Help! Should My Fountain Pen Do This?

No! Don’t fill your fountain pen with dip pen ink, India ink, calligraphy ink, drawing ink, or inkjet printer ink. Basically, if the ink isn’t made for fountain pens, don’t use it.

Fountain pen inks are formulated to flow through a fountain pen’s feed. A dip pen doesn’t have an internal mechanism, so dip pen inks can use larger particles that will get “stuck” in a fountain pen’s feed.

If you do fill your fountain pen with dip pen ink by accident, clean your fountain pen as quickly as possible.

Yes, shimmering, iron gall, and pigment-based inks that are made for fountain pen use can be paired with fountain pens.

Some fountain pen users hesitate to use these inks in their pens because they require a more robust cleaning regimen. It’s true that shimmering, iron gall, and pigment-based inks have particles in them that can clog your fountain pens.

However, using your fountain pen regularly is a great way to keep the ink flowing and prevent clogs. If you don’t plan to use your pen for a week or two, clean it thoroughly.

Some fountain pen brands use proprietary cartridges and converters—that is, cartridges and converters that can only be used with a specific brand. For example, Pilot Fountain Pens can only use Pilot converters and ink cartridges. Converters and cartridges from other brands aren’t compatible with Pilot Fountain Pens.

When you purchase a new pen, you may notice a small amount of blue ink on the nib or feed. Some brands, like LAMY and TWSBI, test their pens during the manufacturing process. The nib is dipped in ink and written with. This makes sure that it’s working properly.

All fountain pens from JetPens are new items. We don’t resell pens that have been used and returned to us by customers.

Ink crystallization looks like lumps of hardened ink.

Have you ever uncapped your fountain pen only to be greeted by blobs of hardened ink on the nib? First off, don’t worry: ink crystallization looks concerning, but it isn’t harmful. It really is just dried ink. To remove it, you can swish your nib in a cup of clean water or wipe it with a damp paper towel. If you’ve left your pen untouched for a while, you may need to soak the nib and feed for a few hours to dissolve the ink in every nook and cranny.

Ink crystallization typically occurs with pens that haven’t been used in a while. At JetPens, we’ve also noticed that it happens more often with warm-colored inks, like reds, oranges, and yellows.

We think it could have something to do with specific colored dyes that separate from the ink’s base and become sediment, but this is just our best guess!

It’s a good idea to write with your fountain pen regularly to keep the ink flowing. However, some inks will crystallize no matter what. Keep this in mind and you can be prepared the next time you uncap your pen.

You may sometimes notice a very small amount of ink surrounding the slit or breathing hole of your nib. This is called “nib creep.” Nib creep doesn’t affect the performance of your fountain pen at all, but some writers find it annoying. Unfortunately, there isn’t a good solution to nib creep. Carefully wiping your nib clean can do the trick, but ink may creep onto your nib again later.

We’ve found that nib creep is more a characteristic of the ink than the pen. If you find the sight of an inky nib too annoying to deal with, you should try switching to a different ink.

Nobody wants to uncap their pen and immediately cause a huge mess as ink spills out of the cap. Fountain pens don’t usually “burp” or drip ink without an explanation, so we’ll go over a few reasons why your fountain pen is leaking.

First, it’s important to know that fountain pens are more sensitive to changes in air pressure and temperature when compared to other writing instruments. Most fountain pens won’t be affected by a change of a few degrees, but large increases in heat can cause problems. This is because air expands when it gets hotter. If there’s an air bubble in your fountain pen’s ink reservoir, that bubble can expand and force ink out through the feed.

Keep fountain pens with internal filling mechanisms at least one-third full to reduce the chances of burping.

Fountain pens with internal filling mechanisms (which include piston, vacuum, and eyedropper fillers) can be especially responsive to changes in heat. The barrels are the only barriers between the atmosphere and the ink reservoirs, so even the warmth of your hand can warm the air inside the pen. Keeping the ink reservoir at least one-third full at all times helps reduce the chances of burping.

Your fountain pen can also burp ink when the air pressure changes. That’s why it’s recommended to travel with uninked fountain pens, or to keep your pens with the nibs pointed up during takeoff and landing.