I bought a pen restoring set and it has a little container of talc powder. I can’t figure out what to do with it or why I need it! Talcum powder is lightly dusted on the new sac. It helps to absorb excess moisture, which increases the life span of the sac – less moisture means less sac rot! Some sacs do not need this but if you have latex sacs, a little dusting can …
I left my pen inked for weeks and now there is gunky stuff on the nib!! What is that? What do I do? Leaving a pen inked for weeks is not the best pen care, but most pens can survive this every now and then. It’s likely nib creep – where the ink has dried out on the nib in a gross looking shape. It almost looks alive. If it’s the color of the ink …
I bought a vintage pen at a flea market for $6. The seller didn’t know anything about it but it seems to work ok, except the nib has what I think is a crack in it. Is that possible? It’s very possible the nib is cracked. If you use a loupe to look at it, even smaller fractures can be visible. If this is the case, you can consider having your nib repaired by someone …
The fine flexible nib on my pen keeps catching the paper when I’m writing, and then ink splatters everywhere. Sometimes the tines get misaligned. What am I doing wrong? With nibs that accommodate pressure, make sure you’re only applying light pressure on the downstroke, and no pressure on the upstroke. It’s usually pressure on the upstroke that causes fine, and other, nibs to get caught. This can cause ink splattering when the tines are caught …
Do $2 fountain pens really have iridium tips? Iridium is expensive and fairly scarce, so it is unlikely it is truly iridium tipped.
I really want a fancy nib – are there any 22 karat gold nibs I can buy? Sailor makes 21 karat gold nibs, and they are on the firm side. 22 karat pure gold nibs do not exist, but you can find 22 karat gold plated nibs.
Can I filter my mouldy ink and use it? This will not help, as the biostatic agents in the ink have likely expired. It’s best to discard mouldy ink and not put it in your fountain pens!
What does 585 on my nib mean? This is the gold content of your nib – it is 58.5 % gold, which translates to 14 karat gold. The 14 karat gold is not “pure” gold, which would be 24 karats, and too soft for a nib.
What’s the point of washable blue ink? Washable blue was the ink of choice when fountain pens were being used in schools, essentially. The ink would be easy to wash out of clothing, off of hands, and whatever else it got on.
Are oblique nibs also stubby? Are they better? Some oblique nibs are italic, but if you rotate the nib into the paper to such an extent that you need an oblique nib, having an italic makes it more difficult to use because of the angle you must maintain to write with an italic nib. Some modern obliques are a little stubbed, but are not as crisp as an italic.
