Converter For Sheaffer Lifetime Imperial.

[Florida Blue]

Hello fellow FPNers,

 

I purchased today a Sheaffer Lifetime Imperial fountain pen. I was doing a little research on it and it appears that it may only take cartridges. My question is, does this pen accept a modern Sheaffer converter (or any other modern converter for that matter) or will it only take Skrip cartridges?

 

By the way, here is a photo of my new pen

 

http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/DSCF8615_zps90828667.jpg

 

If it only takes cartridges I might buy some Skrip Orange since that color only comes in carts.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Florida Blue

[BT-7274]

Sadly, these pens are very much cartridge only - I can confirm that on my grey Lifetime Imperial 1250. That said, however, if you're feeling daring, you can set up these pens as an excellent eyedropper, as they hold ~2.2mL of ink. What you can also do is carefully cut a cartridge in half and shellac a sac on, turning it into a makeshift bulb filler. The cartridges split easily, so, do be careful doing this.

 

...And before anyone mentions it, no, a modern Sheaffer piston converter will not fit even if you trim the knob. I *may* have destroyed one doing that.

[OcalaFlGuy]

In my experience, the Cart ONLY pens Aren't as common as the C/C ones.

 

The Cart only section will have a "plate " at the end with the cart spike sticking out of it in the open for all to see. If you can see the Spike it's a cart only pen.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Florida Blue]

Thank you White Expressions and Bruce for the responses. Based on your information it appears I will only be able to use carts with this pen. I'm not daring enough to use it as an eyedropper .

 

I still like the pen a lot. I love that Sheaffer "look" of the inlaid nib, black body and two-tone chrome cap with gold trim. I've always admired the PFMs and Legacies in that trim.

 

I will also explore the realm of Skrip cartridges. There are three Skrip colors: orange, gold and pink, that are only available in carts so this seems a perfect opportunity to try those colors out.

[OcalaFlGuy]

FB, check out Pendemonium and Fleabay for Sheaffer carts. They both may have some of the cool discontinued colors.

 

Keep in mind you can syringe into an empty cart ANY ink you so desire.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[barleycorn]

The rare button style convertor may fit your pen. Problem is IF you can find one it likely costs as much as the pen. So the simple solution is to use cartridges and refill with whatever ink you want to use.

[Ron Z]

In my experience, the Cart ONLY pens Aren't as common as the C/C ones.

 

The Cart only section will have a "plate " at the end with the cart spike sticking out of it in the open for all to see. If you can see the Spike it's a cart only pen.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

Not quite correct. Most of the pens have a shoulder, or ribs in the end of the barrel that hit the end of the cartridge and hold it in place, or push the cartridge towards the nib. The end of the barrel is usually open in the middle, but maybe not open as much as is needed for the squeeze converter. The only "cartridge only pen" is the Compact Imperial, and that's because the bend of the barrel is THE END of the barrel inside as well. I will grant you that the Lady Sheaffers don't like the later squeeze converters, but IIRC will work with the button converter. Some of the earlier Imperials have issues with the converter sticking in the end when you pull the section out because the space down the middle isn't open enough for the tapered end of the converter, but you can over come that by using a piston converter or by swaging the end of the squeeze converter a bit, or by using a Montiverdi mini converter in the pen. But that's not universally true for Imperials.

 

There are two common C/C versions of the Imperial section. One has plastic threads, which were used in the plastic barrel Imperials. The end of the section is flat with the piercing tube, as the "spike" is correctly called, sticking out the end. The other is the section with the long metal threads. The piercing tube is down inside, and the cartridge sits down inside the metal threads - these were generally used on the pens with a metal overlay. It's been a while since I tried, but IIRC the section threads are different, so should not be interchangeable. The reason for the difference is that a pen with an overlay has a slightly shorter interior length. The metal threads allow the cartridge to sit lower down towards the nib, so the cartridge/converter clears the end of the barrel. I remember seeing some with short metal threads, but don't remember details at the moment.

 

Just for reference, if you change out the connector, you can use the plastic thread C/C section in in a TD Imperial. The inside of the metal thread section is different though, and the section can not be used in a TD pen.

[Florida Blue]

The rare button style convertor may fit your pen. Problem is IF you can find one it likely costs as much as the pen. So the simple solution is to use cartridges and refill with whatever ink you want to use.

 

I've seen these elusive converters online and they do seem to fetch a pretty penny. Speerbob had a few Lifetime Imperials on eBay that sold for a lot and they had the rare button converters attached.

 

FB, check out Pendemonium and Fleabay for Sheaffer carts. They both may have some of the cool discontinued colors.

 

I will keep that in mind. Pendemonium often has discontinued Sheaffer inks in their weekly newsletters and I remember someone selling King's Gold carts on eBay.

[terim]

We've got some dead button converters if you want to try and re-sac one!

[Florida Blue]

We've got some dead button converters if you want to try and re-sac one!

 

Is something like that easy? Do you need special tools/parts? I've re-saced lever fillers and touchdowns before.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I recently resacked a squeeze converter, which has the same fitting at the front. It was... non-trivial effort to get the plastic forward fitting out of the metal surround without scarring up the plastic or (badly) deforming the housing. The button converter would be much the same, possibly with extra tension from the pressure bar. I wish there was a special tool for it.

[Florida Blue]

I recently resacked a squeeze converter, which has the same fitting at the front. It was... non-trivial effort to get the plastic forward fitting out of the metal surround without scarring up the plastic or (badly) deforming the housing. The button converter would be much the same, possibly with extra tension from the pressure bar. I wish there was a special tool for it.

 

Thanks Ernst. I'll look into one of those button converters as an option. I haven't been able to ink it yet as I don't have any Skrip carts, but hopefully I will be going to the Fountain Pen Hospital this Saturday for their pen fair and I will pick some up.

[lahlahlaw]

 

Thanks Ernst. I'll look into one of those button converters as an option. I haven't been able to ink it yet as I don't have any Skrip carts, but hopefully I will be going to the Fountain Pen Hospital this Saturday for their pen fair and I will pick some up.

What did you end up using in the Imperial? I have a 550 that I'm refilling the old cartridge on, but it is getting worn out... With all these sizes out there (pilot, lamy, etc) you'd think one of their converters would fit.

[ac12]

I have an Imperial desk pen that is cartridge ONLY.

The inside of the taper has a solid plug where the end of cartridge would contact, not the ridge that my other Imperial desk pen has.

So for that pen, if you get a converter, it has to be no longer than the length of a cartridge, or you can't screw down the taper onto the pen.

[Florida Blue]

What did you end up using in the Imperial? I have a 550 that I'm refilling the old cartridge on, but it is getting worn out... With all these sizes out there (pilot, lamy, etc) you'd think one of their converters would fit.

 

I ended up buying a pack of Skrip orange cartridges and that's what I currently have in it. I wanted to try that specific ink so I didn't mind using cartridges. Although I prefer to use a converter.

[lahlahlaw]

 

I ended up buying a pack of Skrip orange cartridges and that's what I currently have in it. I wanted to try that specific ink so I didn't mind using cartridges. Although I prefer to use a converter.

I guess I'll end up doing the same. Or maybe I'll go crazy and turn it into an eyedropper. The section looks like it's stainless steel so it shouldn't rust.

[BT-7274]

I guess I'll end up doing the same. Or maybe I'll go crazy and turn it into an eyedropper. The section looks like it's stainless steel so it shouldn't rust.

 

 

Actually, if the section threads are stainless steel like you're implying, it will probably accept a squeeze converter. With a plastic section, the converter sits barely too high but with a metal one, I think it's just low enough that you can use a squeeze converter in it. Considering the 550 barrel, you might even be able to get away with a standard piston converter.

 

 

...That said, for converting these to eyedroppers:

 

Snorkel O-ring + a tiny dab of silicone grease on threads = very reliable.

 

See this.

[lahlahlaw]

Actually, if the section threads are stainless steel like you're implying, it will probably accept a squeeze converter. With a plastic section, the converter sits barely too high but with a metal one, I think it's just low enough that you can use a squeeze converter in it. Considering the 550 barrel, you might even be able to get away with a standard piston converter.

 

 

...That said, for converting these to eyedroppers:

 

Snorkel O-ring + a tiny dab of silicone grease on threads = very reliable.

 

See this.

Thanks! I'll give it a shot. Although the eyedropper sounds like a lot more fun, especially since mine is a B nib.

[terim]

We sold 550s for a while and IIRC they came fitted with squeeze converters .....