Washing and cleaning your fountain pen?

[Roefisher]

Hello again,

Well, pretty much as described by the title - how do you go about washing and cleaning your fountain pens? Also, changing inks?

All ideas, advice, tips, dos and don'ts are all very welcome...

Thank you,

Mark

 

[Lose the beard]

I remove the body of the pen to just leave the nib bit and soak it in a glass of water, I keep changing the water until it runs clear. Then I give it a good shake and put a new cartridge in.
I only clean if the pen has been left a while and dried up a bit, otherwise it's just a new cartridge when the old one runs out.

I don't tend to change ink colour I use blue and black but use different pens for each.

 

[Gingerpose]

Some tips in the replies I got to a similar query here:

Cleaning A Pen

 

[jaycey]

I just flush mine with luke warm water until they run clear, then dry the nib with kitchen towel and refill.

 

[Northam Saint]

I just flush mine with luke warm water until they run clear, then dry the nib with kitchen towel and refill.

Same here, always have done since I was a wee nipper.

 

[tarbyonline]

I just flush mine with luke warm water until they run clear, then dry the nib with kitchen towel and refill.

This. Except I also leave the pen disassembled for a while to air out any moisture that may be left - probably overkill mind. Considered using IPA once but scared I might damage something.

 

[Duffer]

If you're feeling flush(pun intended)

http://tinyurl.com/pzjn3s4

 

[Northam Saint]

If you're feeling flush(pun intended)

http://tinyurl.com/pzjn3s4

A search on eBay for Herbin has proved VERY tempting, they do some nice looking inks.