out, do you have any suggestions?
Zachary Scavo Check out my Disassembly Line video for the Lamy Safari...
Thank you very much for this video. It was very interesting, especially with the lamy example. Keep posting your videos.
Thanks very much :)
Smoki from germany
Very good video very informative.
I enjoyed your video it was very informative and entertaining.I also managed to a learn a few things but I don't have that much time on my hands so I will need to try and take some shortcuts to clean my pens a bit faster.
Thank you.
thank you, stephen
I completely forgot to clean my pen for a year! Thanks for the video. Tremendous help!
You're welcome!
:o) Lamy Safaris rock and so glad to hear that Stephen's video is helping highlight this! I am a bit of a Lamy fan myself...
Wonderful, thanks very much!
Great video! i was wondering though. i have a lamy vista which i love but I do not write very much daily. it seems like it is going through the ink fairly quickly. it isnt leaking at all so is it possible that the water in the ink is evaporating out? or does a medium lamy nib just use a lot of ink quickly?
Hi Stephen, hope you`re well. I got my Visconti Rembrand, it is so fantasti I love it. I am only going to be using Visconti blue in it on a daily basis for writing my journal and my short stories. I will flush with water regularly as you suggest but would you suggest taking the Rembrandt apart in terms of the nib and feed occasionally as well? I am a little nervous about taking the nib and feed apart, if indeed they do come apart with a Rembrandt. Cheers.
Thanks for such a extensive review, I learned quite some tricks with a syringe. It also reminds me of a old M800 once bought and the inner wall was so completely covered with a layer of ink that the piston cannot move at all. Fortunately I cleaned it with wine. Alcohol saves pens :D
Thanks for the tip on refilling old cartridges!!!! I just tried it with my Cross and it worked really well =D
Can I just ask if the Lamy converters disassemble like the Parker one that you had in this video?
Thanks, that video is indeed very helpful!
I’m currently encounterin the same torture that you described with the Parker 25 flighter with a vintage Faber Castell 53… Problem is, I seem not to be able to remove either the nib/feed section nor the blind cap of the piston fill mechanism. Any ideas how I can do that on these models?
The mechanism itself works and after (what felt like) 100 flushes the rest of the red ink seems to come out of the feed but I still would like to maintain the ink barrel and the piston. It would be a shame. The pen is in good condition otherwise.
I don't own that pen, so I'm afraid I can't help out here. Perhaps someone on FPN knows?
That's quite the setup you have... kind of reminds me of a mad scientist's laboratory! ;)
In all seriousness, this video was pretty useful! I already have my own method of cleaning pens, but you have some more efficient ways that I can use. So, thanks! :)
Fantastic Video Stephen. Very Interesting & Intense. Keep up the great work. Nick.
Thank you!
Some very helpful tips I will have to try when I get to cleaning and re-inking.
I'm glad you found this useful!
Thank you so much, I was able to fix my Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point
I'm glad this was useful for you.
if i put a parker vector under my tap and let it dry should it wright the same the next day
Just bought 2 Pilot/Namiki Vanishing points for $20 at an auction...... yes, yes I did. This video helped get one of them going. Thank you.
Glad this was useful.
I wonder if I had silicone grease on my fingers that got onto my Kaweco nib/feed when I filled it as an eyedropper? It was clogged for a while afterwards.
What are your thoughts on cleaning fluids like J Herber’s Nettoyant Pour Stylo?
Hello, Doc! If I understood correctly, the Lamy Vista does not need the cleaning cartridge method since we can take the nib and feed out just by pulling it, right? I've just ceived mine today. :)
Stephen, can you make a video on how to dismantle a lamy converter (Z24) many thanks!
Disassembly Line Lamy Safari
Stephen, is it possible to take off that gray part of the Platinum Preppy, the one that goes inside the body and surrounds the feed?
Hello! This might sound like a dumb question, but how would I go about cleaning a pen that only has a cartridge? I haven't been able to get a converter for it yet, but I know I won't be able to use it for a few weeks and I'd rather not have a cartridge suck to it in the meantime. Will running the nib and feed under water clear it out well enough? I must say, though, I've learned quite a bit from this video that I hadn't before, thank you very much for the information!
So Stephen, “ how does it feel to be an obsessive compulsive?,” lol. Other than a couple of Sheaffer Targars, I have used a MB 149 for 30 years. It’s kept posted in a MB stand exclusively with W. German MB black ink. I have cleaned it several times but less than once a year without problem. Maybe twice it was sent in to MB for service. Only this year during COVID have I started collecting pens and using 2 JB and 1 Diamine ink. My conclusion, all inks are not definitely created equal! Think multiple pens, multiple inks, multiple variables. Maybe I am the obsessive compulsive, lol! Great video.
Is stuck. I think I'll have to use the cartridge method. Or could it get loose with time?
Thank you for the tips and amazing videos I can't wait till I get my first real fountain pen because when I do I'll treat it better then a hunters rifle XD KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
Thanks!
how would you flush a pen which cant have the nib and feed taken out? would you just pour water through wear you would put the cartridge?
Would you recommend c
Cleaning cartridge - brilliant idea!
I use rohrer & klingner alt-goldgrun in my Al-Sport Kaweco BBnib , and i love it so i want to continue usung it, but it is a waterproff ink and i have trouble clening it entirely. DO you have any ideas how do you clean a pen that is filled with waterproof ink?
You can use a lot of water, that should flush out the pen, or use about 10% ammonia solved in water.
Very interesting to see "how it's done" rather than just reading about it....Thanks. :-)
Hi, thank you for sharing your knowledge, your videos are great. I have a question. Would you use warm or hot water for cleaning? would it be better?
I don't think it matters: you can use whatever you prefer.
Great, thank you!
Hi Stephen, are the Parker Deluxe twist-type converters able to be fully disassembled, since some ink has got behind the seal on the plunger and I want to remove the ink and put some silicone grease on. Thanks
I think those are glued together, so exerting force to open them may break them. That happened to one of my Waterman converters.
sbrebrown Thanks for the quick reply, I'll just have to put some silicone grease on from the inside.
how would idtry my pen when i put it under the tap to clean it?
I'm glad you didn't throw away the ink.
how would i dry my pen when i put under the tap
I never heard of milk as a cleaning agent, may be the ink has some fat soluble components and milk emulsion can pull them out. Thanks for sharing this. You did not mention luke warm water, or it is too risky for the feed ?
i want to ask can i leave a fountain pen inked for 2-3 days without using it???
A small recommendation for all people reading this, this works for my pens it may not work for yours. A good flush or cleaning every 2-3 weeks if you're using the same colour ink works rather well. If you are using pigment based ink then once every week is heavily recommended.
Love it, works great with Noodler's Blue
Nonfat milk or whole milk? Is one better than the other?
I clean my pens every month, it is surprising just how much better it writes if you keep it clean.
I can't pull out the feed from my white safari: is what you did only possible with a demonstrator?
I'm a bit uncomfortable taking the nib and feed out of my pen, being that it is my first and only pen and I have no idea what I'm doing. Is it the only way to clean the pen?
...from no Lamy's to first a Safari, then a 2000 and now a Vista! And I spied your gloss black Safari in your EDC... you are becoming quite the Lamy affectionado... Indeed a Lamy Lover!!
I think u have a great collection of pens... How much time do u everyday spend on maintaining ur pens (like cleaning etc..) ???
Would an ultrasonic do any damage do you think for stubborn clogs? I use an ultrasonic on my Rapidographs, am new to fountain pens so don't want to damage anything. Sounds like I'm lazy, just afraid of damaging something
The only adverse effect of ultrasonic cleaners I have heard of, is that they can loosen the gold plating on some pens. I have not personally experienced that, but I am careful about putting plated pens in my cleaner.
sbrebrown
Thank you for the reply...yes, that makes perfect sense. Will be careful with it if I use it and maybe not put a gold plated nib in. Great videos! Thank you for all you do
I don't know if you already heard but the my feed is black and when I was taking it out to clean half of the black layer of ink came off, so I got a nib half black half silver. So with my nail I pealed the rest of the black coat off and now I have a full silver nib.
i m a 11th standard student can you please recommend me a decent fountain pen not expensive, which is fast.
Could I simply take off my barrel and ink converter and put it under the tap ?
I've very much enjoyed the Pilot Iroshizuku Bishamonten in my vermillion Emperor, as well as Star Ruby. But Bishamonten has the occasional surprise gold sheen and lite pink shading to boot. Have you tried that Pilot ink before?
Lovely review too. Very much enjoyed.
I haven't tried that one!
What dilution of ammonia do you use ? I think that this not 100% ammonia :) Useful video (one more). Thanks !
Hi Stephen, I'm fairly new to fountain pens and enjoy your videos very much. One question, why don't you just use the ink syringe with the regular needle attached to both remove old ink from the ink cartridge before cleaning, AND to clean out the ink cartridge instead of going through the bother of using the plastic tubing and the special syringe with the curved plastic needle on it? When I go to clean an ink cartridge, I just use one of my ink syringes with the regular needle it came with to remove any ink I wish to save. The needle on the ink syringe fits all the way to the bottom of the ink cartridge. Then, I flush out the ink syringe and needle to clean it and then use it to clean the ink cartridge. The needle again fits down into the bottom of the ink cartridge the same as the flexible plastic tubing does.. I suppose there is some small benefit to the curved plastic needle on the syringe for cleaning but I simply use a disposable plastic or styrofoam cup which is plenty wide to catch the water when you hold the cartridge and ink syringe with the regular needle over it to flush the cartridge. I'm able to empty ink out of ink cartridges and flush/clean ink cartridges very well with just the regular needle attached to the ink syringe. Just a suggestion to perhaps cut out some additional items/steps.
I prefer the plastic needle because it doesn't damage the cartridge, but a regular blunt needle would be fine too.
Yup! No prob!
I've been cleaning my gold plated nibs with one for a few years now and im yet to have a problem, if you were to add a corrosive chemical that might happen but that would be the case with anything. You only add a small amount of washing detergent or bleach (very small amount) and you nib and body are factory new. Also because of the sonic pulses it penetrates deep in the feed and internal mechanisms which is great. Trust me it a must have, all fountain repair men use them:)
You don't mention soap but once; is soap damaging to the pens?
Could you please make a tutorial for cleaning a Zebra V-301 (cheap pen)?
I only have the disposable Zebra.
Well, thanks anyways!
HELP! I am having a problem with Diamine Wild Strawberry ink. I bought 2 fountain pens just for using this ink but am having the following problems. When this ink has been in the pen for awhile, it turns into a dark blood-red color when you first write. Then after it flows for a while, it will come out bright and normal but will then turn dark after it has been on the paper for a minute or so. In fact, if left long enough in the pen, it will sometimes even turn into an iridescent green color; literally going from bright red to green. If I clean and flush the pen, then re-ink it writes fine and the color remains stable even with the same paper (printer/computer). But then after a few days to a week it reverts back to changing colors.
So, I am really confused as to what is going on. Also, thanks for the great videos!
I assume that the water in the ink evaporates, leading to colour fluctuations.
Yes, by flicking the end of the cartridge to dislodge any liquid there. Of course, the easiest and cheapest method of emptying a cartridge of a water-ink solution is to use the old "mercury-thermometer-shaking" method :)
Let's see. I can't help wondering if, with the cost of shipping and return shipping, it wouldn't simply make more sense to buy a new pen. It'd only be a $10 difference or so. But that's assuming I want another Lamy, which I'm not sure about at all.
I found the tubing needed to connect to the syringe and clean out the cartridges: "Jewelry Tube and Connectors," 5 yards 2 mm diameter by the BeadSmith. :)
I was just going to post the same thing! Google images of "ear syringe bulb" and you'll know what we're talking about :) Also, I was going to add that you could probably empty the Lamy cartridge using the syringe with the blunted needle (as opposed to attaching that tubing to the syringe). Whatever works for you, though! Great video! :)
I'm considering buying that for my lamy safari because it will not write, despite ammonia soaks, vinegar soaks and water soaks, all preceded and followed by snot bulb flushes. But I really don't want to spend on shipping, so I may just leave the pen unused. I never liked it much anyway.
I found this to be extremely helpful. I got two Safari foundations that are with me all the time, but I have this clogging problem. I have had them now for about six months. This video answers the problem. Regarding porn, two marriages later and and poverty, I'd rather watch this than put up with a cold blooded reptile.
I'm glad you found this useful!
You don't need a long needle---just tilt the cartridge so that the ink inside runs to the opening and you can suction it out. I do it this way---much easier than hooking up the tubing :)
Absolutely. I got mine on Amazon.com.
It's actually clogged up again after I tried converting it to an eyedropper and making sure not to touch the nib after the silicone step. I'll clean again, and now use it with a cartridge only to see how it does.
WHOA, I didn't know you could take the feed out of the Lamys. Can you take the Al-Star feeds out too? I mean... they're probably the same...
I work in the medical field also and use an alcohol prep pad to clean the outside of my pens often. Then I use my t-shirt to buff any residue away.
PS: My wife hates when you do pen reviews... It usually means I will want a new pen. LOL
The bulb syringes sold in the USA are of one piece, with a long neck that easily reaches the nipple on a fountain pen. Thus, they do not present the problem that you have to deal with (18:00 and after). So unless you are particularly attached to your technique of using cleaning cartridges, you may want to get a bulb syringe of this sort.
Bulb syringes are easily found at Dollar Stores in the US.
When I was cleaning an old Schaefer School pen I hit on the idea of cutting off the back wafer of an empty cartridge. Then I looked in one of my boxes of old junk and found a syringe that is used to administer vitamins to babies. I tried it an if fit the back of the cut off refill perfectly. All I need to do is press 10cc of water through the grip section until the water runs clean. I have not yet needed to pull the feeder assembly to clean it. The nibs all write well.
The biggest problem I have with my pens is inking it up, getting it writing only to have it dry out when I hold it off the paper for 30 seconds.
Such a cartridge strategy can work well. Drying out can have a lot of causes.
The gray thing I referred is the channel isn't?
One word - Thanks!
These tips were helpful.... Now to buy me a bulb syringe...
Don't forget Ink Nix to clean you hands when finished. Enjoy your video's.
What kind of milk? whole 2% etc??
I've used whole.
thanks
funny and odd
I clean most of my pens at least every four weeks but my vintage pens get cleaned once a week.
First, can we get a video of Lord Mirdalan? Second, with that montblanc would you ever use an ammonia solution?
You should do it :)
Where can you find "J.B.'s Perfect Pen Flush" in Europe?
You say about to clean the pen with a 25% of ammonia & 75% of water. Is that sure for the integrity of pen or it'll destroy it
How did I end up here at 7:30 in the morning?
I can't with mine. I'm quite fed up with it. I may donate it to Goodwill for the tax deduction.
Semichrome polish
Nope. Could not remove the feed. I was able to remove the nib, but even with a cloth or dry hands it didn't come off. I guess it
Stephen~ Brian Goulet (Goulet Pens dot com) says you have a video in which you intentionally thoroughly stained a demonstrator pen (Ahab, I believe) with Noodler's Baystate Blue ink and showed how to completely remove every bit of the stain. I have not been able to find that video on your channel. Can you please post a link to it? Thank you.
I have a video in which I have stained a pen with Baystate Blue, but I haven't done a video in which I undo the staining. However, as Brian expressed in his video, you can definitely use a 10% bleach/90% water solution to undo staining caused by this ink.