Are Fountain Pens Messy?

Fountain pens are at the top of the list when it comes to interesting writing implements. They come in many various shapes and sizes, and many of them are decidedly beautiful. These pens attract the attention of many, but there are few who take the plunge and actually use them. Much of this is due to misconceptions about fountain pens, such as fountain pens are messy. Is this true? Are fountain pens messy?

Fountain pens are not usually messy unless they malfunction or they are cheap or not handled and cared for properly. Refilling a fountain pen with fresh ink can be messy if you are not careful. A good fountain pen with a good nib and a good seal will be as clean to use as any regular pen.

There are many misconceptions about fountain pens, but in reality, they are not as finicky nor as difficult to use as many suspect. Fountain pens are beautiful writing tools, and if you are willing to learn how to use and care for them correctly, they will serve you just as well, if not better, than any other pen. Let’s look at whether or not fountain pens are as messy as people think they are.

Are Fountain Pens Messy To Use?

One of the biggest misconceptions about fountain pens is that they are incredibly messy to use, and the person that uses them will constantly have ink-stained hands and clothes, and the ink will just be generally unmanageable.

While fountain pens can be a little messier than regular ballpoint pens, a well-kept fountain pen in good working order should not be messier to use than other pens, although you must take a little more care when handling them.

Regular, everyday pens such as ballpoints, rollerballs, and fine-liners are generally safer to use and less messy than fountain pens, simply because many of them are meant to be disposable. Even the versions of these pens that are not disposable have disposable cartridges that never need to be opened.

Ballpoint pens, fine-liners, and rollerballs also have very small nibs that are very easy to avoid touching. This makes using them quite clean and simple, with few spills or mishaps.

All of this has lead to the idea that fountain pens are the opposite and that they are very messy to use. However, fountain pens can be very clean and simple to use, without making any mess whatsoever. All it takes is understanding how to use a fountain pen, knowing how to refill it, and knowing how to handle it properly.

Fountain pens work in the same way as regular pens in that they have ink stored in the barrel of the pen, and the ink flows onto the writing surface by way of the pens’ nib.

Fountain pen ink is contained tightly within the main barrel of the pen using various methods depending on the type of pen. Unless the pen is damaged or not properly maintained, this ink stays exactly where it is within the barrel and flows out only through the nib of the pen.

All fountain pens come with tightly sealed caps that protect the nib and keep any ink on the nib from coming into contact with anything else, such as fingers or clothes.

If handles well, cleaned regularly, properly maintained, a good quality fountain pen is as simple, clean, and as easy to use as any other pen.

What Makes Fountain Pens Messy To Use?

While fountain pens are clean and easy to use if they are handled and maintained well, there are some aspects of using these pens that can make them a little messier than most regular pens, especially if the fountain pen is not very good quality or if there is a problem with some aspect of the pen.

Let’s go over what exactly makes a fountain pen messy to use compared to other pens.

The main reason why fountain pens are potentially messy than other pens is the fact that they must be refilled. There are many varieties of modern fountain pens, but all of them must be refilled with ink when it runs out.

There are various methods for refilling fountain pens, depending on the filling method of the particular pen. Some filling methods are far messier than others, and there are filling methods that are not messy whatsoever.

The messiest fountain pens to refill are eyedropper pens, as they must be refilled using some type of pipet or eyedropper. These pens have a large ink tank that must be filled by transferring ink from a bottle into them using some type of apparatus.

This process of collecting ink from an ink bottle and transferring it to the pen is potentially very messy, but a careful, steady hand will make quick work of this job without any mess at all.

Other types of fountain pens that are refilled using converters must be dipped into a bottle of liquid fountain pen ink for the ink to be drawn up into the pens’ reservoir.

This, too, can be a messy affair if the person performing the task is not careful. Spilled ink can be very tricky to clean.

The next reason why fountain pens may be messier than regular pens is because of their nib and ink feed mechanism.

Fountain pens have a feed that allows ink to run through to the nib from the ink reservoir. The nib of a fountain pen is comparatively large, and the ink that flows to it from the feed simply rests on the nib of the pen.

This means that anything that touches the nib of a fountain pen is likely to have ink left behind on it. This can make things messy if one is not careful.

This is the reason why every fountain pen has a tightly fitting cap that is always placed over the nib when the pen is not in use.

The final cause for a messy fountain pen is a damaged or not properly maintained fountain pen.

A fountain pen that is not well maintained may have tarnished seals that allow ink to seep out of the pen at various places, especially where the grip of the pin is connected to the barrel.

Broken or tarnished seals are caused by a lack of maintenance and cleaning and can make using a fountain pen incredibly messy because the ink will no longer be contained within the pen but will rather be free to run onto any surface that comes into contact with the pen.

Exposing a fountain pen to too much heat can also cause it to deteriorate and leak. For these reasons, fountain pens should be taken care of well to prevent messes and mishaps.

Are All Fountain Pens Messy?

Not all fountain pens are the same as each other. Some variants of fountain pens are much messier than others, but there are some modern fountain pens that surprisingly clean to use and are very unlikely to make a mess at all.

The fountain pens that make the most mess are the pens that must be refilled directly from an ink bottle. These types of fountain pens include eyedropper pens, pens with built-in filling systems, and fountain pens that use converters.

Any pen that must be dipped into ink or that must-have ink poured into it is very likely to be messy, especially when refilling.

These pens are also potentially messier when in use simply because they are more likely to fail or malfunction than other types of fountain pens, and they contain more ink which makes it easier for it to spill out.

The cleanest type of fountain pen is the variants that use disposable ink cartridges. These pens do not require refilling from liquid ink bottles but rather use ink cartridges that are inserted into the pen without ever having to open them outside of the pen.

These cartridges are sealed with a stopped that is punctured by inserting them into the pen. This refilling method means that the user never has to come into contact with liquid ink, and there is practically no chance of spilling any liquid fountain pen ink when refilling the pen.

These pens are wonderfully easy to use and are very unlikely to make any mess at all. The cartridges also fit very snugly into the grip of the pen, which forms a very good seal. If the cartridge is pushed in tightly enough, it is very unlikely to ever leak while being used.

Fountain pens that use cartridges are the cleanest, safest, and easiest fountain pens to use. Messes are very unlikely with this type of fountain pen.

Can A Fountain Pen Be As Clean As A Regular Pen?

We have established that fountain pens can be a little messier than regular pens, but the truth is that if a fountain pen is used well and well looked after, it can absolutely be as clean and easy to use as a regular pen, apart from refilling a fountain pen that does not use disposable cartridges.

Fountain pens, especially good quality modern fountain pens, are very clean to use. It is very hard to find a modern fountain pen that is unreliable and prone to leaking. All fountain pens have built-in seals that prevent the ink from running anywhere except the nib.

These seals keep the ink where it should be, well contained with the barrel of the pen, and only allow it to flow through the feed to the nib for writing.

The nib of a fountain pen is the only are of the pen that has exposed ink, which is why all fountain pens have caps that fit tightly to keep the nib safe and separated from anything that should not have ink on it.

All f the safety mechanisms and seals that are used in fountain pens make them very simple to use and makes it very difficult for ink to leave the pen unintentionally.

Fountain pens of the past were likely to leak and spill ink everywhere, but modern pens are far better made with much more reliable materials and advanced technologies.

Clean your fountain pen regularly, make sure that there are no areas of clogged ink, keep the pen out of direct sunlight for prolonged periods, and do not let it get too hot, and your fountain pen will work as well, as cleanly, and as reliably as any other pen you have ever owned.

How To Ensure That Your Fountain Pen Never Makes A Mess

If you are considering entering the world of fountain pens, there are some aspects to being a fountain pen owner that you should know about before you dive in.

To make sure that a fountain pen can be used safely and cleanly as an everyday pen, without making a mess every time you use it and without spilling ink everywhere when you move it, there is some pen maintenance required.

Keep the following fountain pen maintenance steps in mind, and your fountain pen will never let you down and never make an unexpected mess.

Keep the fountain pen clean – This process may seem like a chore, but for modern fountain pens, it is relatively quick and painless.

Fountain pen inks must be as free-flowing as possible as to not clog any parts of the pen when in use. This means that fountain pen inks are water-based and water-soluble.

The fact that the ink can be broken down by mere water means that cleaning a fountain pen is very simple.

The best way to do it is to run a basin or bowl of lukewarm water, disassemble the fountain pen, and place all of its components in the water to soak for a few minutes.

Once the disassembled pen has been soaked, shake the pen in the water to further dislodge any hardened ink. Next, remove the pen components from the water, and run them under an open tap to flush out any remaining ink.

Dry the pen thoroughly with a paper towel, and leave to air dry completely before reassembling and refilling.

Clean the pen regularly to ensure that there is no backlog of old ink that could cause the pen to fail and leak.

Do not over-fill the pen – over-filling a fountain pen can easily lead to leakage and is very likely to make a mess. Keep the pen a little less full than you expect, and it is far less likely to leak.

Always replace the pen cap – this is a fairly obvious warning, but always be sure that the cap of the fountain pen is securely fitted before transporting the pen. This will prevent any ink from the pen nib from spilling or coming into contact with anything it shouldn’t.

Keep the pen verticle – fountain pens allow ink to flow freely to the nib. To be sure that the ink does not flow too much, dripping of the nib and filling the cap just to be released when the cap is removed, keep the pen as verticle as possible, nib side up, when the pen is not in use.

Check the seals – pay close attention to the condition of the seals in your fountain pen. If the pen is getting old or is often exposed to heat and sunlight, the seals are likely to fail. Check for any corrosion or tarnishing, and if there is any, send the pen for repairs or replace the seas yourself.

Tight seals keep the pen from leaking and keep the pen clean to use.

Take care when refilling – most fountain pen mess occurs when refilling the pen. Take care when refilling, be prepared with all cleaning materials and paper towels that you need before starting the refill, and make sure you are using the best tools for the job, especially if you are refilling a disposable cartridge or an eyedropper fountain pen.

Conclusion

Fountain pens are messier than regular pens such as ballpoints or rollerballs, but if they are well maintained and properly handles, they are far more clean and easy to use than most people realize.

There is no reason that a modern fountain pen that is well kept and handled correctly should not be used as an everyday-use pen. These pens are reliable, safe, and very clean when handled with care.

Keep your fountain pen clean, keep the seals maintained, do not overfill it, replace the cap when not in use, don’t touch the nib, and your fountain pen will be as clean to use as any other pen!

References

http://goldspotpens.blogspot.com/2010/05/5-excuses-for-not-owning-fountain-pen.html

https://scribblerplanet.com/are-fountain-pens-messy-if-you-really-need-to-know/