[By cause] What to do when your ballpoint pen ink won't come out and what to be careful of

"There's still ink left, but I can't write at all!" This is a frustrating phenomenon that often occurs when you're in a hurry. There are several ways to deal with a ballpoint pen when the ink won't come out, but if you don't use a method that's tailored to the cause, you could end up making the problem worse or causing the ink to leak, so be careful. In this article, we'll introduce solutions for when your ballpoint pen won't come out, depending on the cause.

4 reasons why your ballpoint pen stops writing even though there is still ink left

There are four main reasons why a ballpoint pen that still has ink left in it can no longer write:

Air got in

If air gets inside the pen, the ink won't reach the tip, making it impossible to write. This is likely to happen when writing with the pen tip pointing sideways or upwards, such as when writing on a wall calendar or taking notes while lying down. Be careful when writing while holding a notepad in your hand, as depending on your posture, the pen may be angled close to horizontal.

The pen tip is scratched, dented, or clogged with debris

A ballpoint pen works by rotating the ball at the tip of the pen, which is filled with ink. Therefore, if the ball becomes scratched, dented, or clogged with dirt and stops rotating, the ink will stop flowing.

Causes of this include dropping the pen from a high place, accidentally putting it in the washing machine while it's in your pocket, or putting it in your bag without the cap on and the tip hitting something else.

You should be especially careful with "thermal paper" such as receipts and fax paper. Thermal paper has a special coating on its surface, and when you write on it, the coating seeps into the gaps, so it is said to be more prone to clogging than regular paper.

The ink is hardened or old

If the temperature is low or the ink dries out and loses its moisture, the ink will harden and become unusable. The main causes are forgetting to put the cap back on or storing the pen in a cold place for a long time.

Also, the ink lifespan is said to be about 2-3 years after manufacture, so even if the cap is properly attached, the ink in a ballpoint pen may deteriorate over time and become unable to write. The year of manufacture is written near the center of the tip, so please check it.

Actually, I'm out of ink

Even if you think there is still ink left in the lead, it may actually be that the lead tube is just colored and the ink has run out. In this case, no matter what you do, the ink will not come out, so you should buy a new one.

What if the ink won't come out even though I just bought it?

If a ballpoint pen has been stored in stock for a long time, the ink may be old and it may not write even if it is new. It may be possible to exchange it as a defective product, so first contact the store where you purchased it.

By the way, it seems that many foreign brand ballpoint pens, such as PARKER, take a while for the ink to start coming out. In most cases, the ink will come out after a while, so don't give up, just keep writing.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few impatient people who forget to remove the plastic ball from the tip of the pen. Just to be sure, check again.

Countermeasures and precautions for each cause

The solution you should use will vary depending on the cause of the ink not coming out. Some commonly known solutions may actually make the condition of the pen worse, so let's go through each one.

Clean the pen tip

If dirt gets stuck in the tip of the pen, you can remove it and it will start writing again. The most common method is to draw circles on tissue paper. Using tissue paper, which has stronger friction than paper, makes it easier to remove dirt from the tip of the pen.

It is also effective to pinch the tip of the pen and wipe it. Rubbing with too much pressure can damage the ball, so do it slowly and without using too much pressure.

If tissue doesn't work, you can also try a cigarette filter, which has finer fibers. Screw the tip of the filter into the end of the cigarette and move it around 10 to 20 times.

You can also use nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol to dissolve the stains, but be careful when using them as they may dissolve plastic parts as well.

shake

If air gets in, you may be able to revive it by using centrifugal force to push the air out. Probably the most well-known method is to use a rubber band. Secure the rubber band to the center of the ballpoint pen with cellophane tape or something similar, then twist it around. Once you've twisted it to its limit, pull both ends of the rubber band like a spinning top, and the pen will spin with force, releasing the air.

The purpose is to remove the air from the tip of the pen, so if your pen has a cap, remove the cap. However, be careful when doing this, as the force may cause the ink to splash out.

If you're worried about ink splattering, use a plastic bag. After placing the ballpoint pen inside the bag, secure the tip with a rubber band, and then shake the bag around with your hands to achieve the same effect. Using a bag with a handle makes it easier to shake.

warm

If the ink has hardened, warming it up may help it write again. Try squeezing the pen tip tightly with your hand for about 30 seconds, or breathing on it. If you want to use hot water, fill a cup with lukewarm water (about 40°C), immerse the pen tip, and leave it for a while.

Other popular methods include using hot air from a hair dryer or burning the pen with a lighter, but these can become so hot that the tip of the pen breaks or the ballpoint pen itself melts, so they are dangerous and should be avoided.

Wet (water-based ink only)

For ballpoint pens with water-based ink, you can also soften hardened ink by wetting the tip. Press the tip against a damp tissue and move it several times, then wipe off the water from the tip and try writing on a piece of paper. If the ink does not flow well, you may want to repeat this process several times. Excessive water in contact with the ink can worsen the problem, so do this little by little while watching the situation.

Cool (Friction only)

This is only available in the FriXion series, which is famous for its "disappearing ballpoint pens," but cooling the ink may make it possible to write. As mentioned above, cooling a regular ballpoint pen will cause the ink to harden, which has the opposite effect, but FriXion uses special ink, so the solution is different.

First of all, the "rub-and-erase" mechanism is due to the use of ink that disappears when the temperature exceeds 65°C. Once the color of this ink has disappeared, it will not return to its original state at room temperature. It is said that in order to fully restore the color, it needs to be cooled to around -20°C, so try placing it in a plastic bag or similar and placing it in the freezer overnight, then thawing it at room temperature before using it. The same method can be used to restore erased writing from notepads and other items.

It's best to buy a new one when the ink starts to flow less easily.

The method we introduced here is only a temporary solution when you don't have a replacement ballpoint pen on hand. Once a ballpoint pen stops writing, it often stops writing again soon, so it's best to buy a new pen or refill as soon as possible.

If you're thinking, "This is my favorite brand ballpoint pen, so I want to revive it and use it for a long time," it's best to request a repair before trying to fix it yourself. First, try contacting the contact information listed on the warranty card. Most major brands have a page on their official website on how to request a repair, so even if you don't have a warranty card or the warranty period has expired, you should contact them first.

>>PARKER repair inquiry form
>>WATERMAN FAQ
>>CROSS Customer Service

Conclusion

Here's a quick summary of what to do when your ballpoint pen won't ink.

Once a ballpoint pen stops writing, it can be difficult to revive it on your own. To avoid any problems when you need to use it, try to be careful about how you use and store your ballpoint pen.

"PR"