How to Get a Ballpoint Pen to Start Writing Again
How to Get a Ballpoint Pen to Start Writing Again
So, how to get a pen to write again?
Sometimes, you might need a minute to get the ink started in a brand new pen. Or if you have a pen that you haven't used for the while, the problem and solution can be the same.
We have had customers think that perhaps their new pen came without ink in the cartridge, when in fact it was just a matter of getting the pen started.
Why does it not just write the moment I first try it?
While most of the time the ink will start on first attempt, sometimes they do not.
The tip's ball can clog, or the ink can congeal or coagulate.
Especially on a brand new pen the cartridge is filled at the factory from end opposite from the tip.
It all has to do with how a ballpoint pen works. The pen will not write until it gets wet. That's why you need to wet the ballpoint with ink to make it work going forward.
| Further Reading: How Do Ballpoint Pens Work |
So until the ball in the tip wets with ink or until any small air pockets are removed, the pen may not write or may skip.
99.5% of the time the ink cartridge it is not defective, it just needs to be started.
Once the pen starts, there will be no further issues.
Tips on how to get a pen to write again:
- Dip the tip in a drop of oil. Cooking oil is fine, any oil will do.
- Water can also work, but we suggest oil.
- Let it soak for 5-10 seconds, swirling it around in the drop of oil is best.
- Scribble vigorously on a piece of paper until the oil absorbs and only ink starts to flow.
- If it does not start, then soak the tip in oil for 20 minutes and try again.
If this did not work, here are additional tips
- The video below demonstrates a second way to get a pen to start writing.
- If none of the above works, then warming the ink just a little can tried. You should remove the refill from the pen before you warm the ink. Warming it can thin the ink or melt a clog, allowing the ink to flow easily.
Here is a video. NOTE: We are NOT responsible for any damage to the pen or refill if you choose this method.
The table below summarizes some issues you might face when using a ballpoint pen and their solutions:
| Issue | Solution |
| Pen won't start | Shake the pen gently to get the ink flowing |
| Dry ballpoint tip | Draw small circles on scrap paper to encourage ink flow |
| Old or dried ink | Soak the pen tip in warm water for a few minutes |
| Air bubble in cartridge | Tap the pen gently on a hard surface to release the air bubble |
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Daniel Whitehouse is the President and CEO of Dayspring Pens. He uses his expertise with premium writing utensils to create exceptional, intentional products and craft easy-to-understand articles that help both new and experienced users learn more about their writing tools. He lives in Virginia where he and his wife are raising their four children. To learn more about him and his insights about custom engraved gift pens, follow Daniel on LinkedIn. |
13 Comments
Thank you enormously. This worked on my S pen for my S22. I’m amazed. I came to say thank you 🖤
@BILL Interesting! I am curious to hear if the method works on pens that are of that age. I know after that length of time, some ballpoint inks will dry out in the cartridge even sealed and still “new”.
The pens I’m trying to get working were brand new and still in the package. They could be 15 years old. The heat the tip method in a flame worked for some ballpoint stick pens, but not for some other ballpoint pens. I did the flame and oil thing. I’m soaking them in warm water now.
sometimes a pen will write on your skin(!) -a bit oily and textured – when it will not write on paper :( then you need to wash up but works in a pinch
@Mindy to answer your question yes it depends on the type of ink that is in the PIN it can either leak or not write very well for long periods the ink would have to gravity bleed down like swatting your pin through the air as if you were going to throw a throwing knife but not letting go of the pain but most pens actually have a certain substance in the opposite back side of the pin and even more expensive refills will have plastic stoppers or a lot of times you’ll see a refill with like a plastic plug in the end but there’s always a tiny hole now I’m not sure if that tiny hole is a purposefully made kind of like the hole in pin Caps or if it’s meant to let a certain amount of air flow through I’m pretty certain it’s made to let a certain amount of air flow through cuz if you remove it your PIN will leak a lot and if you put some hot glue on the tip of that hole and cover the hole up your pain won’t work properly so most pins have to have the proper amount of resistance for the airflow to write properly like especially thin water-based inks have to have a good stopper in the back side where is oil based inks are thicker more viscous they don’t flow as easily they don’t leak as much/as often