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Looking at a better way of filling a fountain pen.
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79
Jul 10, 2019
Ink used to contain additives that helped clean the feed each time you filled the pen through the nib. This is no longer the case, because the additive was considered hazardous. So regardless of how you fill it, you should take the pen apart and flush the nib/feed periodically. Either soaking, or using an ear bulb, or both. Frequency will depend on how much you use the pen. So you'll still have to deal with some mess and maintenance regardless of how you fill it ;-) But it will work better.
titrisol
14
Jun 12, 2019
Use the syringe and fill cartridges or a converter and done. Nothing wrong with that
I keep a few clean cartridges handy for testing colors
griffin2020
0
Jun 12, 2019
That’s how I do it for my converter fill pens. You can always push the converter piston down a small amount (quarter to half turn) to “prime” the feed and nib.
tomcat
11
May 26, 2019
Just to add to the many many comments, Goulet Pens sells a pen maintenance kit which includes syringes and blunt drawing up needles, pen cleaner fluid, bulb, magnifying glass, silicone grease and many other useful things for maintenance. Well worth the $. Personally I sometimes use syringe and needle and find it great. These days I use a TWSBI piston filler because I need the extra capacity. Nothing to be ashamed of with getting ink on your hands, it's just messy but I suggest having some tissues or blotter or cloth handy during a refill so you can wipe your hands and the pen. Hope that helps!
papadage
28
May 21, 2019
It takes more time to clean the syringe than to wipe the nib and section after doing a standard fill, so I don't use that method.
But, I will resort to it when ink gets very low in the bottle.
pquig
0
May 18, 2019
I use the syringe method. I first fill the converter, run some ink through the nib to fill the feed, then re-fill the converter.
This method gets almost as much ink in the pen as dipping the nib unit and pulling the ink up into the converter, but it is less messy.
cornerstonetom
263
May 18, 2019
A couple of people have offered good advice. Keep in mind one main point, filling a pen through the nib is critical to maintaining proper ink flow through the tiny channel(s) of the feed. Those channels can become clogged over time with certain inks, especially if ink is not forced through them periodically. The alternative is to remove the nib assembly and force water or ammonia through the nib assembly/feed with a bulb syringe.
There are syringe filled pens. They hold a lot of ink and require a different protocol for making sure the feed is maintained.
One aspect to filling a fountain pen is the "ritual." It forces you to slow down, appreciate the mechanism you're holding and wear those ink stains on your fingers like a badge of honor. You could use latex gloves if stained fingers are not an option. Someone mentioned getting a piston filler pen. That is my preference, but the advantage of a converter is that it's much less expensive to replace a converter that fails than to fix a piston.
That being said, it usually takes a long time for a piston to fail, if ever. A little bit of dielectric silicone compound, judiciously applied every other year or so can go a long way in maintaining proper function of a piston. It's also good for helping threaded joints maintain a strong seal. I prefer a piston over a converter in part due to capacity. You'll find you have to refill less frequently using a piston filler pen. I own both and generally prefer the piston pens, although some of my converter filler pens are quite compelling.
So, if you bypass filling through the nib, you'll need to find another way of maintaining your feed to prevent a clog from developing.
The most important thing if for you to develop a system and find what works for you. Enjoy this wonderful adventure!
Yawningreyhound
11
May 11, 2019
i, too, have used the s yringe method for years. IV Catheters are perfect for filling and for removing the last bit of water from converters and eyedroppers.
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