Most ballpoint pens are filled with a paste ink, which lasts longer over time and does not dry out when exposed for long lengths of time. Rollerball pens use liquid ink cartridges which, while giving the writer a smoother, darker mark without much effort, need to be replaced more often and will dry out if left uncapped.

A converter is small mechanism that looks like a fountain pen cartridge with a slender twist-knob. The converter enables the writer to use the fountain pen with bottled ink.

The converter works like a syringe to extract ink into its clear container. Connect the converter to the front part of the pen like you would an ink cartridge. Twist the knob of the converter so the plunger is all the way down towards the end of the pen. Dip the nib and feed into a bottle of ink. Twist in the opposite direction and ink will be 'sucked' into the converter chamber. If little or no ink is coming into the chamber, then you have to start over again and make sure to dip most of the nib into the ink.

Fountain pens are affected more by gravity than ballpoint or rollerball pens. Make sure to always have the point of the fountain pen pointed up, facing the sky. To keep your desk pens always at an upward angle, keep them in a pen cup, mug, or desk organizer with the point (capped) pointed upward. If the pen is empty, you may store it in a safe, acid-free environment like some of our pen cases.

Fountain pens require more care and attention than ballpoint pens or rollerball pens. After prolonged use, ink sediment tends to build up like an artery with a cholesterol problem. To improve ink flow and restore the writing quality, first try cleaning your fountain pen like you would normally. Then, you can use one part ammonia to 10 parts water to clean and rinse out the nib. Ideally, this should be done once a month for pens in constant use.

First, remove any ink cartridge that is connected with the pen. After the removal of the cartridge, you may flush the nib with running cold water. Then, let the nib air dry. Do not use tissues or other towels that shed small fibers. The fibers will get stuck inside the nib, causing more ink flow problems and blockages. If you are using a converter to fill your fountain pen, leave the converter in the front part of the pen. Take a cup of water and draw the water in through the converter as if you were filling it with ink. Then flush out the water by turning the converter knob in the opposite direction. Repeat this process a few times. Then, you may want to remove the converter and wash the nib under running water. Make sure that both the nib and converter are clean enough that when you draw water through the converter and flush it out again that there is no traces of ink pigment in the water.

The easiest way to find which refill is compatible with your pen is to take the refill out of the pen and visually compare it to one of the refills on our website. Please read the descriptions to make sure you are choosing the correct color. Another method is to check the side of the refill for any model/manufacturer numbers. If you still have the original documentation that came with the pen, the correct refills may be listed in there. If all else fails, call our customer support line or e-mail us by filling out the customer inquiry form and we will be glad to help with our years of experience in this matter.

In most cases, we do not sell extra nibs, clips, boxes, barrels, and caps, etc. We retail only brand-new-in-box merchandise that is supplied to us by the manufacturers that we deal with. However, there are certain brands, like Lamy Edison or Pelikan, that do offer nibs as a separate accessory purchase Kaweco Fisher are examples of pens that we offer the clips for purchase separately as well.

Not very often does this happen, but sometimes the refills inside of the pen can dry out (especially rollerball pens) after being on the shelf for a while. The extreme changes in temperature experienced while shipping may also be a factor in causing the pen to work improperly right out of the box. Give the pen some time to warm up and try again in 15 minutes. If the pen still does not work, you may contact us by using the customer inquiry form or by giving us a call during business hours.

It all depends on your writing style. Look at the way you write with a ballpoint pen. Do you take microscopic notes that require a magnifying glass to read? Or can you fill up an entire page with one paragraph of bold loops and curls? A general rule of thumb is that a bigger handwriting style should be paired with a wider nib. You may also notice your handwriting changing while using a fountain pen to accommodate the line thickness. It comes down to being comfortable with writing smoothly and at the pace that you are accustomed to.

Our Return Policy allows you to take the pen for a "test drive" and be able to exchange it within 15 days from purchase (30 days for gifted items). To test write the fountain pen, we recommend to dip the tip of the nib into a bottle of ink to try it out for a paragraph or so of writing. You should be able to tell by then if the nib is too thick/ too thin for your handwriting style. Be sure to keep all of the pen’s documentation, warranty information, box, converter, and extra cartridges, etc., just incase you would want to return it back to us. If any pen is sent back to us for exchange and it is missing pieces or has been abusively used, we may not accept the exchange and/or charge a 15% restocking fee for the returned pen.

Feel free to call our friendly and helpful Customer Service Department at 1-800-963-7367. You may also fax your order to (732) 583-6644. You may also e-mail the contents of your order using our "Contact Us" form. Please do not include credit card numbers in e-mails. We will get in contact with you to obtain the payment information the following business day.

Yes, if you have received two e-mail confirmations, but they differ in order number (ex. Order#01234 & #01235), they are duplicates. We manually check every order to ensure that the duplicated order is removed before processing.

Since we have a great volume of orders every day, our website does not have an accurate way of showing all the in-stock and out-of-stock items. The best way to check if the item is in-stock is by e-mailing us to inquire about the specific item or by calling our Customer Service Department at 1-800-963-7367.

You may log-in to your account and check the order status history through your account dashboard. If no information is available feel free to use the "Contact Us" inquiry form or call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-963-7367.

We will go above and beyond for our customers and our "Rush Ordering" capabilities are no exception. To place a rush order; please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-963-7367. We can ship next-day air (via UPS) on all of our in-stock items. In most cases, we can even have your order drop-shipped directly from the manufacturer if need be.

Most of our orders are processed, packed and shipped within 24-48 hours. Weekend orders are processed on Mondays (with exception to holidays). If you have engraving and/or giftwrapping on your order, please allow an additional 2 to 3 business days before shipping.

Every day, our company receives multiple shipments of new product to re-stock our shelves. Most backorders are shipped in 5 to 7 business days. Our ordering system automatically sends our customers e-mails to notify about the backordered item. Sometimes this e-mail is regarded as spam and sent directly to a "bulk" or "junk" folder. Limited edition pen orders may take a longer time to fulfill.

We are your dealer. If you are trying to find a retail store to take a look at some products you have seen here on Goldspot.com, we recommend visiting the manufacturer's website or contacting the distributor to find a dealer in your area. Most sites have a "retail locator" that will be able to pin point a local supplier in your area. Once you are done taking a look, come on back to Goldspot and enjoy saving money on the same products. Remember, we will gladly match any authorized retailer's advertised price.

The item has been discontinued and has been removed from our website for purchase. Since we advertise our products through Google, they index all of our webpages in their database, even if they are "deactivated." If you are interested in pens similar to the one you are looking for, browse by the brand name of the manufacturer or type the model name in the Quick Search box of our website.

UPS 3-day, 2-day or next-day shipping is referring to the number of business days that the package will be in transit. Once the package ships, the package will take X amount of business days to arrive. Keep in mind that we do have a processing lead time of 24-48 hours after the order has been placed. Saturday and Sunday are not counted as business days. UPS Holidays are also not counted in estimated delivery time. For example, a 2-day Air order that is shipped on Thursday will arrive at its intended destination on that following Monday.

Currently, we have three shipping options to our friends in the Great White North:

US First Class Mail

• Customs Declaration - No Tracking Number
• Delivery Transit Time : 5 to 15 business days
• Uninsured at buyer's risk.

US Global Priority Mail (orders over $75)

• Tracking Number from USPS
• Tracked through Canadapost after parcel crosses border
• Delivery Transit Time: 5 to 10 business days
• Insurance is optional (extra).

Express Mail Service / DHL

• Fastest, most secure method
• Delivery Transit Time: 2 to 3 business days
• Fully insured (included).

Our company tries to limit the burden of such taxes or fees to our international customers. However, we cannot guarantee that every international shipment will be free of any local taxes or fees that the government might impose. Any customs taxes that might be paid are not included in the shipping costs.

We ship from New Jersey. The New England area of the US can expect 2 to 3 business days to deliver once the package ships. The Southeast and all other states East of the Mississippi can expect their packages in about 4 business days. The Midwestern States can expect usually 4-5 business days and the West coast can be 5-7 business days. The more remote of an area that the package is being delivered to, the more time it usually takes to arrive.

For all standard international shipments, we use the US Postal Service, which usually takes 7-10 business days to reach anywhere in the world. Our costs vary on the weight and value of the order. For expedited shipments, we offer DHL International Express, which is significantly quicker and more reliable, yet more expensive.

We do ship via US Postal Service mail to PO Boxes, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Simply enter in your shipping information as you normally would and make sure your PO Box number and zip code are correct in filling out the form.

We ship refills only (bottled ink not included) via US First Class mail in a sealed, padded envelope or small box. Currently, it costs $3.25 for the first five refills on the order.

Goldspot is not responsible for checking every address to make sure the package is shipping to the correct recipient. We do process our orders very quickly (sometimes within the same day an order placed in the morning will ship later that afternoon), so it is strongly advised that you double-check your information before submitting it and contact us as soon as you realize there is a mistake. Once the package has left our facility, we cannot change its destination until it is returned back to us. If the package was successfully delivered to an incorrect address, we are not responsible for retrieving the package.

Please call or e-mail us to obtain an RMA# (Return Merchandise Authorization). Let us know the reason for returning the item and whether you would want an exchange or credit. Once we supply you with the RMA#, you may ship the pen in its original packaging back to us via UPS, US Postal Service, FedEx, and DHL, etc. If you are sending the package back, please make sure it is sent with a tracking number or delivery confirmation and that the package is insured. You may label the package like so:

ATTN: RMA#(your RMA# given to you)

Goldspot Pens
1230 Highway 34
Aberdeen, NJ 07747

Before contacting us, please make sure to check the box that your order arrived in and make sure that there are no loose items at the bottom of the packing material. If the box appears damaged or tampered with during shipping, please note this when contacting us. If the point of the pen is not retracting or extending properly, check if the spring is properly inserted into the pen. In the event that any item arrives damaged, please contact us before sending the package back. You may also call our customer service department during business hours.

We do accept an honor returns and exchanges within the allowable return period of 15 days from the original date of purchase (30 days for gift purchases). After the return period, we do ask our customers to please contact the warranty/repair department of the pen manufacturers

If the pen was working fine when you originally received it, but the quality had dropped off after a week or so of use, you should follow the directions about how to clean a fountain pen to maintain the proper writing quality of the pen.

Merchandise that is returned for reasons other than being damaged or defective may be applicable to the fee if the items are returned for credit. Special order brands like Conway Stewart, Delta, Caran D'Ache (Leman, Varius and Jewlery Collections), Swarovski Crystals, OMAS, and Venlo Pen Cases are definitely items that are issued 15% restocking fees if they are returned for refund. Other items that are issued restocking fees are limited edition, high-end (usually $250 and above) pens from Sheaffer, Pelikan, Parker, Waterman, Conklin, Cross, and Aurora, etc.

Exchanges also have the same time window of 15 days after purchase (30 days if gift). If you are not entirely pleased with your purchase and know what you would like to exchange the item for, you may call or mail to make your request be known. Follow the instructions about how to proceed with a normal return. Exchanges are shipped at the customer's expense.