Servicing.

[daveathall]

Probably a daft question but I don't know the answer, when should a pen be serviced, is there a specific time such as the recommended 5ish years for a watch or should it be serviced when its functionality has waned?

[Shangas]

Hi Dave,

I assume you're talking about a fountain pen?

Generally, fountain pens don't need 'servicing'. I know people say you should get a mechanical watch serviced once every five years,this isn't necessary for fountain pens.

What kind of fountain pen do you have?

If it's a modern, cartridge/converter or a piston-fill fountain pen (or something along thsoe lines), then you really don't need to have it serviced at all, unless you damage it in some way. If you do damage it, send it off to a nibmeister or buy a replacement part.

Older vintage fountain pens which have rubber ink sacs in them (like lever-,button-,squeeze-,crescent-(etc)fillers, may need occasional servicing. How often really depends on how long your ink sac lasts for. The average vintage ink sac will go for several years, even decades, before it must be replaced. And you don't need to be scared...vintage pen-parts such as J-bars, O-rings, ink-sacs and other accessories, are still being produced and are available over the internet.

General maintenance for fountain pens just means cleaning it every few months, filling it and emptying it of COLD tapwater every now and then.

Doing this, your pen should last forever. And I mean that literally. A good fountain pen will most likely live longer than you do...why the hell we started using biros, I don't know.

[Andad]

IMO lack of use is the biggest killer of fountain pens and even worse than not wearing your Rolex. Inks can dry out , feeders can clog and these are situations to avoid. If you are not going to use a fountain pen for say 2 - 3 months then most manufacturers would suggest that you rinse it out with warm water and refill it when you want to use it.

[daveathall]

Thank you very much for your comments fellas, my MB FP is well over 10 years old, still works flawlessly, I have taken your reccomendations on board, thank you for your advice once again

[Lol-x]

Good advice

I know I've fallen foul of not emptying the ink of a fountain pen and then come back months or years later with adverse results.

It pays to keep it clean when not being used, and further to ensure that you clean it out when you change inks or every couple of months.

[JimC]

I had a few pens that "dried up" after I had left them forgotten for a few years. I was able to clean and restore them to normal use by soaking the nibs in a diluted ammonia solution. After they sat for a bit, I flushed some of the solution through the converter, then ultimately flushed with LOTS of water. All are good as the day I got them.

I have one vintage Parker, with an ink sac, that needs professional help. The ink sac dried up completely and crumbled into pieces. I just have to take the time to send it off for repairs.