What’s the point of the second inner cap inside the cap of my pen? This helps prevent the ink from drying out by making an air tight seal. In modern pens, you can see these quite easily on clear or ‘demonstrator’ pen caps. Platinum’s system is called the Slip and Seal and is quite effective.
My vintage pen cap has some holes in it. Does it need repairing? If they are small, clean holes, they were intentionally drilled into the cap to reduce condensation. They should not be blocked, but if they do become blocked by ink (or lint, for example), it can cause a vacuum to pull ink out when you uncap your pen.
What do the numbers and letters on my nib mean? It depends on the numbers, of course. Nibs are marked with their gold content, such as 14K/585, or 18K/750. Some modern nibs have 23K Pd for palladium (Visconti). Nibs without a gold indication are usually steel or gold-plated steel (sometimes marked as GKP/GP). Small letters such as F/M indicate the size of the nib: extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, double-broad, and triple-broad. Specialty nibs, such as those …
Why do nibs have tipping? Vintage pen nibs were tipped with iridium, a hard, expensive metal alloy, because the gold nibs on the pens were far too soft to withstand being in continuous contact with the paper. The wear and tear on the tip of a gold nib would wear it down too fast. The iridium tipping prolongs the life of a nib considerably, depending on how it is treated. You will find tipping on most …
I bought a vintage pen on eBay with a name engraved on it. Is my pen more or less valuable than one without a name engraved on it? The addition of a name doesn’t necessarily add monetary value, unless it’s Frank Sinatra! What it does add is sentimental value because you know the pen was used and loved by someone enough to have their name put on there. It also adds some historical value to …
What kind of paper should I use with my vintage fountain pen? You can use any paper with your fountain pen, but with copy-type papers, your ink will likely feather, and bleed through the paper. Some papers will perform better than others. If you want a pleasant, smooth writing experience, it’s best to start with papers that are known to couple well with fountain pens, such as Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Oxford, Tomoe River, or copy paper …
I love the look of fountain pens, but don’t they always leak? A leaking fountain pen is a sign that something is either broken, misaligned, or you’re throwing it around too roughly. A fountain pen with a nib and feed that are properly aligned and fitted into the section properly should not leak if carried with care. If you drop your fountain pen, it’s possible some ink will splatter into the cap and then …
I’m interested in buying a vintage pen, but I want a pen with the easiest filling system to use and take care of. What would you recommend? The eye dropper filling system was the first found on fountain pens. They are easy to use in that they are easy to fill – you simply fill the barrel with ink and screw it closed, and they are easy to clean – open the barrel up and …
Why are some nibs smoother than other nibs? A great question – many people seek smooth nibs, whereas others like nibs with a little feedback. The tipping on the end of the tines are finely polished – the more polished they are, the smoother the writing experience tends to be. Nibs that offer feedback feel a little more ‘toothy’ than smooth nibs, because they are not as polished. There is the risk of over polishing …
What is a good nib for signatures? A nib that is expressive and offers a lot of character can make your signature look outstanding. If you don’t already have a nib preference, try out a stub/italic nib on the broader side, perhaps with a little flexibility to it. The natural line variation will highlight the variation in the ink saturation, and with some flex, you can push that even further. Of course, any fountain …
