Caring for your Fine Pens

Here at Giovanni Pens we create our pens implementing a variety of techniques, as well as using a wide range of materials. Each pen has been designed to be a functional work of art. Collectors might choose not to use these pens but they are created with use in mind. Depending on what style and material your pen is, we recommend you read through this care sheet so that you can care for you pen and keep it in tip-top shape for many years to come.

Wood Pens

Your New Pen is made from natural Wood. As with any fine instrument made from wood some care must be taken to maintain the beauty and the structural integrity of this unique work of art.

First, a few things not to do.

Do not leave your pen in the car. The temperature extremes experienced in a car can damage or destroy your writing instrument. Treat it as you would any fine, delicate instrument. Although it can withstand a lifetime of use it will not tolerate abuse.

Do not use cleaning fluids or any abrasive substance (car wax) on any part of your new writing instrument. The fluids and/or abrasives will damage fine finish destroying the look and integrity of the wood. 

Please care for your writing instrument the way you would any fine wooden product. Protect it with a light coat of good furniture paste wax designed for wooden products. After proper drying buff with a soft, clean cloth. I use an English wax of museum quality called “Renaesaince Wax”.

Please keep your pen from extremes of heat and cold. Both are enemies of wood. Many Burls and Rosewoods are very heat sensitive. These extremes will weaken the wood and cause it to crack. Protect it and it will deliver years of service.

Use your pen. It is designed to be written with, not placed in a drawer. There is nothing like the feel of a well balanced handmade pen in your hand!

Resin and Acrylic Pens

Resins such as Celluloid, Decora, Tru Stone, Inlace, Environ, Alternative Ivory and others, are man made products using papers, plastics & resins. These bright and colorful pens are more tolerant to extreme heat & cold and therefore more stable in these conditions.

Do not drop your pen, these materials are more brittle and can crack or chip if dropped.

Please use plastic polish to revive the luster, also a quality rubbing compound can buff out light scratches. When polishing, use a soft fabric to buff the pen such as cotton.

Fountain Pen Care

 Periodically flush it out, filling it with cool water and emptying it a few times.  Doing this once every few months will keep dried ink from building up and interfering with ink flow. Do not use hot water or solvents.  Use only inks intended for fountain pens. If the ink starts to back up when writing it is time for a flushing!

Carry your pen nib upwards and you should have no trouble with leakage.  Keep your pen full of ink, since ink flow can become irregular if the ink chamber is close to empty.  95% of "leaky" pens can be cured by the above two precautions! Many can remember the leaky fountain pens of the past; this is not the case now. Care and common sense will keep your nice white shirts clean.

Do not soak any part of your pen other than the nib assembly!  Pens are designed to hold liquids, not to be immersed in them.  If ink gets into the inside of the cap, wipe it out with a damp cotton swab.  Dunking the entire cap (or the entire barrel) into water is unnecessary and may harm your pen.  If your pen is clogged with dried ink, soak it by placing it nib-down in only enough water to cover the nib and the lower part of the section, leaving the barrel dry.

When placing the cap on the end of the barrel, set it in place gently, like putting on a hat.

Avoid operating the filler mechanism (lever, button, or whatever) when the pen is fully closed, as this puts excessive strain on the sac and the filling mechanism: when the cap is screwed down, the inner cap seals around the nib, leaving no place for the air in the ink reservoir to escape.  Likewise, be gentle when pulling out the knob on a plunger-filler (the downward stroke, however, should be vigorous).

Be aware that bright sunlight can cause hard rubber to fade.  Protect your pens from excessive heat, such as in a parked car on a sunny day.  An outside pocket is cooler than an inside pocket, and is better for both pen preservation and slowing of ink evaporation.

More Fountain Pen Tips

• Non-permanent ink is the easiest on your pen. If you desire to use permanent ink, weekly washing and cleaning of your pen is absolutely necessary. Colored ink (other than blue, blue-black or black) is hard on fountain pens. They require frequent cleaning to prevent clogging your pen’s feed.
   
• Do not loan your pen to someone else, especially if they are opposite handed to you. Your pen’s nib breaks in to your specific handwriting style. Use of your pen by someone else will tweak the nib differently and the pen will not perform well for you. (This point is debated by many pen aficionados. I prefer to err on the side of caution with my precious pens.)
   
• Clean, rinse the nib and feed and flush the pen with clear, baby bottle warm water monthly. If your pen will be unused for a protracted period of time (two weeks or more), clean it, let it air dry and store it empty.
   
• When flying with your pen, it is highly advisable to empty it first. The change in atmospheric pressure, even in a pressurized cabin, can cause your pen to leak ink all over everything! I have only heard of this happening. As long as your pen is not full, it should be fine but I’ll that leave up to you.
   
• After filling your pen, wipe the lower portions that have been immersed in ink with a soft fabric. Using facial tissue can leave fibers on the nib that will cause smearing.
   
• Occasionally, you can use a cloth dampened with a mild dish soap solution to clean skin oils and other dirt from the outside of your pen. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly, then dry it with a soft cloth. Any time you clean the nib and feed, you should allow it to air dry.
   
• A fountain pen should not be gripped. It should be held lightly. NO pressure should be exerted on the pen while writing. The pen should be allowed to glide smoothly across the paper.