Fountain pens are becoming more and more popular every day. After all, they offer a wide range of nib sizes and different body styles. Not to mention their smooth ink flow. 

While ballpoint pens, rollerball pens, and gel pens may be simpler to use, it’s magical when you write with a fountain pen. However, more often than not, these pens don’t write. No matter if it catches you in the middle of a document or if you’re about to start one, you just don’t know what’s happening. But there’s no reason to panic. Keep reading and discover everything you need to do when your pen isn’t writing.

Quick Checklist 

If your fountain pen isn’t writing and you don’t have a lot of time to figure out what’s wrong, you may want to check the following checklist:

1 – Take a look at the converter, ink cartridge, or internal filling system to see if it still has ink. 

2 – Take a closer look at the nib and feed of your fountain pen to ensure they are perfectly aligned. 

3 – If you’re using a new fountain pen or one that you haven’t used for a while, you may need to clean it.

My New Fountain Pen Isn’t Writing

If you just got home with a brand new fountain pen, you must be incredibly excited. After all, you want to see how it writes and how well it fits in your hand. However, as soon as you have it ready to write on a blank piece of paper, you realize that it doesn’t write at all. So, what may be the problem? 

One of the things that many people don’t know is that many new fountain pens don’t come with ink. This way, the first thing you need to check is whether your new pen uses converters or ink cartridges. Some can use both. 

In case your pen uses converters, you will need to fill it with ink. You may prefer to get ink bottles or ink samples. While the first ones are usually less expensive, ink samples allow you to try different colors. As soon as you have fountain pen ink at home, you can then fill your converter using a syringe. 

On the other hand, if your pen uses cartridges, it will be simpler to start writing with it. All you need to do is to insert the ink cartridge. Notice that you will need to make some pressure to puncture the cartridge’s seal. In case you are worried about damaging your new pen, you can use our ink cartridge opener.

One of the things that you need to be aware of is that it may take some time for the ink to flow down the feed and then the nib. So, allow some minutes for the ink to flow down. The process may be quicker if you keep the nib facing down with the cap on. You may also want to shake your capped pen with the nib facing down as well. 

Is Your Fountain Pen Inked?

Fountain pens need to be refilled with ink. As we mentioned above, some use converters, others use cartridges, and still others have their own filling system. 

#1: Your Fountain Pen Uses Cartridges: 

Ink cartridges are incredibly practical. After all, when you dry one, you just need to replace it with a new one. However, it’s worth noting that some ink cartridges are refillable. This means that you can refill a used cartridge with bottled ink using a syringe. 

When your pen uses cartridges, you want to make sure that you buy the right ones for it. While many different brands use standard international cartridges, others don’t. On our ink cartridges page, you can easily search for the brand of your fountain pen and discover the right cartridges for it. 

#2: Your Fountain Pen Uses Converters: 

In this case, you need to have either bottled ink or ink samples. If this is your first fountain pen that uses a converter, you may be a bit scared about how to refill your pen with ink properly. However, this is a very simple process. 

Overall speaking, you just need to submerge both the nib and feed of your fountain pen in your favorite ink. Depending on the type of converter that your pen uses, you may need to turn the knob to draw ink into the fountain pen or slide up the converter button to draw it. 

#3: Your Fountain Pen Uses An Internal Filling System: 

The last type of fountain pen is the one that features its own internal filling system. It may have a vacuum mechanism or a piston one, for example. No matter the filling system it has, you will need bottled ink or ink samples to fill it. 

Generally speaking, you will need to follow the same instructions as if your pen used a converter. This means that you will need to submerge both the nib and feed and then use the pen’s mechanism to fill its internal reservoir. 

My Fountain Pen Still Has Ink In It 

If you are trying to write with a fountain pen that you didn’t use for some time, it may not be writing at all. 

One of the things that you need to know is that your fountain pen ink flow may change due to many factors. These include not using it for a very long time, air pressure, among others. So, how can you make your pen write again? 

The good news is that you have many different solutions. You may want to start by gently shaking your capped pen. In case it doesn’t work, you may want to run the nib under flowing water. 

In case your pen still doesn’t write, there are other things that you can do: 

#1: Fountain Pens That Use Ink Cartridges: 

In case your pen takes cartridges, you need to remove the barrel first. Then, with the nib pointing up, squeeze the cartridge. 

As soon as you see some ink appearing in the feed, it’s time to test your fountain pen and see if it’s writing again. 

#2: Fountain Pens That Use Converters: 

In case your pen uses a converter, you should remove its barrel and then point the nib up. Now, it’s time to carefully twist the converter just like you would if you were emptying it. 

As soon as you see ink appearing in the feed, stop twisting and see if your pen is already writing again.

Is Your Fountain Pen Clean? 

In case you just bought your first fountain pen, you may not know that you need to clean it regularly. In fact, it’s a good idea to start by cleaning your brand new pen before you even try it. Not only the feed may still come with machining oils as some brands usually test their nibs using ink. This means that your new pen may have some ink left in the feed.

Even if you have a fountain pen that you haven’t used for a while, you may want to clean it to ensure that it continues to work properly. The truth is that over time, dried ink and even paper fibers can build up preventing them from writing. So, how can you clean your fountain pen? 

You can either clean your fountain pen by using running water or by using a cleaning solution. While running water tends to work well, when your fountain pen is brand new or you haven’t used it for some time, it’s a better idea to use a cleaning solution.

Simply put, you should soak both the nib and feed in water or the cleaning solution. This should be enough to make your pen write. 

Bottom Line

It’s incredibly frustrating when you want to write with a fountain pen and it simply doesn’t work. No matter if your fountain pen is new or not, it’s almost always possible to recover it.