When I got my Parker 45 and 85, they came with these types of converters. I don't know what kind these are, and I don't know if they still work. There's no little ball inside it, so I don't know if it's still usable. But please tell me more about these anyhow. Thanks!

I may be wrong, but I think this is an aerometric filling converter. I suggest you plug it like any standard cartridge, then dip the pen section into the ink bottle and press the steel bar until it stops. Then let it go back to its original position and let some seconds for the pen to suck ink. Repeat this press-release two or three more times to fill the converter almost entirely, draw the pen out of the ink bottle and clean the excess ink with a tissue.

You should be now ready to write.

Good luck. Best regards.

Tito

Hi,

Aerometric describes the system used by Parker on ther "51" pens. This converter on the other hand would be a press-bar converter.

Nowadays, I just replace them with deluxe twist converters since I like those better, but some people like this converter.

Dillon

Whilst it's nice to be original, I often do this as well as you get a more reliable fill from the the twist converters (or the slightly cheaper slide ones) than the old press bar ones.

From my experience most (probably all) converters fit all Parker C/C pens (but I have no doubt some members will come up with examples that don't).

Andy

I don't currently use this because I don't know how to fill it. I replaced it with the modern converters. So do I fill it as Tito says?

Hi,

If you replaced these converters with the modern twist converter, the filling method is different.

Instructions are here:

http://www.visconti.it/tecnica_2_5.html

Click Animation to view.

Dillon

I know how to refill the modern converters but wanna know how to refill this ancient converter. Help?

Oh and Dillon, I love your avatar.

OK, so I won't share with anyone my experience that the twist-type does not fit Vector, 88 nor Rialto... It's simply too big and you have to use the slide-type or the one pictured in first post here

Hi,

I knew somebody would prove me wrong, but to be honest I can't really be bothered to try it out in all the Parkers I rarely use, not really sure why they wouldn't fit as I am pretty sure that these pens are fairly contemporary with the fillers but who knows.

Andy

(1) Insert it into the pen as you would a cartridge or other converter. It is going to fill with ink through the nib.

(2) With the nib submerged in the ink press the press bar and release.

(3) bubbles of air should come out of the nib.

(4) wait a few seconds for the ink to be drawn up into the converter.

(5) repeat steps (2) through (4) again to see if anymore air is forced out.

(6) converter is now filled, wipe ink off nib and screw on barrel.

(7) if unhappy with the procedure, many have been, replace with modern twist or slide Parker converter.

(8) if replacing press bar converter with modern one, save the old converter. Somewhere down the line someone will always be looking for one of these and may pay for it.

Best of luck.........

BTW, Hero Pen Company still makes and installs press bar converters in some of its pens.

Hi,

The current Parker twist converter fits all Parkers because it is thinner. I used to have one in my Vector. The old twist converter is a different design and does not fit many pens.

Dillon

I don't know if this particular converter is going to work. I know it's hard from the picture, but I can't see the bladder in the gap behind the press bar. I think I'm seeing right across to the other side of the converter barrel. If there's no bladder, this filler won't work.

What's a bladder, exactly?

Is there a rubber sac behind the metal pressing bar?

I have two of those, and I think one of them has a bladder, but the other one seems like it doesn't. I'll test it out one of these days.

If you are uncertain about the condition of the bladder or sac, I suggest testing with water first.

Immerse nib in water, squeeze and release the press bar to (hopefully) fill with water.

Remove from water, wait a couple of moments to see if it holds water, then squeeze press bar to expel water through the nib.

If it works OK, you are ready to try ink. If it fails to take up water, or it leaks, you need a new converter.
Pens that have an internal sac can be have sac replaced, but I don't know how you would do it on a converter and converters are pretty cheap.

My Parkers all have twist or slide converters, but I have several other pens with squeeze converters like this. They work OK, but I prefer the twist type if one fits. The only advantage of a squeeze type is that it can conform to any taper of the barrel, and possibly have more volume, while a twist type must be a cylinder, so the piston can move. In a barrel with a lot of taper, the twist type is limited to the minimum diameter, and thus have low capacity (the twist mechanism also takes some space).

I wasn't too keen on using it, but I just thought it might be cool to try it out, since it's like the authentic one. Thanks!