"Bluesea" wrote in message
...
snip thread back-story

The other method is to dip the metal refill point-first into hot
water for a few seconds. It should not be boiling - think hot tea
temperature.

Hot tea that's at a drinkable temperature? Black teas are properly
brewed using boiling water.

I've noticed that Parker and Papermate are both much tougher to write
with when they are cold than when they have been in a shirt pocket.

That makes sense because temperature affects viscosity and a shirt
pocket lends bodily warmth.


Hot tea must be *less* than 100 deg C. After 3 minutes infusing, it
might be 98 deg, or 95 deg. It's not boiling. The point is to avoid
creating bubbles if there's any moisture in the ink.

Are you a tea fan? I like Whittard (UK), which came perilously close to
failure.

What's going on with Papermate? You can buy the metal refills anywhere
here, but if you want the pens, you have to buy second-hand on eBay, or
(as I did) find a pristine boxed sample in a charity shop.

--
Alan