Pilot Varsity Hack

[TheAkwardNinja]

I heard that Varsities can be refilled even though it's marketed as a disposable. Does anyone know how?

[GabrielleDuVent]

There are two methods:

 

One requires a plier, with which you wrench off the tail end or the thread. It's laborious (and quite frankly, not really worth it, unless you love the nib).

 

The other is you warm the pen with warm water, then plunge it into room temperature ink. The temperature difference causes pressure change and sucks up the ink (I think... I never was good at stat mech). This one is far easier. (Courtesy of user Amberleadavis.)

[Chthulhu]

Removing the tail end of the pen really does nothing except reveal the empty bottom half of the barrel that is sealed off from the part that holds ink. At this point one can drill the "seal" out and fill the entire barrel, but there's no built-in way to seal that end plug back in place; it would need sealant, which may make it difficult or impossible to remove for the *next* refill.

 

I've used the "pull the nib and feed" method successfully in several Varsity pens, and it's really not difficult at all. If you have a goo grip, you can grab the nib and feed with a towel and jut pull straight out.

 

I haven't seen the temperature change method demonstrated, and have not tried it myself.

 

Here is a video (not mine) showing the use of a cut-off plastic syringe to create a vacuum-filler that requires no disassembly or modification to the pen, and takes only a few seconds to do the job:

 

[scrivelry]

Both this and the hot water/cooler ink fixes should also work on the Bic disposables, which have a finer nib.

 

Thanks for posting it.

 

T

[TheAkwardNinja]

Oh I just took it apart.

[ashbridg]

I've used the "pull the nib and feed" method successfully in several Varsity pens, and it's really not difficult at all. If you have a goo grip, you can grab the nib and feed with a towel and jut pull straight out.

 

I agree that removing the nibs is not difficult. It's easier if you warm the section with a heat gun first. Same with a Bic. Both pens have similar constructions.

 

Pilot and Bic put small ink chambers in their disposables, probably so they will run dry more quickly. Thus the pens are overbuilt for the ink supply they carry. The nibs are durable, and if the pens are refilled carefully they can last indefinitely.

[pokermind]

Here are two write ups describing the nib removal method for the Pilot Varsity:

http://peninkcillin.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-refill-your-pilot-varsity.html

http://goodpens.blogspot.com/2009/02/refilling-your-pilot-varsity-disposible.html

 

I could easily do this on the Varsity, but I had trouble using this method on the Bic Disposable. Next time I'll try heating the Bic before pulling the nib.

[inkstainedruth]

Someone awhile back posted the link to a YouTube video on how to turn a Varsity into an eyedropper pen (sorry, I don't have the link to hand). At some point I'm going to try that, because I'm not sure that the ones I have are completely dead, and don't want to have weird/bad ink interactions.
I was thinking of going that route because I really liked the color of ink in the blue one in particular (the purple is nice, but I have several bottles of similarly hued purple inks, most noticeably Noodler's North African Violet and PR Purple Mojo). But the problem with the blue Varsity is that Pilot does not seem to carry the equivalent color in bottles or cartridges, so I can either buy another one or flush and refill the pen with some other ink out of my stash (I have more blue than anything else, with the exception of black -- which is ironic because I don't really even *like* black ink, other than for drawing).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[aliikizkaya]

IMHO most FP people ignore an important point in this modification for the related disposable FPs such as BIC or Pilot Varsity, Pilot VPen.

Important point which describe the success of this modification is a nature of the ink. Disposable FPs original inks are oil and alcohol based.

The reason of the alcohol+oil based ink necessity is hidden in the feed structure and the nib breather hole absence of the related FPs.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Actually, there's no difference whatever between the point and feed in a Varsity and that in a Petit 1. It's a little odd, in that there's a wick rather than an ink channel, so a highly saturated ink is probably going to be a bad bet. Since the make-up of the provided ink is a little obscure (but it does seem to be water soluble), a really good rinse before installing a new ink, by whatever method, is a very good idea.

[Jimmy Joe]

I think that there is one difference in the feeds of the Varsity and the Petit1. The Petit1's feed has that extra protrusion for piercing cartridges and which fits standard Pilot cartridges and converters as well as the small cartridges for the Petit line. The feed of a Varsity does not have that.

[aliikizkaya]

Pls. Dip the nib of Pilot Varsity nib in to the water. And you will see the ink stays on the surface of water. This is the confirmation of Pilot Varsity ink is oil based.

For that reason its imposible to fill the Pilot Varsity with conventional FP inks. İts necessary to make a new oil based ink.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I think that there is one difference in the feeds of the Varsity and the Petit1. The Petit1's feed has that extra protrusion for piercing cartridges and which fits standard Pilot cartridges and converters as well as the small cartridges for the Petit line. The feed of a Varsity does not have that.

Pedant There is, indeed, that mechanical difference. In the areas external to the ink chamber, though, they're the same-- stamped, breatherless points, odd wick-based ink transfer.

 

Pls. Dip the nib of Pilot Varsity nib in to the water. And you will see the ink stays on the surface of water. This is the confirmation of Pilot Varsity ink is oil based.

For that reason its imposible to fill the Pilot Varsity with conventional FP inks. İts necessary to make a new oil based ink.

 

I can suspend Noodler's inks in a similar way-- other makers as well, with a little care. Ink getting caught in surface tension is not indicative of it being oil-based. Without referring to the vast crowds of people who have successfully done this, or attending to Pilot's description of it as "aqueous based ink" (水性染料インキ) let's try a different experiment: a drop of water placed across some writing done with a Varsity and some with a Bic BP:

 

 

This is certainly suggestive of a water-based ink. The water also lifted a bit of red ink from something I had under my sample, because I don't always pay attention to what I'm about.

 

I still think a good flush is in order, because the specific chemistry of the Pilot ink and any other ink might not get along, leading to curdling and precipitation, but that flush can be with water and the disposable pen can be made to write again.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Ernst Bitterman

[Ergative]

I did the yank-and-fill-and-replace method, in which I pulled out the nib and feed, rinsed out the barrel, and refilled it. I refilled it with BayState Blue, and it's been working fine, so I'm skeptical of claims about how highly saturated inks wouldn't work with the wick-feed mechanism. BSB is working fine.

 

One thing that I did to be sure that all the previous ink was gone (to avoid an ink interaction problems) was FIRST to refill the barrel with water, replace the nib and feed, and stick the whole thing nib-down on a paper towel. That wicked the water out through the feed, as well as the leftover ink that was soaked into it. After the wet spots on the paper towel were entirely colorless, I disassembled the thing again, dumped out the water, and poured in the ink.

 

So, my steps were this:

 

1. Yank out nib and feed (if you use pliers, be careful about denting the feed; it's pretty soft plastic, and my pliers left their mark.)

2. Rinse everything out really well.

3. Fill the barrel with clean water, and snap that nib and feed back into place.

4. Let it sit nib-down on a paper towel for half an hour or so, shifting it to dry spots, until the moisture coming from the nib no longer leaves any color on the paper towel.

5. Yank out the nib a second time, empty the water, and refill with ink.

6. You might also do the nib-down-on-paper-towel bit for a few minutes, to clear out the diluted ink that comes out of the wet feed.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Pls. Dip the nib of Pilot Varsity nib in to the water. And you will see the ink stays on the surface of water. This is the confirmation of Pilot Varsity ink is oil based.

For that reason its imposible to fill the Pilot Varsity with conventional FP inks. İts necessary to make a new oil based ink.

 

I've filled two with a variety of different Diamine and Noodler's (including BSB) and they work just as good as the original ink did.

[aliikizkaya]

 

I've filled two with a variety of different Diamine and Noodler's (including BSB) and they work just as good as the original ink did.

Yes, you right. With some Diamines, Noodlers and Private Reserve inks works. But does hard start and clogging issues very often. With Parker Quink, Pelikan 4001, Sailor Gentle family, GVFC and Sheaffer Inks are not compatible. I think it will be nice to make compatible inks table.

Varsity/VPen needs some oil+alcohol(or similar)+pigment mix ink. And the ink must be very good filtered, As a good filtered ink I tried with Iroshizuku. But not worked with it. After the addition of oil+alcohol mix to Iroshizuku, Varsity starts to work fine with Iroshizuku.

I am a local FP ink producer. I am able to find compatible oils but standard FP users will have a difficulties to find that kind of oils. Varsity cleaning(wick) takes long time with water. I am washing quickly with cosmetic grade acetone or food industry quality alcohol.

[nujnay]

Hi guys, I just refilled a pilot varsity. So far I had no issues with Parker quink black and also a mixture of Parker quink black and sheaffer skript blue. This is my third refill and currently inked with Pelikan Brilliant Black. I find that by dripping water on the top of the feed and wrapping the other end with tissue paper/towel, I managed to clean the wick fairly quickly. Here is a picture of the nib and feed taken for fun xD

[Jimmy Vegas]

Nunjay, great photo!

 

I have refilled two and am about to do a third (the one I use at work). I simply pull the nib to remove, and give the feed a good cleaning with a 10% ammonia solution then rinse really well.

 

Both of the ones I've done had black ink in them and one I refilled with Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, the other with Blue Ghost (long story). Both write beautifully and I haven't had any hard starts. I will say that the 54th seems to be a bit dry, but it may just be that I need to adjust the nib. Truth be told, I like it just the way it is.

 

The third will get Dark Matter to take to the office. Surprisingly good writers for the price.

[jbutle04]

The default out-of-the-box ink in the Pilot Varsity is Iroshizuku. I dunno what all the anxiety's about.

[drgt]

The default out-of-the-box ink in the Pilot Varsity is Iroshizuku. I dunno what all the anxiety's about.

How do you know that? References?