Compiled from 15 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
Flush it with plain water until the water runs clear, then dry the nib with a soft cloth. Pilot suggests cool or 40 °C (104 °F) lukewarm water, and a 1 to 2 hour soak for a cartridge pen. Clean before changing ink and before storing; Platinum says monthly, Sailor every 2 to 3 months.
On this page11 sections
The filling system decides how you flush. Drawn to scale at 1 mm = 1.3 px from each pen's guide.
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per Milligram's listing (made in Japan). Pilot's Japanese catalog page for the Cocoon (read in full on October 20, 2026) doesn't state a country. eBay and Rokomari listings cited earlier blocked our access on that date, so we dropped them. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pilot's Japanese site says the Cocoon, the Metropolitan's Japanese sibling, went on sale in 2012; Wikipedia gives 2012 for the Metropolitan. We found no Pilot page dating the Metropolitan itself.
LAMY safari Fountain Pen: Made by C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Heidelberg (part of Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.). Made in Germany: LAMY's own product listing (India storefront) gives Germany as the country of origin and names C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Heidelberg, as the manufacturer, and also says made in Germany. LAMY's German page names no country. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Museum Boijmans and LAMY's India listing give 1980; LAMY's German page says the safari was introduced in the 1980s.
Platinum #3776 Century Fountain Pen (Chartres Blue, gold trim): Made by Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: Unsharpen's review says the band reads "Platinum #3776 Century Made in Japan". Platinum's own English pages don't state it in the sources we found. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Platinum's January 29, 2026 press release says the #3776 brand began in 1978 and the Century with Slip & Seal was born in 2011; we found no exact launch month.
Sailor Pro Gear Slim Fountain Pen: Made by The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022. Made in Japan: Goldspot's Celestial Outflow listing says "Made in Japan" and that the 14k nib is crafted in Hiroshima. Sailor's Japanese history page says its Hiroshima factory in Kure gained a new building mainly for fountain pen production; its product pages don't print a country of manufacture. Source. Price: example listing.
Pelikan Classic M200 Fountain Pen (Black, gold-plated trim): Made by Pelikan Group GmbH (Germany), owned by Hamelin since December 13, 2023. Made in Germany: Pelikan's German product page for the Classic 200 Schwarz says "Gefertigt und montiert in Deutschland" (made and assembled in Germany) and "Qualität, made in Germany". Source. Price: example listing. Released: Per the Pelikan's Perch collectors' database; Pelikan restyled the trim in 1997. Pelikan doesn't give a launch year on its product page.
TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen: Made by TaShin Precision (Taiwan). Made in Taiwan: Goldspot's ECO spec sheet says "Made in Taiwan", and Pen Chalet shows "ECO-T Taiwan" engraved on the ECO-T's cap band. TWSBI's own product pages don't print a country of manufacture, and its Taiwanese site, twsbi.com.tw, didn't load for us on October 20, 2026. JetPens says TWSBI nibs are made in Germany. Source. Price: example listing.
Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen: Made in Germany: Kaweco's German product page labels the Classic Sport "100% Made in Germany" and says all nibs and the pen itself are made in Germany; its series page says Classic Sport pens are produced and assembled in Germany. Cornelissen says hand assembled in Germany, and Milligram says designed and made in Germany. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Kaweco dates the first Sport pocket pen to 1911; Pen Chalet says the Classic Sport follows the original 1935 design.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
Pilot's Japanese care page soaks a cartridge pen's nib section 1 to 2 hours in water or 40 °C (104 °F) lukewarm water, overnight if the pen sat unused.
Sailor says to draw and expel water 5 to 6 times with a converter, then soak the nib section overnight, and to flush every 2 to 3 months even with daily use.
Pelikan says a daily-used piston pen needs a flush only once a year, an occasionally used one every six months, and dried ink may need up to a week of soaking.
LAMY and Pelikan both say never to add dish soap or cleaners to the water; Platinum's own cleaner kit dilutes a 10 ml pack in 100 ml of water for an overnight soak.
For pigment ink, Sailor says to flush about every two months, because dried pigment can harden inside the pen.
How do you clean a fountain pen?
Flush the nib and feed with plain water until it runs clear, then blot and dry them; that is the whole routine in every maker’s manual we read. Pilot, LAMY, Pelikan, Platinum and Sailor all say water first, and Pilot calls washing “the basis of care”. How you push water through depends on how the pen fills, which our how to fill a fountain pen guide explains.
Empty the pen: remove the cartridge, or expel the ink from a converter or piston back into the bottle.
Flush with cool water or water at about 40 °C (104 °F), as Pilot suggests.
Repeat with fresh water until no color comes out.
Blot the nib and feed with a soft cloth or tissue, and let the pen dry before you refill it.
Pilot says to wash a pen before changing ink colors and before leaving it unused, LAMY says to flush before a color change, and Sailor says to empty and wash a pen before storing it.
How do you flush a cartridge or converter pen?
Pull the cartridge and soak the nib section; with a converter, pump water in and out like ink. Pilot’s Japanese care page puts a cartridge pen’s nib section, cartridge removed, in a cup of water for 1 to 2 hours, overnight if the pen sat unused, changing the water as it darkens. Then it rinses the section under running water, from the grip toward the nib, and wipes it dry.
Sailor adds one caution: on clear or skeleton pens, water can carry ink into the section and leave color behind, so rinse only the nib end instead of soaking.
Flush intervals as each maker states them, on one scale of months.
How do you clean a piston fountain pen?
Use the piston as a pump: turn the knob to draw water in and turn it back to push it out, until it runs clear. Pelikan describes exactly this for the Pelikan M200, with lukewarm water and no additives, and says a pen with dried ink may need its nib left in clear water for up to a week.
The TWSBI ECO flushes the same way. JetPens says the wrench and silicone grease in its box are for occasional maintenance of the piston, and TWSBI shows how to take its pens apart in its tutorial videos, so disassembly is a rare job, not part of routine cleaning.
How do you clean an eyedropper pen?
Empty the barrel, rinse barrel and section separately, then regrease the threads before you refill. An eyedropper pen holds ink in the barrel itself, sealed by silicone grease on the section threads; Wonder Pens says a Kaweco Sport converted this way holds about 2 ml.
Wonder Pens notes that each unscrewing squeezes out some grease, so refresh it whenever you clean the pen to change colors. It also warns not to convert the aluminum AL Sport, because aluminum can react with ink.
Our Kaweco AL Sport guide covers that pen, which takes short international cartridges or a mini converter instead.
When should you use pen flush instead of water?
Only when water alone doesn’t clear the pen: dried ink, a stubborn color, or a pen bought used. Goulet describes its Pen Flush, a mix of distilled water, ammonium hydroxide and surfactants, as for when “water just isn’t enough”: flush with about 4 ml, then flush again with clean water. Goulet says not to soak aluminum or casein pens in it.
Platinum sells its own kit: dilute one 10 ml pack in 100 ml of water, soak the nib section overnight (2 to 3 hours for light dye-ink stains), then rinse well, because the cleaner is alkaline. LAMY and Pelikan both say never to add washing-up liquid or cleaners to the water.
How often should you clean a fountain pen?
Every one to three months for most pens, and every time you change ink. Platinum’s care page says to give the nib a “bath” once a month; Sailor says every 2 to 3 months even with daily use; LAMY says every few months.
Pelikan is the most relaxed: once a year for a pen used daily, every six months for one used only now and then.
Which inks stain or clog a pen?
Pigment and carbon inks clog when they dry, and strong colors stain clear parts. Sailor says pigment ink that dries hardens inside the pen, so flush about every two months. Pelikan says its Fount India ink needs a flush every 3 to 5 months in a pen that isn’t used daily. Platinum says to flush its Chou-kuro pigment ink only with purified water, not its cleaner, since that can make the ink set; see our Platinum Carbon Black guide for its waterproof pigment ink.
Pelikan also says colored inks need more frequent cleaning than plain blue.
What should you never do when cleaning a fountain pen?
Don’t use alcohol, solvents or soap, and don’t soak wood or whole barrels. Sailor warns that alcohol wipes can make resin brittle and crack, and that wood barrels swell and crack in water. Platinum says to wipe barrels only with a dry soft cloth, never metal polish or chemicals.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use tap water to clean a fountain pen?
Usually, yes: Pilot and Sailor rinse with tap water, and Goulet says tap water is fine if you have no distilled water. Platinum is the exception for its Chou-kuro pigment ink, which it says to flush only with purified water.
Can I use dish soap to clean a fountain pen?
The makers say no. LAMY says never to add washing-up liquid to the water, and Pelikan says not to use liquid soap or cleaning agents; use plain water or a pen flush made for fountain pens.
Can I clean a fountain pen with rubbing alcohol?
No. Sailor warns that wipes or cloths with alcohol can make resin brittle and crack it. For stubborn ink, use a fountain pen flush, which Goulet makes from water, ammonia and surfactants.
How long should I soak a fountain pen nib?
Pilot suggests 1 to 2 hours, or overnight for a pen that sat unused; Sailor soaks the nib section overnight. For ink that has dried hard, Pelikan says the nib may need to stay in clear water for up to a week.
Do I need to dry a fountain pen before refilling it?
Yes, mostly. Platinum says water left in the feed makes the first lines pale, so blot the nib and feed with a tissue until no water comes out before you fill it.
Do I need to take my TWSBI apart to clean it?
Not for a routine flush: draw water in and push it out with the piston. JetPens says the wrench and silicone grease in the box are for occasional maintenance of the piston.
My fountain pen still won't write after cleaning. What now?
Sailor says that if ink still won't flow after washing, the feed may have a fault, and to contact the maker's service. Check first that the cartridge or converter is seated firmly, as LAMY advises.
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen
LAMY safari Fountain Pen
Platinum #3776 Century Fountain Pen
Sailor Pro Gear Slim Fountain Pen
Pelikan Classic M200 Fountain Pen
TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen
Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen