Leaking Rotring Initial Caused By Converter?

[thINK]

Dear all,

 

I have this rOtring Initial Pen which I find a very nice writer... as long as I stick to cartridge inks. My pen didn't come with a converter. I dislike cartridge ink... So I thougt: let's put in a standard convertor to solve this. But as soon as I put in my Faber Castell converter (which I thought was a standard international system) my rOtring start to leaks like I hardly ever seen a pen leaking before. My thumb and middelfinger litterly become soaked with ink. (ieuw!)

 

The inks comes out just between the black plastic thingy at the end of the section and the metal part of the section (see also the attached image). I don't even really touch the black plastic, but touching the end of the metal apperently is already bringing out the flow.

 

Could this be caused by using the wrong converter? I only can buy the rOtring converters in the shops here in a package of 10 (which I find quite bizarre by the way) and ordering online would make it very pricely due to shipping cost. And I don't want to invest that money in this pen, if the problem is that it's just not that converter-friendly somehow.

 

Does any one has experience with none-rOtring converters in the Initial (do you see the same misery? And does it do okay with a rOtring converter?) or has an idea what's happening or what I could do different? Could it be the Faber Castell converter not being as standard international as I thought?

 

 

[doggonecarl]

Hmmmm. Not sure what would be causing the leak. But I have two Initials. I'll check to see what kind of converters I have for them and get back to you with the answer. I'm pretty sure they aren't Rotring converters and I've never had a problem with leaking.

Edited August 8, 2013 by doggonecarl

[doggonecarl]

There was nothing to indentify the converters, which makes me think they were Schmidt K5 converters. I was wondering if your converter didn't fit and it was spilling ink into the section, maybe that was causing it to leak where you indicated. But I couldn't duplicate the problem by flooding a section with ink.

 

If you replace the converter with a cartridge, what happens? Does it still leak?

[thINK]

Thnx for checking doggonecarl.

 

If I use cartridges nothing is wrong. Pen writes perfectly fine then. No leak. So that was why I was guessing that there is some mismatch between my Faber Castell converter and the rotring pen. Unfortunately here in the Netherlands those stand Smidt converters doesn't seem to be sold... I will trying to put in my visconti (rembrandt) converter. I'll see if that's any better. (fingers crossed). I'll give an update on that later.

[79spitfire]

I wonder if the ink is getting between the black ring and the section and seeping out later. I use mine with a Schmidt converter and haven't noticed any undue leakage.

[The Blue Knight]

I own 2 rotring's and use them regularly with the standard Faber-Castell converter which if you look closely above the metal band says Schmidt and I have never had any problems. However I know that the converter fit's looser on these pens compared to other pens so I think the problem you may have is that the end of the converter maybe enlarged creating a not ink tight seal with the pen causing a leak. The best thing you could do is buy another converter and only use it in this pen to ensure you maintain an ink tight seal.

[basterma]

Sorry for reviving a dead post.

 

I have had no problems with mine. But I was able to find a Rotring converter. I do recall these pens have some sort of pressure equalization system (APS?). I can't see any obvious reason for the leak, but maybe someone here knows more about the pens.

[thINK]

I've solved the problem by not using the Faber Castell converter, but a Visconti (van Gogh) converter. Now all leaking is over. Strange since Top Pen mentioned no problems at all with the FC's... But I'm glad I could solve it this way.

@Basterma I tried to get my hands on a original Rotring converter, but I only seem to be able to buy a set of 10 converters at once. A little bit too much (and too expensive)... But the Visconti works fine, so I'm a happy user again :-)

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

One thing to be careful of is that the international size is not completely standardized. Some pens have slightly larger diameter connectors than others (like OMAS). Other pens have smaller diameter connectors like the Rotring Core and Primus. When a cartridge or converter is connected to a pen for the first time, the connector on the cartridge or converter stretches slightly. Many times, it does not return to its original size. It will remain tight and snug when used with the pen it was first used in as well as pens that have a larger connector, but will be loose and leak on pens with smaller connectors. Because of this, it is often best to use a new converter with a pen and dedicate it exclusively to that pen. I typically treat the converter as part of the pen that I put it into and don't swap converters around. If the connector isn't tight, sometimes the pen leaks as you may have experienced.

 

Dillon