Fountain Pen
How do you get a fountain pen to work again?
I have a metal, French-made Parker Sonnet that I bought in Japan a few years ago. As of late, the fountain pen refuses to write if I don't use it all the time. With my many Parker Vector pens and my Lamy, it's usually enough to give the pen a good shake to get it going, but it's almost like the capillaries (or whatever it is that brings the ink to the nib) are stuck. How do I get this pen to work again?
While "Tim D" give an answer that will probably work well, if it fails, try going to and office or art supply store and pick up a jar of pen cleaner. Disassemble the pen as far is you can figure out and soak the parts in the cleaner for a night or two. Every once in a while, give the jar a gentle shake to stir things up.
Then, carfully rinse all the parts with clean water. Closely inspect the parts for any residual ink bits still clinging. Gently "scrub" them off, perhaps with a pipe cleaner. If the ink stubbornly remains, let the part soak for another day or two in the pen cleaner. This may have to be repeated. ANY remaining dried ink can interrupt the flow.
Make sure you dry each cleaned piece. Pat them dry rather than wipe. You don't want to bend any parts designed to hold and carry ink to the nib. What you can't reach, let them air dry.
Then reassemble the pen and refill. If a clean pen still has a problem, it may be that it is damaged. Parker makes very good pens so it is not likely a quality issue with it's manufacture.
Good luck.
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