The first thing to do if you are having a problem with your fountain pen is to troubleshoot the problem. The most common problems will relate to the ink not flowing out when it should, but there are others.

It may be that your pen is leaking, in which case ink ends up in places it is definitely not wanted. Even though the ink is water based and easy to wash off, there are still some things that will be impossible to clean. Fountain pens are designed to be stored in pockets with the nib at the top, just like any other type of pen.

Although early fountain pens did tend to suffer from leaks, many advances fixed this. Today, if a fountain pen leaks, it is most likely faulty; if it is still under guarantee, then you should definitely try returning it.

The pen may “skip” when it is being used to write, or ink may not come out of it at all. This is a problem with the flow of ink, and could be caused by a blockage or dried ink. Before looking for complicated problems with your pen, you should first check for a very simple, and sometimes overlooked, one – does it actually have any ink in it? Make sure that there the cartridge or siphon isn’t empty before you start dismantling it looking for blockages.

If a fountain pen is left unused for some time with ink in it, the ink can dry in the nib, making it impossible to write with. Even if the pen is left uncapped for a few minutes, the ink in the nib can dry out, so it’s best to always replace the cap on the pen when you stop writing with it.

If the pen has been left uncovered for longer periods – or possibly even covered if it has been left for a substantial amount of time, then the pen will probably need to be cleaned by soaking the nib in water. First, remove the nib from the pen, and the cartridge or siphon from the nib. Then you will need to leave the nib in the water, probably overnight.

One problem that can happen with a fountain pen, especially if you are using an unusual ink for calligraphy or drawing, is that the nib can become blocked. Clearing a blockage from a fountain pen is often very simple.

Unscrew the body of the fountain pen and detach the nib. Then, remove the ink cartridge, or siphon, from the pen. If you don’t, you’re going to be wasting all the ink in it.

Take the now-detached nib and simply hold it under a tap. Run cold water over and through the nib until it runs clear, at which point all the ink should be out of the pen, and the blockage as well (if you hadn’t removed the ink cartridge from the pen first, all that ink would now be disappearing down the plughole!). Don’t turn the tap up too high; you don’t want inky water going everywhere! You are more than likely going to get ink on your hands though.

Once the nib is clear, gently wipe it with a bit of absorbent paper, then leave it on a sheet of it to dry. You can’t use the pen immediately after this, so don’t add the cartridge back or reassemble the pen until the nib is dry.

See the video below for how to do this.

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