Learn how to take care of your pointed pen calligraphy nibs; how to prepare them for use and how to clean them when they get dirty!

Nib Prep

The first time you use a nib, it’s important to prep it to make sure any leftover manufacturing oils are removed from the nib so that your ink can flow smoothly. There’s a few ways you can do this:

Water: This is the most simple way - just swish your nib in a cup of water, or under running water, then wipe dry with a paper towel or cloth!
Soap & Water: If you’d like, you can use soap, too! Any soap will do. You don’t need anything heavy duty. Put a little soap on the nib and use your hand or a toothbrush to give a quick scrub, then rinse and dry.
Potato Method: It sounds crazy, but you can stick your nib in a potato to clean it, too! Just stick it in and leave it for about 10 minutes. Take it out, rinse it off with water and dry, and your nib is ready to use! This is a good method to use if you are prepping several at once. Just don’t eat the potato afterwards!
What NOT to do: There are some recommendations floating around to put the tip of the nib through a flame to clean it. Do NOT put it through a flame! Nibs are metal and heating them up like that could cause them to warp, which could make them unusable.

Nib Cleaning

After you use your nib and it’s covered in ink, you’ll want to clean it off so it doesn’t get crusty and gross. Personally, I usually just swish in water and wipe off after I use a nib, and don’t mind if there is still a small amount of ink on there if I plan to use them again in the next few days. But, even if you are cleaning the tip of the nib, ink can dry up further up on your nib and even on your pen, so every so often, I will do a thorough clean of my nibs.

To thoroughly clean them, all you need is soap and water! If your nibs are super crusty you can do a brief soak in soapy water, then rinse and use an old toothbrush to scrub the old ink off. Any soap will do, whether you want to use Dawn dish soap or whatever hand soap you have next to your sink!

After your nibs are cleaned, it’s super important to make sure that they are dry before you put them away! Nibs are metal and can rust if you leave them wet for too long, which is why if you do soak them, it should be a brief soak. All you need to do is a little wipe with either a paper towel or a cloth, and they will be ready to put away until you need to use them again!