How Often Should You Clean a Fountain Pen

Ask different people and you will get different answer. For me, I clean only when I'm changing ink or if I'm not going to use the pen for a long time. I clean a bit more often with pigmented ink and with fountain pens that can't be dismantled easily.

Brian Goulet's basic pen maintenance video:

Sailor Zoom Nib review:

Pelikan M200 review:

Pilot Prera review:

Rotring Cleaning Fluid:

My faulty Hero 501 fountain pen:

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[fiercekrypton]

Everytime I clean my pens I think to myself "I should clean my pen more often" as it always performs better.

[vwood]

Kissalude - thank you for the advice. I bought some of the P Carbon ink a few months ago, but have been a bit reticent about putting it in my sketching pen. So I appreciate your tips on how to manage it, and will give it a go this weekend. Thanks again

[JohnDoe-elir]

I would say that if you use pen regularly then you don’t have to do anything but refill. If pen is not used frequently then it depends on pen tightness and ink used, where worse situation is with pigmented inks. If pen is really well sealed then I don’t see any reason to clean it. I used this Noodler’s Black, almost full bottle and I don’t recall any pen cleanings other than ink swap.

[qwe]

Very good tips. And your English is excellent.

[stargazer]

I noticed Goulet Pens does not have a video titled 'How often to clean' they mention in one of their videos....For myself, I think I will keep one pen blue, another black ink.

[vwood]

Thank you - an Interesting tutorial. A lot of urban sketchers recommend the carbon black ink, but you seem to prefer noodlers black. Is that because you have found it to be easier on your pens?

[padfoot]

Hey teoh, i am from india. I brought a chinese pen from a brand called luoshi. Is it a good brand or non branded. I asked u because you are an expert in this field.

[sylvia]

What if I haven't used it in over a year? Will the special cleaning fluid be enough? (I may have some pens in a storage unit.)

[thesameritan]

Hmmm, what fountain pen ink do you recommend? Im going to buy a fountain pen (LamySafari).I dont mind cleaning :)

[masifing]

can there be one pen with multiple nib such has M F EF ?

[BassPelaes]

do you know any good ebay seller of japanese fountain pens? thank you for the amazing content!