Product-related
1 How do I care for my fountain pen? What is the best ink for fountain pen?
2 What’s the difference between rollerball and ballpoint? And what is “Gel” ink?
3 My fountain pen uses “standard international cartridges” – what brand is this?
4 What gets out ink stains?
5 How do I care for my leather binder?
Product-related
1 How do I care for my fountain pen? What is the best ink for fountain pen?
Fountain pen care consists mostly of cleaning the dried ink from the nib and feeder (the black plastic part under the nib) when ink dries in the feeder, the general ink flow is restricted and the pen can skip. The best thing for your nib is to let it soak overnight in water, or draw water up through the convertor several times. Eventually the water will remain clear. No brand name fountain pen ink will damage your pen, but some will flow better than others. To find the ink best suited to your pen, ask your friends what they use, or experiment for yourself.
2 What’s the difference between rollerball and ballpoint? And what is “Gel” ink?
Ball pen ink is oil-based, which is why it is sticky when you get it on your fingers. Roller ball ink is water-based, which is why it writes so smoothly and runs out quickly. Gel ink refills write smoother than ball pens and last longer than roller balls, but so far are only available in a few formats. Their popularity should spark production of a wide range of refill types before long.
3 My fountain pen uses “standard international cartridges” – what brand is this?
By international, we mean cartridges found in most of the European pens, such as Mont Blanc, Rotring, Pelikan and Waterman. These cartridges come short and long, in a range of colours and are interchangeable.
Lamy, Parker and Sheaffer, as well as many Japanese manufacturers use their own cartridges.
4 What gets out ink stains?
We have a great ink remover from the U.S. called ‘Amodex’. It works very well, if you follow the instructions.
5 How do I care for my leather binder?
There are a lot of good leather care products on the market. A good dose of leather goop keeps your binder happy.
And another thing: people always ask us which leather will last the longest. The answer: the one you like the best. It’s the one you will treat the best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Policy-related
1 How can I place my order?
2 Does Laywine’s repair pens?
3 Does Laywine’s handle special corporate orders?
4 What’s on sale?
Policy-related
1 How can I place my order?
We are happy to fulfil orders and ship them to you as required. We do not invoice, so you will need to pay with a credit card. Please don’t send your credit card number in an e-mail. You may choose to call us or fax us with your requirements, shipping details and card number, or come by for a visit. If you email us, remember to give us a telephone number where we can reach you. And lastly, please take a look at “how to place the perfect order”.
2 Does Laywine’s repair pens?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is: most pen repairs (after a good cleaning) are a problem of spare parts. We can get your pen back to the manufacturer for more involved servicing. We charge a small shipping and handling fee for this service, plus repair costs.
3 Does Laywine’s handle special corporate orders?
We can take care of corporate gift programmes. Special discounts depend on the number of pieces in the order.
4 What’s on sale?
Laywine’s always has some products on sale, usually discontinued lines of pens, papers or organizers. We have our annual sale in May, before we count inventory, when everything is on sale.