On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 07:07:45 GMT, BL wrote:

virgiliopoeta wrote:

I've snipped the discussion above 'cause I wouldn't want to interfere in a
private war or appear like a lily-livered peace-maker, heaven forfend.
Carry on with the hacking and slashing, boys; you're clearly having a great
time and I find it immensely entertaining. It livens up the group and may
even dispel some of the myths that seem to have gathered around fountain
pens and their use.

All I wanted to say is this: regardless of how it's stored, a fountain pen
is going to dry out if it isn't used. The time taken for that to happen is
going to vary from pen to pen but it'll happen eventually. It's probably -
I'll be no more definite than that - the case that the "nib up" option is
the best, though virgilpoeta's comment about the drying of ink adhering to
the nib and feed has some merit, particulary when you consider pens with
complex, multi-finned feeds. Whichever pen I'm currently using lies
horizontally in a wooden pen tray. I never have a problem with pens drying
out but that's because I use them a lot.

In essence, drying out is a problem of under-used pens. Enjoy the pleasure
of using them more often or if it does dry out, don't worry about it. All
the modern inks I've used wash out very easily.
--
Sem