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Generally, if you're using a converter and a good ink such as yours, you shouldn't need to flush the pen unless performance drops off. Just wipe the nib with a damp paper towel occasionally, and clean off the excess ink after filling. The idea is that using a converter back-flushes the feed each time you fill it.

If you fill the converter out of the pen, though, you obviously don't get that benefit, but again flushing isn't really necessary unless you see a decrease in performance. Then the recommended substances are:

For normal cleaning: one drop of dishwashing liquid (NOT dishwasher detergent!) in a cup of room-temperature water

For tougher clogs: a ten-percent solution of household ammonia and room-temperature water (a bit less than 2 Tablespoons ammonia per cup of water).

You can just repeatedly fill and empty with the converter while it's in the pen until everything runs clear, or use a suqeeze bulb fitted over the nipple where the converter fits, then follow up with a few loads of plain water. Let the pen dry uncapped, nib down overnight then fill with ink and go.



-- Edited by Chthulhu on Tuesday 23rd of February 2010 04:47:50 PM

Boofredlay wrote:

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Thanks Mike, I appreciate the reply.

What about different colors? Would it be best to have a separate converter
for each color? Or even go so far as to have a separate pen for each color?
The Safari's are not that expensive and I would not be against that idea.

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Having a seperate converter really isn't necessary, unless you have more than one Safari! :) Your idea of multiple Safari's is cool if you want multiple colors handy with this same type of nib.

Mike already gave the best advice on cleaning the pen! This is especially true if it is the Vista Safari (Demo)! I have one of these myself. Keep in mind too that Lamy makes their ink available in cartridges as well.

Frank

 

Eric,

There's no need to have a separate converter for each color, though if you have several pens it would be hard to ink them all with juct one converter.

I have Lamy blue and black cartridges, and a bottle of Lamy black; the ink works well, though to me it seems just a bit plain once it's dry. The blue is a nice color, almost purple and nearly identical to the ink in a blue Pilot Plumix. The black just lacks intensity, but is otherwise fine.

I think the only Lamy ink that carries a stigma is the blue-black, supposedly the same ink formula as Montblanc blue-black, and supposedly corrosive as old-school iron gall inks were. If in doubt, just flush more frequently if you use it.

Then again, it was also claimed that Noodler's Baystate Blue was corrosive to the point of melting Lamy Safari feeds, but that apparently turned out to be a manufacturing defect in the feeds themselves, and nothing to do with the ink. Modern plastics and stainless steel shouldn't be adversely affected by any modern fountain pen ink.

Thanks again guys.
For what I am using my fountain pens for now I think having a separate
one for each color would be the best thing. I use them to draw daily and
not just to write with. I want to order the Lexington Grey from Noodler's
and having it handy whenever I want for shading would be great.