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Need To Use Up International Short Cartridges - So *must* Buy A Vintage-Ish Pen


Chouffleur

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I bought a Pelikan P30 and loved it - but it cracked leaving me with the remains of a Levenger international short cartridge assortment and nothing to use them in.

 

I have since replaced the Pelikan but with an M30 (piston filler) so I need suggestions on what might be a good choice of pen to use up the remaining cartridges and become my try-new-inks-in-vast-numbers-but-tiny-quantities pen. My taste runs from 1949 to early 1970s and is largely American(/Canadian) and German so far. I tend to favor medium and broadish nibs.

 

Price range - under $75.

 

Clearly the responsible thing to do here is to buy a new pen in order *not to waste cartridges*.

 

I solicit your advice on how to do so.

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A while back I bought a handful of different international cartridges so I could cheaply test inks. I filled to realize most of my cartridge pens use proprietary cartridges. I've been looking for a decent pen to use the cartridges with but haven't found anything that's compelled me to purchase. I'm looking forward to what others suggest.

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Lighter pens - Jinhao 601, Kaigelu 365

Heavier pens - Jinhao X-750

 

All incredibly cheap, but very good pens.

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“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t.


And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”


Granny Aching

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A Kaweco Sport takes short international cartridges and is well within your budget. It is not an especially good pen--my Dollar pens are better writers than my Kaweco Sport--but it has the advantage that once you have run out of cartridges, you can easily use it as an eyedropper.

 

Right now I am using a Kaweco Sport as an eyedropper, to use up the last of a number of ink samples.

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I have no experience with vintage, do I'm afraid I can't help with that. If you're willing to consider modern pens,then my personal best "cheap standard cartridge pen" is my Sheaffer VFM, which sells for 10 USD here, because it has the best nib of the lot.

 

Actually, my Jinhao 601 is my favourite because it's the most comfortable in my hand, but I had to buy 4 of them to find one that didn't split the neck of the pelikan ink cartridges I use, and it needed some work to air-proof the cap before it was useable.

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If the object is just to use up carts, any number of cheap Chinese pens would fit the bill.

 

I can second both the Sheaffer VFM - nice pen, smooth writer - and the Kaweco Sport. Mine have all been smooth writers and the caps seal nicely so they write straight off even after sitting a while. The VFM only comes in medium (I think they make a fine but I don't recall seeing any on ebay) while the Sport comes in a variety of nib sizes.

 

For something vaguely 'vintage' (and since you've already had experience with a Pelikan), I highly recommend the Pelikano P450/456 - no-frills stick-type pen, smooth medium nibs (F and EF are out there but very hard to find) and the ones I have (with the shorter clip) seal very tightly so that, like the Sport, they write straight off no matter how long they've sat - pretty remarkable for a snap cap. Color selection may be limited. Here's a link to Appelboom's Pelikano page.

https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Cartridge-filler/Pelikano/index.html

It's hard work to tell which is Old Harry when everybody's got boots on.

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I find the '90's Pelikan cartridge pens cheap on German Ebay.....you do have to make sure they take pay pal and will ship out of Germany. Because of Tweet Storm Weather some no longer ship to the US.

 

I got two slightly different marbled green lacquer Large Pelikan Pens, 14 k, semi-vintage narrow regular flex, for E35-40. I had a steel nibbed Celebry and the gold nibbed one I got had a nib as good as the steel. Steel = gold. Same with the 381 14 K nib.....all the 'pre-97 400's which are over your limit, the 200's and the late '90's to very early 2000 cartridge pens have great nibs.

They will take both short and long international cartridges.

I don't suggest buying them in the States....in they would be two to three times more expensive at a minimum in the States. Pen prices are crazy on US Ebay.

 

They are because of being lacquered brass some of my heavier pens I post.

I can write with them unposted. They are Large thin pens, and have some balance, because of being a tad thin.

 

I do use them much more than I thought I would. I normally am just a piston man, but the money for a grail pen burnt a hole in my pocket after six months of not finding a Soennecken 111 Extra in herringbone. A flock of Pelikans followed my trail of money crumbs from the wharf.

A '54 transition 400 tortoise semi-flex B, a rolled gold cap and piston knob'ed tortoise 500, maxi-semi-flex OBBB.....a pure signature pen.....needs 2/3sds to 3/4ths a sheet of paper for a legal signature. The two nice springy regular flex F cartridge pens, the Celebry and the 381 and a two pen Pelikan pen holder. (over the decade I've come to like regular flex F and M nibs for shading, having returned to fountain pens and went wide).

Could be you could find M and or B if you looked long enough. There are other '70-80 cartridge pens on German Ebay also.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Let us not disregard two Sheaffer cartridge pens -- Sheaffer School pen and NoNonsense pen. They use the Sheaffer flat-end cartridges. The short International Standard cartridge has a flat end. Puncture the flat end with a "push pin", then enlarge the hole with a nail, enough to fit the punch, but still retain a tight fit. Refill and re-use. If removal becomes easy, discard.

Edited by Sasha Royale

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Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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Waterman Phileas or Kultur. I think they use "international" cartridges. Inexpensive pens but good writers. Probably only available on EBay now.

Washington Nationals 2019: the fight for .500; "stay in the fight"; WON the fight

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If it were me, I'd look for a Pelikan P15. They are funny looking pens, no doubt, but the writing experience can be superb, easily as good as the later series in my experience. The HUGE feed system works great- the pens are easy to use anywhere, to fly with, and so on. Plus they have the funky 1950s German style thing happening. I'm using my P15 today in meetings.

 

They are the classic Beetle of the fountain pen world.

 

Interesting factoid- when they were new, they cost 2/3 the price of a 400NN, and the piston fill version, the P1 was more expensive than a 400. That I found counter-intuitive!

 

Cheers,

 

Ralf

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Waterman Phileas or Kultur. I think they use "international" cartridges. Inexpensive pens but good writers. Probably only available on EBay now.

 

I always thought that my Phileas pens only take Waterman cartridges and converters.

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Waterman does indeed play some games with the inner diameter of their modern pens-- your cartridges MAY fit (I had no problem with a Hemisphere of about 2005 and Diamine intl-shorts) but it's not certain.

 

Other totally modern pens you may enjoy-- the Ohto Dude and Tasche, and the Retro 51 Tornado.

 

WIthin (or nearly) the preferred time-frame-- Pelikan New Classic, Pelikan Signum. Brause made at least one Pelikan P15-shaped item, the 3000, that's kind of neat if you can track it down. I would almost say Watermans of that era, but they're a tricky prospect as they used three different cartridge formats, with chronological overlap; I... think... most of what they made in the '70s will accommodate both the Intl. and their own "Maxima" pattern, but I'm far from positive about it. The Waterman Executive is a safe bet, and is a jolly nice pen, as is the somewhat later Preface. I'd also suggest the Pelikan P15 or P25, although they're not exactly thick upon the ground.

 

Stupid suggestion: Another P30, or 20, or whichever crops up. I don't like the later versions, which may predate the three-digit designations, because their hoods are prone to cracking, but... well, I'm biased toward the M20 (or whichever number) and would hate to see one duff example put you off the breed. Except clearly that's not the case, since you went and got an M30.

Ravensmarch Pens & Books
It's mainly pens, just now....

Oh, good heavens. He's got a blog now, too.

 

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I've always had good juju with Kaweco sports. All four of mine are really nice writers, and they are an excellent way to use up cartridges.

Yet another Sarah.

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Will the pen you buy be used after you use up the cartridges?

 

A Montblanc Noblesse from the late 1970s is close to the range of years you mention. If you get one in good condition with a nib that you like, it can be a very nice pen. But don't plan on finding one for less than $100.

 

It will take international short cartridges, and I think it will take the long ones too, but I'm not certain about that. I use my two with Pelikan converters, which I'm told are rebranded Schmidts.

 

On the cheaper side, lots of good pens, but not sure about vintage.

"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do."

 

- Benjamin Franklin

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I second the suggestion of the Retro 51 Tornado. Be sure to get the extended version so you can use a converter when you've exhausted the cartridges.

 

Edit... I think the EXT version allows space for a spare cartridge.

Edited by corgicoupe

Baptiste knew how to make a short job long

For love of it. And yet not waste time either.

Robert Frost

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You can occasionally get Montblanc cartridge pens on eBay for around $70.

 

Kaweco sport is a handy pen to own, and both mine have been nice writers.

 

Brian

One test is worth a thousand expert opinions.

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Corgicoupe raises a good point: if you want to continue to use the pen with bottled ink after using up your cartridges, you will probably want to ise a converter. While Kaweco makes a squeeze converter that will fit almost any pen that takes standard international cartridges, it's... not very easy or convenient to use, so you'll probably want your pen to work with a more traditional converter.

 

Unfortunately not all pens do: the Kaweco Lilliput, Sport, and Sheaffer VFN do not. Just something to be aware of.

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[snip...]

 

Stupid suggestion: Another P30, or 20, or whichever crops up. I don't like the later versions, which may predate the three-digit designations, because their hoods are prone to cracking, but... well, I'm biased toward the M20 (or whichever number) and would hate to see one duff example put you off the breed. Except clearly that's not the case, since you went and got an M30.

When you're right, you're right. I bow to your superior logic.

 

fpn_1508020955__silvexa.jpg

 

On its way.

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Waterman Phileas or Kultur. I think they use "international" cartridges. Inexpensive pens but good writers. Probably only available on EBay now.

Unfortunately they can be pricey.

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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