I Can't Get The Water Out Of My Pen.

[Nyssa]

Hi everyone! I have a potential problem I was hoping someone could help me with. I have a Pelikan m205 duo that I left the highlighter ink in for too long. The ink gooped up the nib so I tried cleaning it with water and a bit of dish soap. When that didn't work, I took the nib out and let it sit in a water/ammonia mix for about 24hrs. The good news is that all of the ink came out of the nib. The bad news is that I was, apparently, overly vigorous when I was flushing the pen with the water/dish soap mix and got some water in the piston mechanism. I assumed that it would dry out if I let it sit but it has been about 3 weeks and there is still water in it. So I have two questions. First, is this a problem that could potentially damage the pen? Second, if so how do I get the water out? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Here are some picture to help show where the water is stuck. It's hard to see in the pictures so I took multiple hoping that the water would be noticeable in some of them.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2016 by Nyssa

[Water Ouzel]

Given that ink is 90%+ water, it shouldn't be a problem there.

 

Just a bit unsightly.

[Nyssa]

That's true. Hopefully that is the case.

 

The water might be more visible in these picture.

 

 

[jar]

Absolutely normal and in fact necessary.

 

The area behind the piston head must be vented to allow air in and out as you raise and lower the piston. If you let the whole pen get wet or live in an area of humidity then you will also get moisture behind the piston head.

 

Remember, the purpose of a demonstrator is to demonstrate what actually happens not what folk thought would happen or hoped would happen. If you do not want to see that moisture buy pens with a solid body.

 

It really is that simple.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Well, I got my first 200. I like the 200's nibs got it in that old fashioned width size they have on the 200 nib.....a B.

I went to town to my pen shop hoping they still had Pelikan's last years ink, amethyst. All they had was cartridges. Which is better than nothing. The ink is good.

At local department store that has a pen booth, there was the Amethyst 200....well, if I ever get water in the back of it. I'll just ignore it.

 

Sooner or later it will vanish. Don't sweat it. Often enough some one gets some ink or water in the back of a demonstrator. That's the advice. Don't go trying to take your pen apart like a Twsbi or Ahab it is not like them made for it. There is no reason to risk your pen for a couple of water flecks.

 

It is my first demonstrator also,....I'm the right person to ask for advice. I have though read a lot about them....even though I had Absolutely No Interest in a demonstrator.

[Nyssa]

Ok great! Thanks for the advice everyone! The way it looks does not bother me. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't hurt the pen in some way. It's good to hear that it will not damage it. Thanks again.

 

Kyle.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Happens to my Dollar Demonstrators, but, well...they're Dollar Demonstrators.

[JonSzanto]

Remember, the purpose of a demonstrator is to demonstrate what actually happens not what folk thought would happen or hoped would happen. If you do not want to see that moisture buy pens with a solid body.

 

Words of gold.

[Chrissy]

Remember, the purpose of a demonstrator is to demonstrate what actually happens not what folk thought would happen or hoped would happen. If you do not want to see that moisture buy pens with a solid body.

 

It really is that simple.

 

 

 

Words of gold.

 

Yes indeed. +1

[Runnin_Ute]

I have had my M200 Cognac for about 5 months or so now. (mid-late November 2015) As far as I can tell, this hasn't yet happened. And it has had more than a couple of different inks in it over the months I have had it. Of course the Cognac is darker than the green too.....

[jar]

I have had my M200 Cognac for about 5 months or so now. (mid-late November 2015) As far as I can tell, this hasn't yet happened. And it has had more than a couple of different inks in it over the months I have had it. Of course the Cognac is darker than the green too.....

It's unrelated to the ink or normal flushing routine but rather submerging the whole pen in water or condensation (going from hot humid out doors into A/C dry cold).

[kernando]

Are you sure it's water? It could be grease.

[BayesianPrior]

You could also place the pen in a plastic bag with dried rice, and leave it alone for a week or so. This won't do much for larger volumes of water, but it will help with 'moisture'.

[gzp]

You might try leaving it in the refrigerator, the lower humidity may help evaporate the water.

[Ernst Bitterman]

If your are leaving it aside to dry out (whether following one of the above suggestions or just on a shelf), leave the piston run all the way down. This will leave the know elevated and possibly allow a little more air movement into the mechanism end of the barrel.