cold weather and fountain pens

[novarider]

I have a few fountain pens that i use at work but I was wondering would it be bad to leave them in my bag in my car (with the cap up) in freezing weather (will the ink freeze) or should i always make sure to take them in the house? also do any of you carry ink with you to fill a converter incase you run out of ink in the middle of the day? if so what do you keep your ink in

[Shangas]

I cannot answer the first question, but the second one...:

 

  Quote

also do any of you carry ink with you to fill a converter incase you run out of ink in the middle of the day? if so what do you keep your ink in

 

I carry my ink in...an ink bottle. A small, compact one. I believe those new Conway Stewart 30ml bottles are the best kind.

[JakobS]

It is often warned not to leave fountain pens in your car when the temperature is at or below freezing. Fountain Pen inks, being mostly made of water, can, and do freeze, so it is possible depending on the length of time they sit in the car that they will do so. An ink line that is better than many in avoiding the possibility of freezing are Noodler's Polar Blue and Black, specifically made for researchers to use in the antarctic to take down notes when no other pen/ink combination would work, it would be perfect for such a situation.

Edited December 2, 2008 by JakobS

[thibaulthalpern]

  JakobS said:

It is often warned not to leave fountain pens in your car when the temperature is at or below freezing. Fountain Pen inks, being mostly made of water, can, and do freeze, so it is possible depending on the length of time they sit in the car that they will do so. An ink line that is better than many in avoiding the possibility of freezing are Noodler's Polar Blue and Black, specifically made for researchers to use in the antarctic to take down notes when no other pen/ink combination would work, it would be perfect for such a situation.

 

I can't see using a Fountain Pen in Antarctica except say in the science stations. Fountain pens are quite a bit more delicate than ballpoints and pencils and it's really not worth the fuss when in situations such as doing field research in freezing temperature where one's hand will likely fumble etc. etc. There is a place for Noodler's Polar though such as in the OP's scenario. Even in Canada during the winter, it is easy to have a bottle of water develop ice if you park outdoors while say having dinner and a movie.

[FrankB]

I would always take my pens indoors in freezing weather. If I am out for an evening (like dinner and a movie), I carry one FP and I keep it in my shirt pocket, under my coat.

 

I do not carry a bottle of ink with me. I usually carry two or three FP's in case one runs out of ink.

[Robert Hughes]

I live in Minnesota and always bring my fountain pens in from the car when not in use. I leave pencils and ballpoints out there, as they are not affected by temperature (except ballpoints do get clumpy at -30F, but don't we all?) .

 

Once, in high school, my rock band was practicing at the local church fellowship hall. In the morning we put a 6-pack of Coca Cola 16 oz glass bottles in a cooler, which we mistakenly thought was a refrigerator. Turned out it was a deep freeze, and when we came back a couple hours later, there was broken glass and semi-frosted cola gel all over the inside of the cooler. What a mess! But we cleaned it up and they let us come back again.

Edited December 2, 2008 by Robert Hughes

[RevAaron]

Indeed. Don't leave them out in the cold. Even if you were using an ink that didn't freeze at -50 F, the materials the pen is made of might not like the stresses of alternating between cold and hot- a great way to make your materials more brittle, or end up with cracks. Or, you drop it after it's been chilled, and you see it shatter. WHAMO!

 

I being ink with me, usually in a small vial, enough for 2-3 fills. I started to keep a bottle at work, too- used to work at home, but now I've an office. I keep my vial and pens in my man purse, which comes inside with me -or- I only take one or two pens and keep them on my person, where they won't freeze.

 

Since we're sharing random cold stories... I've this old Sony PDA, that's got a body made of aluminum or stainless steel. On a -50 F windchill Duluth morning, I went out to catch a bus. Must've missed the first one, and I was standing out there wondering what happened. Took my PDA out to check the time, and I managed to get a finger stuck to the metal casing. It was cold enough outside that by the time I got on the bus, the tea in my 32 oz Nagene was an ice cold slushy- and it was boiling when I poured it into the bottle as I left the house. Ouch.

 

In other words, winter is not the time to start collecting overlays.

 

Aaron

 

 

 

[AllWriteNow]

  RevAaron said:

Since we're sharing random cold stories... I've this old Sony PDA, that's got a body made of aluminum or stainless steel. On a -50 F windchill Duluth morning, I went out to catch a bus. Must've missed the first one, and I was standing out there wondering what happened. Took my PDA out to check the time, and I managed to get a finger stuck to the metal casing. It was cold enough outside that by the time I got on the bus, the tea in my 32 oz Nagene was an ice cold slushy- and it was boiling when I poured it into the bottle as I left the house. Ouch.

 

Aaron

 

 

A completely acceptable reason to move from Duluth!

 

Steve

[RevAaron]

Nah, the best reason to stay! It's FUN to get your fingers stuck to your electronic devices! Or, your metal overlay pens! You can't lose them that way. It's a feature, not a bug.

[Ernst Bitterman]

-50? That's those weasly little degrees F, isn't it? I tend to only carry a couple of pens, on the first or second layer of clothing, so the fire which rages in my chest can keep the pens happy (picture now a Simpsons-style cutaway shot, in which a tiny organ recognizable as a heart only because it's atop the liver quivers once, then dangles exhausted from its vessels).

[lak611]

I use Noodler's Polar Blue, which will not freeze.

 

I do not take ink with me, but I carry three pens so I will not run out.

[J English Smith]

On icy mornings, I admit that I usually just take a Hero 616 or a Parker 45 for breast pocket use, so that if I slipped and fell, I would not crack anything good, other than me that is.

[burmeseboyz]

Pure water freezes at 0C but I don't know about water with dyes. It'll lower the freezing temp a little a few degrees. Anyone tried adding glycerol to the ink? That would be worth an experiment on a cheap pen. Maybe a 10 to 5% solution would be good enough.

[mr T.]

  novarider said:

I have a few fountain pens that i use at work but I was wondering would it be bad to leave them in my bag in my car (with the cap up) in freezing weather (will the ink freeze) or should i always make sure to take them in the house? also do any of you carry ink with you to fill a converter incase you run out of ink in the middle of the day? if so what do you keep your ink in

 

There is a topic about ink freeze here on FPN that could be interesting for you: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...3&hl=freeze

 

The ink isn't probably the main problem in freezing weather, but the material the pen made of is. If resins/plastics are used, the pen can crack more easy in very cold weather. In some inks, ethylene glycol is one of the main ingredients. Ethylene glycol is known by most people known as antifreeze. It is used in, for example, Quink and Waterman inks.

Edited December 14, 2008 by mr T.

[stevlight]

I carry a bottle of Aurora ink in my bag. I bring my bag everywhere I go.

[officesupplygeek]

I just did a review where I literally froze a Pilot Varsity in a block of ice, the review is posted on my blog if you are interested:

 

http://officesupplygeek.com/?p=169

[Ernst Bitterman]

Block of ice, OK... but did you get the pen really cold?

 

(current outside temp: -31C. No, I'm not sticking any of my pens out in it)

[lapis]

I wouldn't leave any pen I like out in the car, be it at +40° C (something like 100° F) or -40 ° (both).

I'm not sure if either of those can be bad for your pen, but I do know that if that's a pen or 3 which you like enough to use anytime, why not just keep in your shirt (or suit) pocket?

Ditto ink. I always have my 15 ml (1/2 oz) Nalgene bottle full, and in my vest pocket, too.

 

Lou

[Robert Hughes]

  burmeseboyz said:

Pure water freezes at 0C but I don't know about water with dyes. It'll lower the freezing temp a little a few degrees. Anyone tried adding glycerol to the ink? That would be worth an experiment on a cheap pen. Maybe a 10 to 5% solution would be good enough.

Not glycerol. You might prefer ethanol, it tastes better. But then the fountain pen may be declared an open container if it leaks, and you don't want a stain on your second best parka. So it would be best to leave the ink home and just put schnapps in your pen.

 

Edit: just looked at the weather forecast for tonight: "Mostly clear. Lows 15 below to 20 below zero Fahrenheit. Southwest winds 10 mph. "

 

Looks like we got a real Minnesota winter blowing in, by Jimminy. I think I'll skip the pen and go directly from the bottle.

Edited December 15, 2008 by Robert Hughes

[WriteAway]

My question is:

What about pens I purchase from a relatively warmer part of the country, and have shipped to me here in the now-frigid Northeast US? I have both cold and potentially rough handling to worry about! I've had no issues yet, but who knows...

Hugh