Since neither company decided to use international cartridges, each must have a reason to use their own? Improved flow? Or is it purely to keep ink income inhouse? Did either one of them improve on the international design?

Hi,

It is better, as you have improved start times. You will also bypass some of the disadvantages of having a smaller hole in the cartridge. Think of it like a sac pen or Pelikan piston-filler. It IS better.

Dillon

Eventhough I do not use ink cartridges and prefer converters over cartridges, Platinum has the edge over most. On the Platinum cartridges, there is a metallic ball that is inside the ink cartridge that helps keep the ink flowing well and it seems to break the surface tension in the ink cartridge. There have been times where I had to use a Platinum cartridge and the ink flow was constant and consistant. I think Platinum made an excellent design when it comes to their cartridges. The only major issue is that Sailor, platinum and pilot/namiki cartridges are all propritary and I find Platnium cartridges harder to find than Pilot and Sailor.

Hi Robert,

Unlike the other gentlemen, I think it is purely a marketing ploy . Platinum and Sailor have very simple designs, a straight cilinder, which makes it slightly cheaper to manufacture as well.

The hole in any cartridge is more than ample to keep up the inkflow on even the biggest nibs, especially considering that the feed is really the limiting factor. After all, we are talking capillary action here.

Just to make a point, if you want to try this out: take a bunch of different cartridges, as in, from different brands, cut off the nipple side to just below the point where the cartridge is sealed, cut a small V-shape in the side, to just above the seal in de cilinder wall of the cartridge, puncture the seal, and (soapy mouth) a hole with a needle or something in the other end of the cartridge, to allow air in. This simulates what happens in a pen, minus the feed and nib.

Now try writing with the cartridge, and see how quickly it empties. I can assure you there is no nib that can keep up with this ink flow, if it wasn´t regulated by the feed. We´re talking leaking pens here, in that case .

So, is one better than the other? Or is a sac or ED filler better in this regard? No, of course not, otherwise the whole world, ok, those writing with fountain pens, would have been complaning about these things for as many years as they exist, as long as cartridges have been produced. The whole thing about filling systems, in the end, is just a matter of personal preference or conviction, no more, no less . I guess I just opened the can of worms for real here .

In the end, any cartridge is just another ink reservoir, a replaceable one in this case.

Just my 2c .

Warm regards, Wim

The Pilot (Namiki) cartridges meant for Pilot Art Pens which come in 8 or so colors also have a ball bearing in them. They're the standard Pilot cartridge size but I was really surprised when I tipped my pen forward and felt a little "thiunk".

The Sheaffer cartridges that came with my cheapy calligraphy set also have a metal ball in them.

Standard Pilot proprietary ink cartridges also work in certain Pilot felt-tip pens. (I can't find a link to such pens on Pilot's Web site, however.) I would expect that international cartridges wouldn't work as well, since they have narrower mouths.

New Montblanc cartridges also come with a small ball in them.