I have a dumb question - I use a Namiki VP as one of my normal rotation of pens. I was using the converter to fill out of a bottle but switching to refilling cartridges because of the capacity, easy to tell how much ink was left, etc.

One of the things that I noticed (or imagining) is that the pen actually writes BETTER with a cartridge - better ink flow, less skipping, darker/wetter line, etc. Even my least favorite ink - Noodler's Blue - which I have posted issues with on FPN, seems to write better...

Does this make sense?

Mike

Actually it does - several people report using carts is better in the VP than the converter... Which doesn't hold the most ink, either.

I use VP as my daily pen. I started using carts and it behaves just like you described.

Regards,
yarek

Yup-
Perhaps it has something to do with the way the air is present or absent? We need either a chemist or physicist here- but cartridges seem to way to go with the VP.

Tony

I agree Tony - my "fluid mechanics" from college is a tad rusty....I noticed that when I am using the conveter, I get two "sections" of ink...One portion of ink near the converter opening..then an air bubble and then another portion of ink at the bottom of the converter (near the twist mechanism). I've messed around by tapping the converter to eliminate the air bubble but it seems to come back. I've also filled the converter with a syringe to ensure a "full" fill and same thing...

Just glad that I am not imagining things

Eagerly awaiting my first VP and this is great information. After reading all the fans it seemed it was a must buy.

Any other tips on filling the converter until I can get additional cartridges.

There some postings I referred to when I got my VP for filling - I believe it is called the "syringe" method.

Version A
1. Start drawing ink into the convertor, but only fill halfway. 2. Continue turning the knob but with the nib out of the ink so it draws air into the remaining space. 3. Point the nib skyward and tap a few times until the air bubble at the knob end joins the air bubble at the nib end. You will see ink fill the window. 4. SLOWLY turn the convertor knob the other way, purging the nib end air bubble. I can actually here the air bubbling out. 5. Keep turning SLOWLY until a drop of ink forms at the base of the nib.
6. Plunge the nib back into the ink and fill 'er up.

Version B
This technique works well. I find I don't need to fill the converter half way.
1. Fill the converter the regular way 2. Point nib skyward 3. Flick or tap with finger until ink enters the air space visible on the transparent section, insure its a solid color without further air bubbles 4. turn the converter as if to fill to eject air bubble [ I think its clockwise] until a blob of solid ink forms 5. careful with air bubble .. if it pops, tiny ink blotches will spatter, best to dab it away with a rag or napkin 6. once blob of ink forms, don't bother wipe just fill pen again
What this does is it allows more ink into the converter once occupied by the airspace, I estimate its about 1/8 to 1/4 worth of converter volume, at most


I never mastered these so I use the "Write Fill Kit" from Charlie (http://thewritefill.com/kits.htm) to fill cartridges and the converter.

I just rinsed out the cartridge that came with the VP and refill it with whatever ink I want to use.

I think a lot of the result also rests with the ink you're using in the converter. A thin, low viscosity ink will flow better and the ink may be part of the problem. Since a cartridge and a converter are both enclosed cylinders, the flow problems probably have more to do with the ink, rather than their container.

Try a Noodler's non-black ink (like La Coulor Royal, for instance) and see if that fixes the problems you're having with your converter...

I've also noticed that ink has a lot to do with the flow characteristics.

Case in point. I filled the converter with Omas Black. Pen wrote, but was scratchy and needed to be coaxed into use. Refilled at a later date with Skrip Black and it was as smooth as butter and actually gave a nice wet line...surprising for a Japanese fine-point.

I've got a converter-full of PR Burgundy Mist right now and it seems to flow fine. I have learned that filling via syringe is a better idea with the converters. Have yet to use the cartridge that came with the pen.

On the older VP's, you can use that decent sized squeeze converter. But unfortunately, with the most common model (just before Decimo and Fermo), that converter does not fit. I wonder what the ink capacity is like for the latest models?

Actually, KCat was kind enough to do measurements back in early 06 before I bought my VP...Here is info from that posting

using a 1ml syringe with needle for accuracy:

Namiki cartridge: .9mls
Namiki piston converter: .7mls

For the Namiki: The converter volume is if filled to brim. Ony .5mls if filled to the "fill" bottom of the "collar" such as would be the case with a cartridge. You could push the volume of the cartridge up to 1-1.1 mls if you fill it to the brim as well.

I have a hypothesis: I think ink conditions the side walls of the converter or cartridge some way. Cartridges are purchased with ink in them, so the ink has had quite a lot of time to condition the plastic.

Maybe if ink were held in the converter for as long as it is typically held in a cartridge, ink would flow better out of a converter.

Stephen

Interesting. I myself have a teeny problem with my VP, as the ink seems to become lighter and drier as I continue writing, but I seem to have cured it after almost 24 hours of soaking in soapy water and a subsequent load of the wetter Waterman ink.