Eyedropper Conversions - Baffled

[Princeps Anglorum]

Apologies if this topic has been aired before but afraid I am at a bit of a loss to understand why eyedropper conversions seem to be so popular. Presumably this involves taking an otherwise satisfactory and functionally working pen to convert. Is it purely about increasing the ink reservoir capacity, the technical challenge or the desire to own an eyedropper without having to source the 'genuine' item ? Or perhaps some other reason ?

[sombrueil]

Ink capacity, in my case.

[blINK]

I have to admit, I have always been curious about this myself. One of the clear advantages is an increased ink capacity. For some that is important - I like to change inks too often.

 

The one disadvantage I hear mentioned often is that as the pen starts to empty out, the heat of one's hand may heat the ink to the point where it burps out of the nib. The suggested remedy for this is to keep the pen on the full side.

 

So if I am constantly refilling an eyedroppered pen so that it doesn't burp, do I really have the benefit of the extra ink capacity? Or am I filling it as much as I would if it were C/C or piston?

 

I guess there are some pens that are more insulated than others and therefore probably better suited to eyedropper conversion.

[FountainPages]

Naught other than capacity to write unbounded.

[Cryptos]

Putting aside the reactions of inks on metal parts for the moment, can any cartridge/converter be used as an eyedropper? The reason I ask is I was wondering if the feed has to be tinkered with.

[thatotherguy1]

After I get through this Private Reserve Ebony Purple cartridge in my Kaweco Sport I'm planning to eyedropper convert it. The only reason for me is the considerably superior (larger) ink capacity. I love the pen but those international short cartridges just don't hold enough ink for me (with this pen).

[Buzz_130]

My son received a converted Preppy, and he had the problems listed above. He brought it to school, and the converted pen "burped." He hasn't used it since. He enjoys using fountain pens, but he likes his Platinum and Sailor pens with c/c fillers!

 

Buzz

[Sasha Royale]

Apologies if this topic has been aired before but afraid I am at a bit of a loss to understand why eyedropper conversions seem to be so popular. Presumably this involves taking an otherwise satisfactory and functionally working pen to convert. Is it purely about increasing the ink reservoir capacity, the technical challenge or the desire to own an eyedropper without having to source the 'genuine' item ? Or perhaps some other reason ?

I think you hit the nail square on the head.

 

As I understand it, the earlier fountain pens were eyedropper fill because "self-fillers" arrived

in the twentieth century. Today's eyedroppers are manufactured without the "innards" to save

cost. Conversion to ED is rooted in the desire for higher capacity, or failure of the integral

filling system. Also, whimsical craving. (Did I miss anything?)

 

Personally, I cherish the ritual of filling my fountain pen.

[Randal6393]

Never had an eyedropper that didn't burp a bit and cause me extra work. But, be it piston filler or converter, have always had decent performance out of a pen. So, I gave up on ED's and have stuck with my converters and piston fillers.

 

Enjoy,

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a ED converted Preppy that has sat unused for about 18 months. I don't even count it when I am counting my pens. I had more ink on my hands than ever before or since. Very frustrating.

 

I'll stick with my c/c, piston, aerometric and lever fillers

[ScienceChick]

I have three Preppys that have never burped ink no matter how full or empty they are; the Ahab, on the other hand, belches ink no matter what.

 

Re: "can any c/c pen be converted to an eyedropper?" the short answer is no. I was told that the composition of the barrel is the determining factor. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will address that question for you.

[Stu L]

I've done this as a last resort when a piston system has broken and parts to repair simply didn't exist. Better to convert to an eyedropper than bin the pen.

[Princeps Anglorum]

 

Personally, I cherish the ritual of filling my fountain pen.

 

So do I. I also assumed that before the advent of cartridges part of the ritual of pen ownership and use was regularly filling one's pen to ensure it didn't run dry in the course of the day ....

[mike.jane]

As I understand it it goes like this: Some pens are better suited for eyedropper conversion than others.

 

- One thing is that a pen with a high quality feed, which sports many -what are they called?- fins?- , gills will be safer because if heat expansion pushes ink toward the nib all those gills would fill up first before there would be any burping. Hopefully before that happens one has finished writing and has put the pen nib-up and the ink will just run back down. People seem to like the preppy for ED conversion because of this feature.

 

- Second a thicker, longer, bulkier barrel will be more suitable, a) because it fits more ink, but also because heat can be distributed better. Certain material barrels would also be better for the same reason, but I don't know which ones they might be.

 

Third, because of the inherent burping-danger maybe an eyedropper is just not a pen for hours-on-hours use, doesn't mean it won't be a great writer for many a occasion.

 

- Another 'advantage' of some eyedroppers is that they are acrylic demonstrators, and large amounts of inks sloshing around in it can be an eyecatcher. Especially with an intense ink color.

 

Additional notes:

- EDs are almost as easy to refill as other FPs once one has gotten the hang of it.

- Saving costs is a motive in many dedicated eyedroppers, like in so many Indian-made pens.

[WateryFlow]

The advantages I've found to be are:

1) larger ink capacity

2) greater ink flow and elimination in skipping (as I found out on an American flexi pen and the pen of a well known German manufacturer). Plus it eliminates the issue of air bubbles in converters and pistons.

3) much easier to clean and maintain when changing ink frequently

 

The main reason for the conversion was point 2

Edited January 21, 2015 by WateryFlow

[Stu L]

I guess there's something nice about knowing you've super unlikely to run out of ink. Heck, I sturggle to empty the smallest of pens these days.

And I guess if you have a pen that is dedicated to one ink ad doesn't get switched out then it matters even less.

 

I was tempted to suggest the infamous 'dedicated BSB' pen there, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about such a quantity of that ink in an ED...

[scribbler77]

I use six Platinum Preppies as eyedroppers and have had problems with only one, except for special circumstances. It is my go-to pen for Kung Te Chen and Legal Lapis. I have also converted the FPN Stipulas (a Modelo T and a Passaporto) to eyedropper because I could not get the supplied converter to fit. In eyedropper mode they work fine and I don't have to check the ink level often. I also use Wality eyedroppers, and when I get one with a decent nib they are among my favorites. One thing to watch about eyedroppers: avoid sudden changes of air pressure or temperature if they are not full or nearly fully. If the ink is half down, a flight on an airplane can cause significant leakage. Ditto moving to a higher altitude. Or taking one out in the cold and coming back in. I have never had a burp from those I use in my home office.

[scribbler77]

I use six Platinum Preppies as eyedroppers and have had problems with only one, except for special circumstances. It is my go-to pen for Kung Te Chen and Legal Lapis. I have also converted the FPN Stipulas (a Modelo T and a Passaporto) to eyedropper because I could not get the supplied converter to fit. In eyedropper mode they work fine and I don't have to check the ink level often. I also use Wality eyedroppers, and when I get one with a decent nib they are among my favorites. One thing to watch about eyedroppers: avoid sudden changes of air pressure or temperature if they are not full or nearly fully. If the ink is half down, a flight on an airplane can cause significant leakage. Ditto moving to a higher altitude. Or taking one out in the cold and coming back in. I have never had a burp from those I use in my home office.

[mirosc]

1) Better ink flow.

That's the reason why you don't get a Romillo pen with a #9 nib with anything else than an eyedropper filling system. Ok, I guess you might get it, if you insist, but Romillo strongly advises against it.

And the feed is made accordingly to avoid problems.

Eyedropper conversions are made from pens that are not originally intended for eyedropper use. So you need to figure out, if the pen setup really is suited for your situations.

 

2) Cleaning is easier

[vkisvkis1]

Looks nice if the pen has a transparent barrel.