Fountain Pen Nib Repair: Troubleshooting & Restoring Your Pen

Fountain pens are one of the best writing tools that you can use as a professional. Not only do they look classy and elegant, but they also perform well when used in writing. Fountain pens glide smoothly on paper and are not just great for journaling and signing, but for day-to-day note-taking as well.

However, when your fountain pen is not working as it should be, it can be troublesome to use. Damaged fountain pen nibs can be scratchy to use, or the ink may either not come out or run over, making it a hassle to use. If you have experienced this or would like to be prepared in case your fountain pen’s nib becomes damaged, we will tackle in this article the different ways of doing a fountain pen nib repair that you can easily do.

Ink Dried Out

A good fountain pen like the YSTUDIO Resin Fountain Pen has ink that flows smoothly through all the movements made while writing. However, one of the most common issues with fountain pens is when the ink has run dry. When the ink has been left in the pen and hasn’t been used for a long time, the tendency is for the ink to run dry leading to a hard start and/or skipping. A hard start is when it is difficult to have the pen writing at the beginning while skipping happens when the strokes become partial and incomplete. When this happens, you can do the following:

1. Flush the nib of the pen with clean water to clear any possible oils or debris that might have stuck in it.
2. Dip the nib of the pen in clean water for a few minutes to wet the dried-up ink then try to write on a blotting paper

Scratchy Pen

Most of the time, when a pen becomes scratchy when used in writing is because of misaligned tines. This can be caused by heavy pressure when writing or accidentally dropping the pen. Not only can this lead to rough handwriting, it can also damage the pen and paper. For this, you can do the following steps:

1. Get a magnifying glass and check the alignment of the nib and tines
2. Use your fingernails to align the two tines carefully with gentle pressure
3. Test out different pressures when writing to see which works best for your fountain pen as some pens need heavy pressure while others need only light pressure when being used

Tight or Loose Tines

Sometimes, tines can be too tight or too loose which can lead to difficulty in writing. This can be because of the wear and tear of using the fountain pen or can also be how the nib and tines are made by the manufacturer. A tight tine can prevent the ink from flowing freely, leading to very thin writing that can be hard to read, while a loose tine can lead to ink overflow and ink splatter. If this happens, you can do the following to loosen or tighten the tines:

1. Gently insert a shim or a thin metal piece in between them and let it stay for a while to allow just the right amount of space to loosen the tines
2. Try placing the nib with the top side up at an angle on a piece of paper then place your fingertip gently on top of the nib and press down gently for a few seconds to hold the tines apart and allow them to have a wider space
3. For loose tines, place the nib with the top side up on a piece of paper with your finger underneath then gently roll the nib from side to side for a few seconds at a time until the space between the tines becomes tighter
4. You can also try to place the nib on its side and press down gently then repeat on the other side

Overflowing ink

An ink flow that is not regulated properly can lead to wider lines, ink spills, and ink bleeding through the paper. Most of the time, this can be caused by the ink in the pen becoming too warm in the hands when used for a long time, or an ink that is too runny. To solve this problem, you can do these simple steps:

1. Hold the pen in an upright position to loosen the pressure that pushes the ink down
2. Make sure that the nib and tines are properly spaced
3. Look for different types of ink brands that produce either a thicker or thinner ink that would work with your fountain pen better

Make sure to regularly check the condition of your fountain pens to prevent issues and permanent damage that can’t let you use them anymore. By following these simple fountain pen nib repair steps, you can prolong the life of your fountain pens and ensure that they are working seamlessly at all times.