I have multiple pens which are a decade old, incl. a Metropolitan and Safari, and write like day one despite being used frequently.
I also have a couple ones older than 50. They also work. Clogged ones generally need a good flush with a fountain pen flush.
Also, if you do not want to spend on any specialized fountain pen flush solution, diluted windex works very well. From the smell I am willing to bet that most fountain pen cleaning solutions are exactly that.
Thanks! Unfortunately we don't have Windex here. Many of them here contain alcohol, and some others contain lemon juice to remove calc stains from glass. I wouldn't risk that, actually.
I use J. Herbin's flush, which doesn't mind being used over and over. I filled an old Lamy 30ml ink bottle with one, and flush my pens with the same "liquid". From what I feel, it has some soap, some other surfactants, which it doesn't react with the rubber and seals inside the converters and pistons. Alcohol eats them from my experience.
The bottle I have gained interesting properties. It's a green-turquoise hue, which becomes reddish if you shine strong light through it :)
But it cleans like it's never used, which is nice.
Have you tried ultrasonic cleaning with plain water? I got a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and started cleaning my pens with it, and they work beautifully.
I have an ultrasonic cleaner too, but no pens were stubborn enough to necessitate a bath inside it.
I generally "power flush" my pens with a syringe: Get a 50ml syringe, cut the sealed end of a cartridge, fill the syringe, mate the syringe, cartridge, pen, and push the water through. After a couple of times, the pen is thoroughly cleaned. Shake a couple of times, let it dry.
On the other hand, many (if not most) inks have some detergents in it, and keep your pen clean and clog free as long as you use them. Older inks used Solv-X which was more effective but deemed carcinogen and banned in modern inks.
I have a Metropolitan and the only reason I don't use it is because the cap doesn't seal well and the ink evaporates quickly.
Yes, metropolitan is not a “super sealer” which you can leave for a period, then pick up and write. It demands to be used regularly. It also doesn’t like to stand nib-up for long periods.
Because of it, I generally EDC it with a good, low maintenance inks, and try to use it very regularly. As an EDC pen, the nib balances its quirks.
Lamy 2000 and Pilot Custom 823 are two of the most patient pens I have ever used in that regard.