How to Use a Sheaffer Skrip Fountain Pen

Skrip ink is an economical, non-clogging ink good for any pen.

Scheaffer makes a variety of fountain pens and inks. Their Skrip ink is an economical fountain pen ink popular with writers for its smooth flow and lack of bleeding. Almost all Scheaffer fountain pens come with starter cartridges of their Skrip ink. Learning how to use a Sheaffer Skrip fountain pen is easy. All you need to know is how to start the flow of the ink and how to refill the pen when needed.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Fountain pen
• Scheaffer Skrip Ink (cartridge or bottle, if needed)
• Fountain pen bladder or converter (if needed)

Instructions

Filling Your Fountain Pen (Cartridge)

1. Unscrew and remove the barrel of your fountain pen. The barrel is the long part of the pen that rests against your hand when you write, and is typically separated from the nib casing by a narrow ring. The barrel unscrews when you turn it counter-clockwise.

2. Remove the stored cartridges from the barrel of the pen. Tip the barrel to spill out the two small Skrip ink cartridges that came with your Sheaffer fountain pen. Some models of Sheaffer fountain pens come with the two cartridges placed alongside the pen in the packaging and not stored in the barrel. If you have one of these, there will be nothing in the barrel when you remove it.

3. Place one cartridge back into the barrel so that it is "upside down." You want the narrow tapered end of the cartridge to be pointing away from the opening of the barrel. This cartridge is not just your spare ink cartridge but serves to keep pressure on the cartridge you will be using so it remains well-connected to the nib. Put the barrel aside.

4. Set the cartridge you will be using into the nib. Hold the nib so the writing end is pointed up and push the narrow tapered end of your cartridge into the nib casing (where the barrel was screwed on). You will feel it pop or snap into place as the nib feeder inside the casing pierces the cartridge. The cartridge is now "locked" into the nib.

5. Screw the barrel back onto the nib casing until it is tight.

Filling Your Fountain Pen (Bladder or Converter)

1. Unscrew and remove the barrel of your fountain pen. The barrel is the long part of the pen that rests against your hand when you write, and is typically separated from the nib casing by a narrow ring. The barrel unscrews when you turn it counter-clockwise. Removing the pen barrel will reveal the bladder or converter (whichever your fountain pen uses). The bladder or converter looks like a thin metal or hard plastic tube that protrudes from the nib casing and was covered by the barrel of the pen.

2. Open your bottle of Sheaffer Skrip fountain pen ink and make sure it is set on a stable work area.

3. Place the end of your nib into the bottle so it is submerged in the ink.

4. Fill your bladder or converter with ink. A bladder will have a small lever set flush into the side of the bladder tube that you will need to pry out with your fingernail and then push back into place to draw ink into the bladder. You will have to do this several times until the bladder is full. A converter has a type of screw pin on the top that you will need to turn clockwise to draw the ink into the converter body. Do this until you can see that the converter is full. Once your bladder or converter is full, remove it from the ink and recap the bottle. Wipe off the nib to remove any excess ink.

5. Replace the pen barrel on the pen. Tighten it into place by turning it clockwise until it is tight.

Using your Fountain Pen

1. Shake your pen several times to start the flow of ink towards the nib. You may want to wet the tip of your finger and press it against the underside of the pen nib to also help start the flow.

2. Hold the pen at slightly more then a 45-degree angle to the paper and begin to make loops on the paper while pressing down slightly on the nib end. Your ink should begin to flow, unevenly at first and then smoothly as the Skrip ink passes through all the parts of the nib. You are ready to begin writing.

3. Store the pen properly when not in use by making sure that the cap is on tightly and the nib is pointed up. This will prevent ink from pooling and congealing in the nib and causing it to clog.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean your pen before switching your brand of ink. This will help prevent the nib from clogging.

• Sheaffer Skrip ink is not waterproof. Do not use this ink for any application that may be exposed to excessive moisture or the ink will run.

References

• Pendomonium: Sheaffer Pen Company
• Levenger: How to Fill a Fountain Pen

Resources

• Nibs.com: Pen Maintenance