Pen Care

Care of your Wooden Pen

The majority of the writing instruments we create are made from natural wood. As with any fine instrument made from wood, some care must be taken to preserve the beauty and the structural integrity of this handcrafted classic.

Keep your pen from extremes of heat and cold. Both are enemies of wood. Do not leave it out in direct sunlight. Some woods are very temperature sensitive and may split or develop cracks from the extremes of temperature. Do not leave your pen in the car since temperature changes that occurs in a car can damage or destroy your writing instrument.

Your new pen should be treated as any fine, delicate instrument. Although it can withstand a lifetime of use, it will not tolerate abuse.
Cleaning fluids or any abrasive substance (car wax) should not be used on any part of your new writing instrument since this will damage the fine finish. Do care for your writing instrument the way you would any fine wooden product. It is recommended that, from time to time, one should apply a light coat of good furniture paste wax designed for wooden products. After proper drying, buff with a soft, clean cloth.

Protect it and it will deliver years of service.

Care of your Composite Pen

Some of our creations utilize man-made materials as their primary components. Examples of these would be our Viper series of snakeskin pens, which are cast in a poly-resin composite to preserve the underlying snakeskin, or our Prickly Pear cactus skeleton pens, also cast in a variety of clear and colored resins. We also use tru-stone, a man-made composite cast under both pressure and heat, to replicate the look of a variety of semi-precious materials, while maintaining better working characteristics and structural integrity. Vulcanite, Italian resins, acrylester, and other composites will be used from time to time, as well.

While these pens are less susceptible to movement from changes in temperature and humidity, they can become more brittle when cold, and should always be treated with care. Cleaning should be performed (when needed) using a mild liquid plastic cleaner. Either spray or apply a few drops to a soft, clean buffing cloth and gently wipe the pen down to clean. You may wish to apply a very light coat of a good paste wax to the pen afterwards to help guard against fingerprints. We have Renaissance Museum Wax available in our accessories area that we would highly recommend for your pens.

Fountain Pen Care

Do not press hard when writing with a fountain pen, since will this will damage the nib. A good fountain pen should glide effortlessly across paper. Periodically flush it out, filling it with cool water and emptying it a few times. Doing this once every few months will keep dried ink from building up and interfering with ink flow. Do not use hot water or solvents. Use only inks intended for fountain pens. Carry your pen nib upwards and you should have no trouble with leakage. Keep your pen full of ink, since ink flow can become irregular if the ink chamber is close to empty. The majority of "leaky" pen issues can be cured by the above two precautions. Do not soak any part of your pen other than the nib assembly. If ink gets into the inside of the cap, wipe it out with a damp cotton swab. Immersing the entire cap (or the entire barrel) into water is unnecessary and may harm your pen. If your pen is clogged with dried ink, soak it by simply placing it nib-down in just enough water to cover the nib and the lower part of the section, leaving the barrel dry. When placing the cap on the end of the barrel, set it in place gently. Pressing the cap on the end of the barrel in a rough manner may cause damage to the wood body. If your pen has a screw end on the barrel, just place the cap on lightly. You do not want to screw the cap on either the body end or the nib end tightly.

More Fountain Pen Tips

Non-permanent ink is the easiest on your pen. If you desire to use permanent ink, weekly washing and cleaning of your pen is absolutely
necessary. Colored ink (other than blue, blue-black or black) is hard on fountain pens. They require frequent cleaning to prevent clogging your pen's feed. Use a good quality ink in your pen. The better quality inks are made to keep your pen writing smoothly.

Don't drop, throw or otherwise bang your pen around. It is a fine instrument. Do not loan your pen to someone else, especially if they are opposite handed to you. Your pen's nib "breaks-in" to your specific handwriting style. Use of your pen by someone else will tweak the nib differently and the pen will not perform well for you. Clean, rinse the nib, and feed and flush the pen with clear, baby bottle warm water monthly. If your pen will be unused for a protracted period of time (two weeks or more), clean it, let it air dry and store it empty. When flying with your pen, it is highly advisable to empty it first. The change in atmospheric pressure, even in a pressurized cabin, can cause your pen to leak ink all over everything! After filling your pen, wipe the lower portions that have been immersed in ink with a soft fabric. Using facial tissue can leave fibers on the nib that will cause smearing. Occasionally, you can use a cloth dampened with a mild dish soap solution to clean skin oils and other dirt from the outside of your pen. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly, then dry it with a soft cloth. Any time you clean the nib and feed, you should allow it to air dry.

A fountain pen should not be gripped. It should be held lightly. No pressure should be exerted on the pen while writing. The pen should be allowed to glide smoothly across the paper. A good quality, smooth finish paper should be used. If the paper is too soft, the nib may catch on the fibers. If it is too absorbent, the writing quality can be fuzzy and look smeared. Coated papers will not absorb ink and may cause the nib to become clogged. If your pen does not "start" right away (i.e. after not being used for a couple of weeks), ink has probably dried and clogged the nib and/or the feed. To start the ink flowing again, resist the urge to press down hard on the pen. Instead, wet the point of the nib with water or ink of the same color. If that doesn't work, wash the pen out.