If your pen comes with a cartridge, even if you intend to go with a converter or eye dropper, use the cartridge till it’s empty and cut the tail end off. Then it’s just a matter of finding a syringe with the right size tip to shove into the cartridge and you’ve got a diy flushing tool for any pen that fits that cartridge.
Old school trick. Get a bulb syringe like for babies. Great for squirting water through most pens using a cartridge or converter. And solder bulb, sans the white tube fits most sections, making cleaning them and the nib and feed a breeze, for most inks. And older Parker Quink with Solv-X gets most other dried inks out.
I found some short bristled make-up brushes at the dollar store or whatever cheapy-deapy store you have in your area. You can also use a soft bristled artist brush. And don’t throw away the brush from discarded mascara. They are particularly good if ink has dried in the cap or barrel of your pen.
Aside from Lamy Z28 converter (the one with the red piston handle), the Lamy Z27 converter (with black piston handle) can also be disassembled to clean the inside of the converter.😊✒️🇵🇭
I was today years old when I learned Sailor Doyou was not only a great colour but heckin' MAGIC too. ✨🤯 Also echo the suggestion of using a bulb syringe for flushing pens. Inexpensive and easy.
I generally never put anything besides water based ink in fountain pens so clean up can be done in mostly water. When cleaning technical (yes i still use those) and dip pens where Indian and dye based inks are used Greased Lightning degreaser is my go to cleaner, it literally melts ink. I works great on fountain pens as well but should be diluted, just be sure to flush with plenty of warm water.
This is so perfect! Just yesterday I got ink stuck in my lamy converter and I couldn’t figure out a way to get it out. Thank you so much for this video!
I use Zest-It cleaning solutions when I have a really dirty/dried out pen. They work well, and the best thing is you can re-use the solution, even if it has other ink in it. It makes a couple of small bottles last quite awhile.
nice, the lamy converter doesnt need to be dissassewmbled, you can dip the whole thing in water as the section behind the piston is essentially like the front portion it can suck up ink or water in this case, just submerge the whole thing and work the screw and all will be fine.
I just found another colored pen set that inclueds yellow: Retractable Gel pens (quick dry gel ink) by Pen+Gear (24 pens, Med point). Also, if I ever get back into using fountain pens, I'll have to look into some of these cleaning kits to make sure my pens get cleaned good. I never really gave much thought b4 about cleaning them.
for my part, I dismantle the nibs and soak them for several hours. Then, I use a pipe cleaner to rub the inside well. It works great with demonstrator pens
If a pen with a built-in piston, eg; Montblanc 149 or 146, is not to be used for some considerable time, would it help after thoroughly flushing, to keep it filled with distilled water?
HI! I have a Sailor Imperial Black with a plated nib. Do you think ammonia-based solutions, like the Monteverde fountain pen flush, can cause plating to strip? Thank you.
Hi there! Unfortunately we haven't tried it out with Baystate Blue. Since it's a highly staining and permanent ink, you probably won't be able to remove stains unless you use dilute ammonia or dilute bleach. Just be sure you only use one or the other as mixing the two will create a toxic gas.
@@Ink2Screen I am worried it might "shake loose" some parts. Cell phone PCB components have been known to shake loose and fall off when overkept in cleaning phase. That would go for anything that is BGA-mounted or similarly fixed. Sure, a pen is by far more resilient, but I'm having second thoughts nevertheless.
At my secondary school we were shown how to use fizzy water like soda water - unflavoured obvs! - to clean out fountain pen nibs etc. I haven’t tried it in a while tho
I hope you guys could do a You Tube video on how to clean the Pilot Con-70 since it’s a push converter not sure how to clean it. Starting to think I should only use the fountain pen that I inked it with and don’t use any other color than that.
I have one fountain pen which I cannot get to work anymore. It had ink in it for a while and I didn’t use it for maybe two weeks or so and the ink started to mold. I washed it with water and let it dry. But it didn’t work anymore. Any tips?
A bulb syringe can be used to flush a pen. You won't get a perfect fit with your international standard pens, or your Japanese style pens, but it works well.
Hi! I'm hoping for some help: I was given an old fountain pen. I mean, this one belonged to my great grandfather. It seems to be working ok, but I don’t know when it was cleaned last. It has a gold nib, but I don’t know what other materials it has. Should I still try flushing it as you demonstrate? Thank you!
Another way I used to clean the fountain pen is to use the syringe to poke a hole onto the back of the cartridge and push the needle in. It will create a natural seal that works just fine for me. Just be careful with the poking. Protect your finger. =)
I have a few old Parker 51 Specials (c. 1955 with aerometric fillers - these pens don't disassemble without much effort) that have been sitting for who knows how long with gunked ink in them. I squeezed clear water thru filler (and got some of ink out), soaked in clear water for 24 hours, squeezed water thru filler again and a little more ink came out. Still, the sac is totally black, and if I soak in water (30+ hours now) and squeeze sac, a little more ink comes out. I'm going to try the Monteverde Flush, but is there any other/better way to clean an aerometric filler Parker 51 Special?
actually I use alcohol to clean my fountain pen nib & feed, but I use diluted, not full strength. Alcohol come in three type, and what I use is 96% Ethanol, which safer on plastic due higher water content, compared to Methanol (sometime named as Methylated spirit) and Iso-Propyl Alcohol (IPA is short term of that) that can melt plastic. but again I use it diluted with water until around 60%-ish strength (use online calculator if you want to know your ratio). and like most of the method in the video, make sure you flush again with clean water after. I found it make my nib & feed very very clean, especially if I using a dye based ink on my pen.
Hi there! Yes, we don't recommend using solvents like alcohol to clean your pen. Rubbing alcohol is a harsh chemical that can eat at and potentially ruin your fountain pen. We carry some cleaning solutions designed just for fountain pens: www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Cleaner-Kits/ct/3214 and www.jetpens.com/search?q=id%3A23253+OR+id%3A12356+OR+id%3A123533 We also have a blog dedicated to cleaning techniques and solutions (including homemade ones): www.jetpens.com/blog/How-to-Clean-a-Fountain-Pen/pt/259#Homemade
Which technique or product should I use to clean a pen that dried with deAtramentis Document Ink? Since it's not a water-soluble ink, water isn't helping. I need to USE my fountain pens more often, but most of the paper I use doesn't work well for fountain pens. Until I use up my current notebooks and journals, I'm out of luck.
That’s an interesting question. I Would also like to hear recommendations. I just got into this document inks and this was the reason why I hesitated using them…
I, drop my nibs into a jar of water or cleaning solution. However, I put a folded piece of paper towel or piece of sponge in the bottom of the jar. Maybe I’m being over cautious but the thought of the point of my nib hitting the bottom of the jar makes me cringe. It may be overkill but it won’t cause any harm. I am also one of those people that loves the finest nibs I can find and I want my pen to lay down ink with the lightest touch. We all have our own little quirks. Don’t try to tell me that you don’t. One other thing. I am amazed at the places those little Qui Yogurt Jars show up. I keep threatening to find a way to make lids for them so I can find even more uses for them.
A dilute solution of ammonia, or rarely very dilute bleach might be helpful. However, don’t ever attempt to make a solution that includes both bleach and ammonia -this produces a gas that is incompatible with human health and well-being.
a) If a standard flushing does not help, I do use a BAKU BK-3550 ultrasonic cleaner. b) After using one bottle Monteverde Pen Flush, I decided to compose my one flushing solution. It contains 250 ml of 25% ammonia, 250 ml of Foma Fotonal (you may use Ilford Simplycity), 250 ml of 96% ethanol, 250 ml of 99.7% isopropyl alcohol, 4 l of distilled water. Warning! This amount of ammonia smelled strong, caused some inhale poison, although I worked in the respiratory half mask and vented the flat. d) Dried and clogged KWZ Standard Inks get dissolved under the influence of two to three drops of the solvent I use to clean acrylic paints. One part of IPA, one part of Ethanol, one part of Propylene glycol. Rinse with water immediately after solvent starts dripping from the nib. c) Almost always I rinse with distilled water in ultrasonic cleaner as the last step.
isopropanol and ethanol can melt some polymers like acrylic over long periods of time. It's possible to use them and immediately rinse them with water but not all inks are very alcohol soluble (as opposed to water, despite both of those alcohols being miscible in water).
Holy cow! You can just buy a syringe (btw why is it that buying a syringe in the USA grants you odd stares?) and attach a used ball-less cartridge to it with instant glue like cyanoacrylate and voila! Also, best use distilled water you get in your car supplies store. A 2 quart bottle will last you plenty. Distillate is "hungry" for binding with something, so it eagerly enters disassociation reaction.
I’m a huge fan of distilled water ONLY! And strongly urge fountain enthusiasts do not try to make your own cleaning solution with mentioned chemicals like ammonia or bleach. The best way to avoid the need for more aggressive cleaning methods is to make sure you never leave ink in your pen for more than 3-4 weeks. Good luck.
I started using jinhao 992 fountain pen to get the hang of using fountains. For ink I use an easily available camel ink in Mumbai. For the past few days it seems the pen is bleeding ink. It gives no problem in writing but I notice lots of ink on the case of the pen and the threads of the pen case as well as in the cap. What’s wrong?
Hope you found this video helpful. If you have any other techniques to share, please leave a comment!
Did you guys hire the narrator from “How it’s Made” for this video!??!
Indeed the voices in JetPens are the BEST BY FAR !!
If your pen comes with a cartridge, even if you intend to go with a converter or eye dropper, use the cartridge till it’s empty and cut the tail end off. Then it’s just a matter of finding a syringe with the right size tip to shove into the cartridge and you’ve got a diy flushing tool for any pen that fits that cartridge.
Thanks 😊
I think one of those bulb syringes might be a good thing to try on the end of that.
Great suggestion! There are also some soft rubbery baby nasal aspirators that are very soft and make a nice seal to help flush your nib.
Was just thinking the same thing. As they say, great minds think a like👍👍.
I was about to say
I LOVE when this voiceover guy turns up because his bloopers are so funny for some reason, I guess because he sounds so serious normally 😅
Old school trick. Get a bulb syringe like for babies. Great for squirting water through most pens using a cartridge or converter. And solder bulb, sans the white tube fits most sections, making cleaning them and the nib and feed a breeze, for most inks.
And older Parker Quink with Solv-X gets most other dried inks out.
Whenever I’m using an ink with lots of shimmer, I use an extra soft baby toothbrush to clean the feed. Works every time.
I found some short bristled make-up brushes at the dollar store or whatever cheapy-deapy store you have in your area. You can also use a soft bristled artist brush. And don’t throw away the brush from discarded mascara. They are particularly good if ink has dried in the cap or barrel of your pen.
Aside from Lamy Z28 converter (the one with the red piston handle), the Lamy Z27 converter (with black piston handle) can also be disassembled to clean the inside of the converter.😊✒️🇵🇭
The Kaweco Syringe cleaner is great! I've been on a pen-cleaning binge recently, and it's helped me out a lot! Thanks, JetPens!
Wow! Welcome back to this man's voice.
I was today years old when I learned Sailor Doyou was not only a great colour but heckin' MAGIC too. ✨🤯 Also echo the suggestion of using a bulb syringe for flushing pens. Inexpensive and easy.
The lamy converter thing is actually very helpfull, i have that problem
I looooove the bloopers!
You guys are so helpful and awesome! Thank you!
Great informative video, thank you. Love the outtakes at the end, they were hilarious. 😂
this was well done and informative AND the bloopers at the end were so CHARMING
I generally never put anything besides water based ink in fountain pens so clean up can be done in mostly water. When cleaning technical (yes i still use those) and dip pens where Indian and dye based inks are used Greased Lightning degreaser is my go to cleaner, it literally melts ink. I works great on fountain pens as well but should be diluted, just be sure to flush with plenty of warm water.
I see that Qui yogurt jar in the fountain pen cleaning solution part! I use mine to hold clips.
This is so perfect! Just yesterday I got ink stuck in my lamy converter and I couldn’t figure out a way to get it out. Thank you so much for this video!
Use a bulb syringe for grip sections and a blunt-tip syringe for converters.
Merci beaucoup 😊
I use Zest-It cleaning solutions when I have a really dirty/dried out pen. They work well, and the best thing is you can re-use the solution, even if it has other ink in it. It makes a couple of small bottles last quite awhile.
nice, the lamy converter doesnt need to be dissassewmbled, you can dip the whole thing in water as the section behind the piston is essentially like the front portion it can suck up ink or water in this case, just submerge the whole thing and work the screw and all will be fine.
Thank you for a very informative & useful video. Will definitely try out the Doyou on Baystate Blue stained pens !
Wonderful tips, thank you. Subscribed !
Omg! I was waiting for this kind of video! Could you guys also teach how to clean refillablr roller ball pens like the penBBS double nib? 🙏🏻
I just found another colored pen set that inclueds yellow: Retractable Gel pens (quick dry gel ink) by Pen+Gear (24 pens, Med point). Also, if I ever get back into using fountain pens, I'll have to look into some of these cleaning kits to make sure my pens get cleaned good. I never really gave much thought b4 about cleaning them.
The bulb syringe is useful & a quick way to flush the nib. I soak the nibs & converters in luke warm water prior to flushing.
for my part, I dismantle the nibs and soak them for several hours. Then, I use a pipe cleaner to rub the inside well. It works great with demonstrator pens
Thanks for this helpful and useful video!
If a pen with a built-in piston, eg; Montblanc 149 or 146, is not to be used for some considerable time, would it help after thoroughly flushing, to keep it filled with distilled water?
HI! I have a Sailor Imperial Black with a plated nib. Do you think ammonia-based solutions, like the Monteverde fountain pen flush, can cause plating to strip? Thank you.
Syringes make life with fountain pens much easier
The tray at the beginning is gorgeous!!! Could you tell me where I can find those?
Thank you for the tip on the Sailor Doyou. Very interesting info ! Will it work with Baystate Blue stains?
Hi there! Unfortunately we haven't tried it out with Baystate Blue. Since it's a highly staining and permanent ink, you probably won't be able to remove stains unless you use dilute ammonia or dilute bleach. Just be sure you only use one or the other as mixing the two will create a toxic gas.
Very informative. I have an Esterbrook lever filler. Will you show how to clean those?
I’m shocked by the sailor shikkiori doyou ink omg wow
Same here!
An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner vibrates ink out of almost any crevice.
Seconding this! I use it when I've left the ink for too long - if it's especially stubborn, a drop or two of dishwasher will usually do the trick!
@@Ink2Screen I am worried it might "shake loose" some parts. Cell phone PCB components have been known to shake loose and fall off when overkept in cleaning phase. That would go for anything that is BGA-mounted or similarly fixed. Sure, a pen is by far more resilient, but I'm having second thoughts nevertheless.
Is the cork tray available on Jet Pens? If not, where is it from? Thank you!
Hi there! The tray is from IKEA.
lol those outtakes 🤣
Just wondering, is the narrator also part of the Jetpens work family like Stephanie?
tube cleaners are super cheap from the dollar store and can get into those hard to reach places
Someone please tell me what the pen at 6:30 is!!!
Same..interested! ❣️✨
It is the Opus 88 Demo in clear!
@@Walking13 bless you!!
I use a bulb syringe, that fits all types of c/c filling system.
At my secondary school we were shown how to use fizzy water like soda water - unflavoured obvs! - to clean out fountain pen nibs etc. I haven’t tried it in a while tho
I hope you guys could do a You Tube video on how to clean the Pilot Con-70 since it’s a push converter not sure how to clean it.
Starting to think I should only use the fountain pen that I inked it with and don’t use any other color than that.
I have one fountain pen which I cannot get to work anymore. It had ink in it for a while and I didn’t use it for maybe two weeks or so and the ink started to mold. I washed it with water and let it dry. But it didn’t work anymore. Any tips?
soak pens with warm water when they are clogged (is a trick my father taught me 20 years ago)
I know that the pilot kakuno has its own cleaning instructions. Which is enough warm water to submerge the parts and let them rest
How’d you know I needed this.
A bulb syringe can be used to flush a pen. You won't get a perfect fit with your international standard pens, or your Japanese style pens, but it works well.
Hi! I'm hoping for some help: I was given an old fountain pen. I mean, this one belonged to my great grandfather. It seems to be working ok, but I don’t know when it was cleaned last. It has a gold nib, but I don’t know what other materials it has. Should I still try flushing it as you demonstrate? Thank you!
Yes, if you're afraid of damaging it, you can try flushing it with just water first!
@@JetPens Thank you so much!
Also, what types of inks make work with Sailor's Shikiori Douyo to get the ink stain out???
Me: *never going to use this info*
Also me: ✍️✍️✍️
Another way I used to clean the fountain pen is to use the syringe to poke a hole onto the back of the cartridge and push the needle in. It will create a natural seal that works just fine for me. Just be careful with the poking. Protect your finger. =)
I have a few old Parker 51 Specials (c. 1955 with aerometric fillers - these pens don't disassemble without much effort) that have been sitting for who knows how long with gunked ink in them. I squeezed clear water thru filler (and got some of ink out), soaked in clear water for 24 hours, squeezed water thru filler again and a little more ink came out. Still, the sac is totally black, and if I soak in water (30+ hours now) and squeeze sac, a little more ink comes out. I'm going to try the Monteverde Flush, but is there any other/better way to clean an aerometric filler Parker 51 Special?
actually I use alcohol to clean my fountain pen nib & feed, but I use diluted, not full strength. Alcohol come in three type, and what I use is 96% Ethanol, which safer on plastic due higher water content, compared to Methanol (sometime named as Methylated spirit) and Iso-Propyl Alcohol (IPA is short term of that) that can melt plastic. but again I use it diluted with water until around 60%-ish strength (use online calculator if you want to know your ratio). and like most of the method in the video, make sure you flush again with clean water after. I found it make my nib & feed very very clean, especially if I using a dye based ink on my pen.
Bic Crystal here.....all the way! 😊
Are you lost?
I like this brother sound the most
*voice
The big clear pen shown is an Opus 88 Demonstrator fountain pen.😊
Are solvents a bad idea to put through your pen to clean it? Like acetone or xylene or alcohol?
Hi there! Yes, we don't recommend using solvents like alcohol to clean your pen. Rubbing alcohol is a harsh chemical that can eat at and potentially ruin your fountain pen. We carry some cleaning solutions designed just for fountain pens: www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Cleaner-Kits/ct/3214 and www.jetpens.com/search?q=id%3A23253+OR+id%3A12356+OR+id%3A123533
We also have a blog dedicated to cleaning techniques and solutions (including homemade ones): www.jetpens.com/blog/How-to-Clean-a-Fountain-Pen/pt/259#Homemade
i fkin love this channel
Which technique or product should I use to clean a pen that dried with deAtramentis Document Ink? Since it's not a water-soluble ink, water isn't helping.
I need to USE my fountain pens more often, but most of the paper I use doesn't work well for fountain pens. Until I use up my current notebooks and journals, I'm out of luck.
That’s an interesting question. I Would also like to hear recommendations. I just got into this document inks and this was the reason why I hesitated using them…
Diluted soapy water could do the trick. Anything that would dissolve/clean oil should work for the ink too
I typically use distilled water to clean my fountain pens...is this actually needed??
No. Just use clean water.
What is the name of the stained pen?
opus 88
u didnt show how to remove dirt like fibre stuck in the nib slit. hope u can in future video
Detergent ?
how do i clean my fountain pen. It is a built in piston type and cannot be taken apart. (my model is a indian one. not that popular.)
2:35 don't follow the appearance here, the silver cylinder has to go lower the seal is not formed as shown, the pen could start leaking
squashy boy x jetpens??????? is that krytox or grease?
I, drop my nibs into a jar of water or cleaning solution. However, I put a folded piece of paper towel or piece of sponge in the bottom of the jar. Maybe I’m being over cautious but the thought of the point of my nib hitting the bottom of the jar makes me cringe. It may be overkill but it won’t cause any harm. I am also one of those people that loves the finest nibs I can find and I want my pen to lay down ink with the lightest touch.
We all have our own little quirks. Don’t try to tell me that you don’t.
One other thing. I am amazed at the places those little Qui Yogurt Jars show up. I keep threatening to find a way to make lids for them so I can find even more uses for them.
use bulb syringe... much easier.
A dilute solution of ammonia, or rarely very dilute bleach might be helpful. However, don’t ever attempt to make a solution that includes both bleach and ammonia -this produces a gas that is incompatible with human health and well-being.
😂😂😂 We were experts cleaning the fountain pens since we were in fourth grade. We were not allowed to use ball pens.
U should have a a pen flusher tool with yourself
how do you feel about moderate use of ultrasound cleaning basin? I have one for cleaning PCBs and the like.
The nib meaning the entire grip section, nib & the feed.
Use sparkling water😸
Noodler's Bay State Blue: you have no power here!
7:16 7:16 7:17 very funny
All ways clean your cap when cleaning your pen because ink builds up there.
a) If a standard flushing does not help, I do use a BAKU BK-3550 ultrasonic cleaner.
b) After using one bottle Monteverde Pen Flush, I decided to compose my one flushing solution. It contains 250 ml of 25% ammonia, 250 ml of Foma Fotonal (you may use Ilford Simplycity), 250 ml of 96% ethanol, 250 ml of 99.7% isopropyl alcohol, 4 l of distilled water. Warning! This amount of ammonia smelled strong, caused some inhale poison, although I worked in the respiratory half mask and vented the flat.
d) Dried and clogged KWZ Standard Inks get dissolved under the influence of two to three drops of the solvent I use to clean acrylic paints. One part of IPA, one part of Ethanol, one part of Propylene glycol. Rinse with water immediately after solvent starts dripping from the nib.
c) Almost always I rinse with distilled water in ultrasonic cleaner as the last step.
Rubbing alcohol melts the pen? Acetone makes sense to me, but alcohol?
isopropanol and ethanol can melt some polymers like acrylic over long periods of time. It's possible to use them and immediately rinse them with water but not all inks are very alcohol soluble (as opposed to water, despite both of those alcohols being miscible in water).
Depending on the age, there's pens that will basically melt in even water, if soaked. Seems to be mainly old English pens (made out of casein.)
Hi!
Holy cow! You can just buy a syringe (btw why is it that buying a syringe in the USA grants you odd stares?) and attach a used ball-less cartridge to it with instant glue like cyanoacrylate and voila! Also, best use distilled water you get in your car supplies store. A 2 quart bottle will last you plenty. Distillate is "hungry" for binding with something, so it eagerly enters disassociation reaction.
I’m a huge fan of distilled water ONLY! And strongly urge fountain enthusiasts do not try to make your own cleaning solution with mentioned chemicals like ammonia or bleach. The best way to avoid the need for more aggressive cleaning methods is to make sure you never leave ink in your pen for more than 3-4 weeks. Good luck.
Don't clean your fountain pen every day it can damage the nib and the filling system I destroyed many fountain pens😅😅😅😅😢😢😢😢
I love JetPens, but I hate this music. I don't know if I can continue to watch these videos with this awful music in the background. :/
I started using jinhao 992 fountain pen to get the hang of using fountains. For ink I use an easily available camel ink in Mumbai.
For the past few days it seems the pen is bleeding ink. It gives no problem in writing but I notice lots of ink on the case of the pen and the threads of the pen case as well as in the cap. What’s wrong?