Pens won't write after extended storage.

[pensmyth]

I started turning pens quite sometime ago and have accumulated quite a few. I sold some over the years and have never had any complaints. I have some that have been stored in boxes designed for pen storage. I pulled several out the other day to send as gifts and none would write. All are new with ink cartridges that came with the kits and they all worked when stored. Does long term storage affect the ink cartridges or is there a trick to get them flowing again. All were stored horizontal in a climate controlled environment.

 

[Skie_M]

Once they were used (primed), they should stay in use or the ink in the roller tip will dry out.

You could try putting a few drops of rubbing alcohol on a waterproof surface (piece of scrap plastic) and rubbing the pen tips through it a few times and then try writing some more. The alcohol should dissolve the dried ink and let it flow again, but if that doesn't work you'll need to replace the cartridges. They are fairly cheap. You might even take this opportunity to grab some of the new upgrade styles of ink refills!


Last, but not least, many of the "parker style" refills that I have came with a tiny little rubber "cap seal" that is easily removable. If you intend to store pens for a considerable time, saving those little rubber caps would be a great idea! Just disassemble the pen and put the cap on the refill, and store the capped refill with the pen!

 

[nava1uni]

It sounds like the ink has dried up at the tip. Rather then waste time trying to fix them I would just replace them with a better ink then what comes with the kits.

 

[pianomanpj]

Unless the kit comes with a Schmidt refill, it goes right in the bin and gets replaced with a Private Reserve or Schmidt. I NEVER sell a pen that comes with an unlabeled refill - you never know how old, how good, or even how much ink is in there!

 

[hilltopper46]

What type of pen? I carry a lot of pens over form year to year, but I tell people when they are looking at roller ball pens that when they buy one, I always include a new unused ink refill as they dry out when not used. When the pen leaves my display, it is writing. If I didn't need to put a new refill in it, there is one in the box with it.

I don't seem to have the problem you do with ball point pens, although it may require a bit of "scribbling" to get the ink to flow, especially in cross-type refills.