Cleaning crow quill nibs

[uglyf'nworld]

A lady recently gave me a pretty nice collection of drawing pens,The crow quill dipping variety. Some of them have ink build up which is dried on them. Anyone have any suggestions on the best cleaning method? What solvents would you use? Thanks in advance for any replies/help.

[davejohnsonart]

Use a good strong soap like ivory or lava (something without harsh abrasive or corrosive elements). The key is to be patient and re-wash them until the shellac breaks up (it will eventually).
Whatever you do, don't "soak" them in water overnight. That weakens the metal and the nib will snap in two (I lost some good pens that way).

[Aztec]

Try cleaning them with some ammonia and an old toothbrush. That's always worked for me.

[el Dopa]

Both of the above suggestions are good, and should be tried first. If they don't work, you need mineral spirits or turpentine to cut the shellac that makes ink waterproof.

[uglyf'nworld]

Thanks for the suggestions! Have not tried either yet. Thanks or telling me not to soak them because surely I was about to Can't wait to get them cleaned for a test drive! Again, Thanks!

[Tafrin]

I use an alcohol based pen cleaner. I soak them in Koh-In- Noor pen cleaner and it seems to work just fine. I only soak for about a half hour at the most, then just rinse woth water. Dry with paper towel.
Also, another trick I've use is to warm the pen up by putting the tip near heat. Crow quill's seem to work better if they are "broken in". The quickest way is to let the tip touch a candle flame for a second. Just to get the metal warm. I know it sounds weird but it really helps the nib stay together and give a nice clean line.

--Anne

[el Dopa]

New pen nibs come coated with a layer of machine oil that prevents rusting. This oil will shed ink, so it's a good idea to remove it. Putting the tip to a flame burns the oil off. You could also just as well wash it in warm soapy water.