Eyedroppering My Pilot Elite

[Maurizio]

I enjoy my Pilot Elite with a fine nib and use it for sketching. I really like the cool wedge-shaped nib. The low capacity Con-40 converter, which you can not eyeball to see if it's empty or full, is a minor downside to the pen. So, Im thinking of using it as an eyedropper pen. I have easily done this with Platinum Preppys and have a few O rings left sitting around. I prefer to use beeswax as my sealant for no really persuasive or rational reason other than the idea of lab-made silicone grease bothers me just a little.

 

Any strong reason I should not do this? I can't think of one.

[hari317]

The feed inlet sits deep inside the section on this pen. Thus you will always be left with a significant air volume even when you have eye dropper filled the barrel fully. This air can cause overflow or burping due to hand heat as you use the pen. There is no harm in giving it a try and see how it does. Personally I would syringe refill a pilot cartridge.

Best

Hari

Edited January 22, 2020 by hari317

[Maurizio]

Thank you for your well-informed opinion Hari. Burping is a risk I'm willing to take since I don’t plan to take this in my shirt pocket to work but leave it at home as a sketch pen.

 

I am going to try it.

[awa54]

...another observation is that the threads on every Pilot Elite I have owned (*many*) are not tight in a way that would promote a reliable seal, even with silicone grease applied. On top of that many are metal on plastic, which will tend to be harsh on the plastic side threads over time, especially if tightened very firmly in an attempt to get a better seal. Another thing to watch for (since "Elite" covers many different designs) is a breather hole in the barrel that's present in some pens and the potential for leaky barrel end "jewels" which are most often crimped/staked on and have no real seal to the barrel.

 

I also vote for refilling cartridges, it will be much less prone to spills and leaks and you can fill the Pilot cartridges past the factory fill point for even longer write-out if that's your goal.

[Maurizio]

I don’t have a breather hole. The threads on mine are plastic and seem threaded to fairly tight tolerances even without an O ring and beeswax sealing them up. I don’t see any downside other than potential expansion due to hand heat and therefore “burping” of ink as Hari mentions. I've been busy with work this week but I'm going to do it this weekend when I have more time.

[Maurizio]

Well . . . I tried it last night. No good. The ink just drips right out of the pen. There is a small rectangular shaped cutout on the underside of the feed housing which apparently acts like an open faucet. I will have to go with the B plan of syringe filling a Pilot cartridge and see if I think such a cartridge noticeably writes longer than the low capacity Con-40 converter.

Edited January 24, 2020 by Maurizio

[awa54]

Well . . . I tried it last night. No good. The ink just drips right out of the pen. There is a small rectangular shaped cutout on the underside of the feed housing which apparently acts like an open faucet. I will have to go with the B plan of syringe filling a Pilot cartridge and see if I think such a cartridge noticeably writes longer than the low capacity Con-40 converter.

 

 

quite a few of the Japanese diffusor type feeds have an open channel to aid in quick bottle filling, it's usually a clear shot from an opening in the section below the nib to the back end of the overflow control fins, then there's a dedicated bottom side capillary channel through the cartridge interface... I guess it's not too surprising that it let loose, but still disappointing

Edited January 24, 2020 by awa54

[awa54]

...see if I think such a cartridge noticeably writes longer than the low capacity Con-40 converter.

 

 

More than double, the carts hold 1cc comfortably, though more like 0.9cc if you want to re-seal them for transport or storage. Just remember to fish the plugs out with tweezers before reusing, they can jam against the little flipper/"puncture" leg of the cartridge nipple if you leave them in there.

[DrDebG]

I gave up on all the converters on my Pilot FPs. I now just syringe fill the cartridges. The ink lasts much longer than with the converter.

[Maurizio]

More than double, the carts hold 1cc comfortably, though more like 0.9cc if you want to re-seal them for transport or storage. Just remember to fish the plugs out with tweezers before reusing, they can jam against the little flipper/"puncture" leg of the cartridge nipple if you leave them in there.

 

Thanks for the tip. I wasn’t aware of that issue.

[Maurizio]

I gave up on all the converters on my Pilot FPs. I now just syringe fill the cartridges. The ink lasts much longer than with the converter.

Even on pens which take the Con-70 converter? I'm reasonably sure that the Con-70 has a larger capacity than a Pilot cartridge.

[awa54]

Even on pens which take the Con-70 converter? I'm reasonably sure that the Con-70 has a larger capacity than a Pilot cartridge.

 

I love the CON-70, but it only fits in the newer (Custom 67 and later?), #5 or larger open nib pens and a few other large barrelled models. I'd guess that the CON-70 holds between 1.25 and 1.5cc, but the official spec most quoted seems to be 1.1cc, with some even saying 0.9cc (which I don't believe, but can't disprove, since I've never measured one myself).

[Flounder]

I was very glad to get a Con-20 for my Elite right before Pilot dropped them.