Wiping the pens

[Kukuzovac]

Hi guys. Just wondering, with what do you wipe your excess ink from the nib and sections? Until yesterday I used paper towels. The problem was I always got some smeared ink on the nib which was hard to get rid of with paper towel. I've read somewhere the best is to use a leather cloth. Since I don't have such cloth, I remembered the clothes for cleaning the car windows. In the past they were made from deer skin. Now they are mostly deer imitation Pwa Chamois. I took mine and sliced a clean piece of it. It wipes like a charm and absorbs ink amazingly. The nib and the section are clean and there is no smeared ink on the nib at all.

What's your angle on this?

[writingrav]

I use a regular household cloth, but your solution sounds better, I'm going to upgrade,

[Kukuzovac]

It really is an improvement. When I wipe it now the absorbed ink from the slit is a narrow line, it doesn't spread all over the cloth.

[fountainpenkid]

I use tissue paper...one run with a wet piece, then a dry piece. With celluloid pens especially, it is important to take a wet cloth to the grip section so the ink doesn't stain it. (Not all the ink comes off with a dry cloth)

[Koyote]

Old cotton t-shirt.

[Jon Szanto]

Dampening the paper/cloth does often help. When dry, and wiping the nib, the material wants to keep drawing up ink; dampened, it tends to wipe it off without wicking additional ink out.

[dannzeman]

I finally gotten over seeing a little ink on the nib so I just use a damp tissue to wipe the section and nib. Sometimes it works great, other tines not so much.

[jacksterp]

Kukuzovac - Thanks for the tip - I'm going to try it!

As for now, the old piece of a quality white t-shirt is my go to. I find it doesn't leave particles of lint/debris behind on the nib.

[reprieve]

I will admit that I don't like seeing ink on the nib. Never have and still don't (I won't say never will because, well, who knows). I tend to use a tissue or a paper towel--because that is what is most often at hand. If I'm at home at my desk, I have an ink-stained microfiber cloth that works a treat. It's starting to look a bit like a Pollock painting.

[reprieve]

other tines not so much.

[Kukuzovac]

These cloths are very clean and firm. So they don't leave any dust or particles on the nib. The paper tallow sometimes left the paper particles in the section and clogging the pen. So this was best solution for me.

[Dad Of Sapling]

I have been using a cheap piece of Chamois for a while. It works like a charm.

[novarider]

Will the Chamois(leather) get "full" of ink? You can't wash it like a cloth...(can you?)

[Kukuzovac]

I assume it will get full of ink but I think you can wash it with warm water. I washed mine in this way before using it and it works with no problem.

[Runnin_Ute]

I could probably grab one of my cleaning cloths from an unused watch box... Until now it has been either paper towel/napkin or whatever else I could find. Not everything worked very well. One of those is a soft silky lint free cloth - which needs cleaning bad right now. The watch cleaning cloth is similar to a chamois.

[Nomdeplume]

Chamois, either real or synthetic, are great! You can wash them and they last a long time!

[novarider]

I'm going to have pick up a chamois

[Simon Pen-Pusher]

If you seek out the watch parts suppliers (German) who sell things like links and a myriad of things watch makers need, they have the very best synthetic chamois you will ever find.

I use them regularly when messing about with watches and fountain pens.

These chamois are not expensive (get a couple - one for the dirty work and one for barrel / cap cleaning) and they are specifically designed for avoiding any amount of buff marks on the finest jewelry and precious elements like palladium.

The sterling silver surfaces on my Montegrappa and OMAS pens have NO micro buff marks at all after many cleans!

[KrazyIvan]

I use a micro fiber cloth meant for eye glasses. Dollar stores have them by the reading glasses. I buy a few extras to use on my cell phone screen and iPad.

[orfew]

I use tissue paper...one run with a wet piece, then a dry piece. With celluloid pens especially, it is important to take a wet cloth to the grip section so the ink doesn't stain it. (Not all the ink comes off with a dry cloth)

Thanks for this. I will keep this in mind for my celluloid pens.