Mont Blanc Midnight Blue with 3 nibs/2 Pens, and three different writing papers

[Bling72]

The Mont Blanc inks are organic, and ideally must be stored in a dark, dry, cool place, whether they are being used or not. Anything organic deteriorates - PERIOD. No process on this planet will stop the deterioration. It all goes off eventually. When the bottle is opened you have three months to use the ink. If you keep it unopened you check the sticker on the box or bottle which will tell you the expiry date.

If you choose to keep using the inks after the dates is obviously up to you, a few days after is likely to be ok. But months after I wouldn't risk a $500 or $2k pens and nibs being ruined because you didn't want to replace your $15 bottle of ink.

Seriously one has to not be allowed to have pens to ruin pens because using expired ink.

Being in the US ink is relatively cheaper than in Australia, plus supply is much more available than in Australia. Also more brands available, more shops, so it's not all doom and gloom. There's always new inks coming out anyway.

There are some inks that don't have expiry dates on the box, but the three month rule after opening the bottle, maybe it doesn't have to be three months, but I wouldn't personally go back to a bottle I opened 2 years ago.

I just paid too much for my Mont Blanc, and no cheap ink is going to ruin my pen and needing to pay $400 to repair.

Anyone with expensive pens just shouldn't be treating them like cheap ones. The vintage ones even more so, even if you had them insured, what is the chance of getting the same original parts or nib? Just won't be the same.

If you have a plan to stash away many bottles, whatever you buy today the bottles are good for 2-4 years max. on the one remaining year is a good time to sit down and work out, ok am I going to open these puppies and use them ? or will I sell/trade them?

By then they will be worth more because it's likely they are discontinued. I see no logic in stocking up on inks that are not limited edition.

The composition of the fountain pen inks break down inside the bottle, so you will be effectively putting in sub-standard ink into your pen. That is regardless where the ink is from and how much you paid for it.

This is not taking into account the ink you already had in your pen for weeks, months, years that has dried up somewhere in the pistons or resevoir. Some people advise if you are not using the ink in your pen and it is still relatively fresh, empty the pen of ink back into the bottle. If it is not fresh, still empty the pen, and clean/flush the pen, keep the resevoir empty, and the nib abolutely immaculate until you are ready to use your pen again.

That is not advise neccessarily from FP experts or pen shops, that is simply common sense.

It is like driving a car around with oil that you never will change. It will still work, but what is that oil doing to your engine? The engine is the expensive part, the oil is the cheap part.

I lost count how many people are happy to keep their ink in their pens for years and use inks that expired many years ago, well they are not your pens, it is theirs. Just because their pens haven't required any servicing, attention or even a look at does not mean your pens can't get ruined by stale ink.

I seriously have no sympathy for people who ruin their expensive pens by refusing to stop using their expired cheap ink.

It is a democracy and people will do what they want because it is their choice, but for heaven's sake, just don't give rubbish advice about there is nothing wrong using expired stale cheap ink, and there is no need to clean/flush out ink, let it dry in the pen etc...

The shops and ink companies don't advise any of that, do we all seriously beleive that it is just marketing, and that they say this to just make you buy more ink ?

If any of you read up more about the brands of inks, some will advise to stay away from some particular brands because of the composition of the inks. I wouldn't dismiss the advice of these sources.

It is worth your time and money to find out the composition of the inks to ensure that they will not ruin your pen.

If you buy a brand new pen and it has a warranty, that warranty normally is voided for free repair IF they find that non-genuine or a different brand of ink is found in the pen when repair/servicing is taking place. Of course one shouldn't be pressured or forced to use only that brand of ink, but there is merit on at least checking the composition of the other brand inks. The company you buy the new pen from they know their own inks that's fair call. They don't know the composition of their competitors. The pen companies do not need your business to buy their inks, they want you to buy their pens.

The inks is for your convenience, they don't force you to sign a paper saying that you must use their ink haha. However they are just being polite to word what the warranty actually covers and if you ruin your pen using another branded ink, they will charge you to repair it. Not their fault you choose to use another ink.

Apart from never using the pen, you paid good hard earned money for your lovely pen(s), if you wish to keep it in as good of condition as possible, there's steps to do the right thing.