Fountain pens are a link to our past and a novel way to spiff up your writing.  However fountain pens are delicate works of art and with a little knowledge and some simple care and feeding steps your fountain pen will last you a lifetime.

Storing your fountain pen

Like all fine writing instruments, you should take care when storing your fountain pen.  When your pen is inked up and ready to write, it is best to store the pen with the nib side up (or at least vertically) too keep ink from flowing out of the nib.  If you will not be using your fountain pen for more that a week or two, it is recommended that you flush the ink out of your pen and store it clean and dry.

Writing with your fountain pen

To write with your pen, hold the pen with the metal part of the nib pointing up.  Some nib styles such as stub and italic nibs require that the pen be held to a 45 degree angle to the paper to provide the line variations that this style of nib offers.

You don’t need a death grip to hold your pen.  Just a light grip and let the nib float across the surface of the paper.

Also, you don’t want to press too hard while writing.  The water based ink used in fountain pens is pulled to the paper by capillary action so just let the pen glide.

The Right Ink & Paper

Choosing the right fountain pen ink and paper is the fun part of using a fountain pen!  There are so many different inks and papers on the market today.  My favorite inks include J. Herbin, Pelikan, and Noodlers.    Stay away from india ink or any other inks not made for fountain pens.  These will destroy the feed and converter.

For paper, you can really use any you want, however you will have a better writing experience on something that is a bit heavier in weight and smooth to the touch.  My favorite papers come from France and include Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and Triomphe (also from Clairefontaine).  For journals I recommend the Web Journal from Rhodia or the Habana Journal from Quo Vidis.  The both have nice thick paper that will not bleed through the paper.

Lesser papers will work fine including copy paper, memo pads, and standard notebooks will write fine, however the ink will most likely bleed through the page.

Inking up your Fountain Pen

Using Bottled Ink & a Converter Pump

To ink up your pen using a converter and a bottle of ink, simply follow these easy steps, oh, and have a paper towel handy:

1. Unscrew the nib holder from the pen body.
2. Attach the converter pump, if not already attached, by pressing it onto the feed port on the back of the nib section.
3. Unscrew or slide the converter plunger so that the plunger is positioned closest to the nib.
4. Dip the nib end into a bottle of ink up to where the nib meets the metal nib holder.
5. Twist or slide the plunger up and down 2 – 3 times to get a full load of ink.
6. Wipe off the excess ink from the nib and nib holder and don’t forget to recap the ink before you knock over the bottle (experience…).

Still need a bit more help, view my video tutorial on filling fountain pens from an ink bottle.

Using Ink Cartridges

All of our fountain pens also can use a standard European short ink cartridge.  To load a new cartridge, follow these steps:

1. Unscrew the nib holder from the pen body.
2. Remove the spent cartridge (or converter if this is your first fill of a Norsk Woodshop pen).
3. Insert the new cartridge with the tapered end first until you hear a “snap” and it feels seated.
4. Give the cartridge a little squeeze to start the ink flow down to the nib.  You might need a couple squeezes to get it writing.

Cleaning & Changing Nibs

There are several ways to clean out your nib and feed when switching out ink colors or after several loads of the same ink to make sure your pen functions flawlessly.  Use only warm water to clean your nibs and feeds.  Do not use hot water or solvents…these will ruin your pen!  You can use the converter to push and pull water through the nib and feed or use a bulb syringe for best results.

Another good way to clean your nib and feed is to remove it (under water to help with ink splash) from the nib holder.  Take a look at How to replace a fountain pen nib.

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