Caring for your pen

A hundred year old pen requires slightly more care than a brand new one.

Hardened rubber

Many early pens were made from black hardened rubber. Later pens like many Onoto's used rubber for the filler knobs and cap tips.

Avoid prolonged exposure to water, heat and strong light as these may all encourage oxidisation (browning) of the rubber

Wipe your pen with white mineral oil every few months.

Heat

Always use cold or luke warm water to clean your pen. Heat can melt the shellac with which parts of your pen are held together.

Polishing

Metal parts can be polished with Simichrome or a similar metal polish and a soft cloth or cotton bud. For rubber, plastic and ebonite pens I would recommend Kiku-Mol polishing paste and a soft cloth.

Ink

Any fountain pen friendly ink can be used in your pen but bear these points in mind:

Permanent inks are more likely to clog up your pen and cause flow issues and so should not be left in your pen for extended periods.
The glitter in some shimmer inks can also cause flow issues and is difficult to flush out of older pens.
All fountain pens should be flushed with cold water before filling with a new ink or if they are not going to be used for several weeks.