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Standard International Ink Cartridge


Tberry010

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I have wondered how the SIIC became the SIIC, and have scanned all the hits on 'cartridge' and see no info. Can anyone give us the background on how and why this size was chosen as the "standard"?

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For a long while there were many different standards, particularly when it came to the size of the opening and insert. The two biggest were Parker and Waterman, the Parker being the wider opening. Several different companies lined up adopting the two as standards, Parker, Aurora and ST Dupont for example and Waterman, Pelikan and Montblanc. Montblanc, IIRC was the first I found that used the smaller two cartridge system.

 

Gradually, over time more and more companies and the independent ink manufacturers adopted the smaller Pelikan/Montblanc cartridge.

 

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Taking an ignorant guess, I'd say it was a handy name that was available...so a few ink-makers took it.

 

Evidence: Parker and Sheaffer were probably first to market with cartridge pens that really worked; first to sell cartridges in a big way. Both have unique cartridges, although Parkewr has always used the same format. If I wanted to pick a standard format, I would have standardized on Parker. Only Aurora seems to have done that.

 

Considering pens today, very few pen-makers stick to the "international standard". Parker doesn't. Waterman is close, but not quite "standard". Lamy is unique to Lamy. Sailor is unique to Sailor.

 

Some of the Chinese pens will take the "international" cartridge. I think Caran Dache uses it. Others? Hmmm.

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One of my favourite features of the international cartridge is that I can load two of them back to back in my Rotring 600. When one runs out just swap for the other. Brilliant, really.

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Thanks for the input guys. The responses are about what I had thought. Tom

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So who invented the short international cartridge? MB, Pelikan or some other company?

 

Thanks!

Hari

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So who invented the short international cartridge? MB, Pelikan or some other company?

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

The first short cartridges I remember seeing were actually Cross.

 

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So who invented the short international cartridge? MB, Pelikan or some other company?

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

The first short cartridges I remember seeing were actually Cross.

 

Are cross carts same as the small international cart?

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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So who invented the short international cartridge? MB, Pelikan or some other company?

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

The first short cartridges I remember seeing were actually Cross.

 

Are cross carts same as the small international cart?

 

IIRC, and I don't have any to check right now, no. I think they had an extra step at the section end.

 

found a picture online

 

Always amazing to me when I actually remember stuff.

Edited by jar

 

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  • 5 years later...

For a long while there were many different standards, particularly when it came to the size of the opening and insert. The two biggest were Parker and Waterman, the Parker being the wider opening. Several different companies lined up adopting the two as standards, Parker, Aurora and ST Dupont for example and Waterman, Pelikan and Montblanc. Montblanc, IIRC was the first I found that used the smaller two cartridge system.

 

Gradually, over time more and more companies and the independent ink manufacturers adopted the smaller Pelikan/Montblanc cartridge.

 

I have always been curious. Thanks. Any idea what year the "Intl Std" began ? Would there be "Intl Std" fountain pens that were not, in the years predating the cartridge ? Were Pelicano's always "Intl Std" ?

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As usual it was never simple.

 

Some companies even offered different pens using different cartridges and yet sold at the same time. Waterman is a great example. They had several different formats over the years. Others varied in the length of the outside throat so even though the diameter of the opening was the same as "International" the depth of seating or stepped OD made their cartridges somewhat non-standard. Cross was one such brand IIRC. Aurora also had several cartridges over the years before settling on the Parker specs. ST Dupont started with the Parker standard and then switched to the International standard. Some Dunhill pens use Sailor or Pilot style cartridges.

 

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