1. To fill your pen from a bottle, you must have a converter or a piston filling fountain pen. To fill, begin with the piston in a depressed position and submerge the entire nib into the bottle of ink. Fill by turning the end of the converter or pen barrel so that the ink is drawn up into the chamber. Repeat once or twice to get the maximum amount of ink into the pen.
2. To use disposable cartridges, you must have a fountain pen that is not a piston filler. Remove the converter and snap the plastic cartridge into place. Generally there is a small ball or plastic barrier in the end that should mate with the nib section. This end gets punctured by pressing the cartridge firmly into place.
3. You should clean your fountain pen periodically, and whenever you change brands or colors of ink. If you have a converter or piston filler, simply submerge your nib into a glass of water and push and pull the water in and out of the chamber until it runs clear. For a cartridge filling pen, remove the cartridge and run water through the nib feed so that it drips through the nib. Afterwards, let your fountain pen rest on a paper towel with the nib making contact with the porous material of the towel, this will draw out remaining moisture. Never use soap or abrasive cleaners in this process. If your pen needs more attention, send it in to the manufacturer for a professional cleaning.
4. Your fountain pen should never leak or skip with proper care. Carry your pen with the nib facing up whenever possible. Take care to secure it firmly inside your pocket, handbag, or briefcase so that it doesn’t bounce around.
5. Perhaps most importantly, your fountain pen wants to be used!! Never put ink in your pen and leave it unused- over time the ink dries and the inner channels of the feed become coated with hardened, dried ink which obstructs the flow of your pen, sometimes permanently. If you are not going to use you pen at least once a week, simply rinse the ink out and store it in a safe place- it will keep indefinitely!
