How much should a pen be used to keep it in good shape?
How much should a pen be used to keep it in good shape?
Hello everyone,
I've got a pen I only use to write in a journal dedicated to my mother who passed away. When I wish I could still talk to her I get that journal and write whatever discussion I'd like to have with her. I have a Pilot Cavalier that is only used for this.
I'm worried the irregular use might damage the pen. Sometimes I write everyday, but not everyday I have ideas of what to say so sometimes I go a couple of days, even weeks without writing much if at all.
Can it be bad for the pen and what is the proper maintenance I should do on such a pen with such irregular usage?
I'm starting thinking about using it more for other occasions and let it loose its "sacred" aspect, but I'm not sure yet.
Irregular use shouldn’t be a problem at all. The pen will not magically deteriorate. Old style iron gall inks used to be able to eat away at the pen but my understanding is that with modern inks, even iron gall ones this is not a problem anymore.
If the ink dries out in one of my pens I just flush the nib under water and that’s enough for the pen to start writing again. This regularly happens with one of my pens because the cap is not airtight enough. I’ve had this pen for over 20 years and it doesn’t have any signs of damage.
Thank you for your input! Glad to know I can use it freely.
I write a lot less than when I was in college, most things are typed for me now. I have a TWSBI Eco that I used to use everyday than now can go up to a few months without use, mostly due to it not being in reach when I need it.
I’ve had zero issues with it drying up and it always writes cleanly immediately.
the greatest risk is ink drying inside the bladder and nib and causing difficulty to clean. i had a noodler’s ahab that i loved and after leaving ink in it for a couple weeks, it was sealed. i tried cleaning it out but only damaged parts in the process. (this is not a fault of the ahab- it is a great pen, but requires normal maintenance).
can’t speak to your specific pen, but i know that i either run my pens dry by using them within a week, or i completely clean them out and let them sit. there’s really not any in between if you want to keep everything working correctly.
sorry to hear about your mother. i’m sure it’s nice to write and remember her.
Thanks for the reply. So I need to find some extra use for the pen because I don't have nearly enough to write with it usually.
I'll come up with something.
How do you clean your pen usually? I tried bathing in water once like I read in an article but turns out the pen I tried it one hated water and the paint has been flaking off since. Rinse under tap and dry immediately?
i’ve always cleaned my pens by using warm water (not hot) and running it through until there’s no ink in the nib, barrel, anywhere. then i place on a lint free cloth or microfiber towel and let them air dry. if you fill too soon, you’ll get a watery mess.
also as i’m sure you know, you’ll want to put down something because ink will get everywhere when you’re cleaning and it’s super hard to get off.
(if you use platinum carbon like me, good luck removing it from anything, haha)
As long as you don't let the ink dry in your fountain pen, you should be fine. In a fountain pen with a properly sealed cap, that should easily be several months. I recently opened a Pilot V pen that I hadn't touched since 2020 and it wrote on the first try.
If you can share what pen you are using, maybe we can give you a better answer than "It depends" :)
The pen in question is a Pilot Cavalier. I cap my pens as soon as I'm done writing or pause to think. It's almost the same reflex as hitting ctrl+s when working on a computer.
It feels like a rather premium pen compared to my other pens so I think it might be more robust.
The other two I have are pilot metropolitan and a jinhao 750 but those two are used everyday, several times a day for work so no worries about dry ink.
The Cavalier should have a good cap seal - so there's no danger of it drying out if left unused for a few weeks. But, even if you find it has dried up, there is nothing to fear - just flush it out with water till the water runs clear, shake it (like you would an old-time thermometer) to remove any excess water, and let it air dry. Then you can ink it up and you're good to go.