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Does anyone know if there is a formula for calculating the maximum hole size of an ink cartridge without the fluid coming out? In this site I proposed the problem but nobody could find a solution. At the moment. https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/412804/how-to-determine-the-maximum-size-of-a-hole-that-can-keep-ink-water-stay-in-an-i

Hello everyone, I'd like to hear suggestions on which converters to use with Pelikan Pelikano Up fountain pen. I've read that Pelikan pens are compatible with standart international converters. Nevertheless, Schmidt converter, which I believe is a standart international one, does not seem to fit into it. However, I managed to fit a regular cartridge in it. I would like to be able to use the pen with a converter. Any comment, suggestion or correction will be appreciated. Thanks in advance

I have just seen the review of the Rotring Surf pen on Youtube. It looks like a basic pen, with a smooth nib. Does anyone have this pen? If yes, then how cool is it? Here, have a look at the full review first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEM_gAsrMm4

This is actually my third CF. The first was inherited from my grandmother, who passed away some time ago. My dad went to get the gold plated body polished, but ended up losing it, pen and converter and all. My second was a lemon from an eBay seller, which had many cracks as well as an underperforming nib. Based on my experience in getting a refund, I suspect that this was due to the shipping process because he proved very good at getting the refund back. Which brings me to this pen. I’ve wanted to replace the lost CF, since I adored the nib design on it. I found this also on eBay and got quite a reasonable price. Note: When there are 2 rating, the top is for my satisfaction, while the lower is for how much it could do, for that particular category. For example, I might be extremely satisfied with a stiff nib (5/5) but the lower rating would be (1/5) since it couldn’t flex at all. The ratings are not included in the final score. Initial Impressions Box and Instructions (5/10) I bought this pen used, but it came in a standard and, I think, modern Waterman box. This consisted of a blue cardboard and faux-leather box and a white cardboard outer sheath. Whilst not very exciting, it was a nice touch from the seller. No instructions were included. Aesthetics (17/20) The pen has a mesmerising moire pattern. There are superimposed designs on the lined silver finish which give the pen a very sophisticated feel. Some of the moire pattern is a bit off and inconsistent, so points are deducted. The cap band and barrel trim come together when the pen is capped and the moire pattern aligns beautifully if properly positioned. The silver coloured trim is very high quality and is not scratched even after use as a pocket pen for about 4 months. This pen’s grip section is on the thinner side but is still fairly comfortable. The rather long section is completed by the “Skripsert” type nib which is well-integrated into the section and is flush with the pen. Engravings on the pen are obviously high quality. Whilst they may not be obvious due to the colour scheme, they are legible when required and disappear when you’re not looking for them. “WATERMAN CF” is inscribed into the cap band, whilst the barrel trim is engraved with “MADE IN FRANCE”. The clip is a little large in comparison with the pen, but is expertly plated like the rest of the trim. It integrates well into the pen, with the clip ending with the cap top. Initial Feel (8/10) As someone who appreciates a hefty pen, this did not disappoint. Although small, the Waterman CF is quite solid and fairly heavy for its size. The moire pattern is quite ergonomic and provides a very nice grip, since I tend to post this pen and grip it fairly high. The barrel isn’t flush with the trim ring, though. Filling (5/10) The pen didn’t come with a converter, but I had bought one earlier. It’s a squeeze type, which has quite a tough sac but otherwise works. What is annoying is that it’s proprietary to not only the brand, but to the model of the pen. This means that if I happen to lose or break this, I’d have to either pay $40 for a new one or refill the cartridge for the rest of my days. Performance Smoothness (9/10) Satisfaction (7/10) Rating The nib has a very good performance on all papers. It’s smooth, but has some feedback which I didn’t mind. What I didn’t expect was for the nib to sometimes squeak, which has scared me on quite a few instances. Flexibility (5/5) Satisfaction (3/5) Rating The 18K nib was quite springy, but as it was already a broadish medium, there was little line variation to be had. Nevertheless, I didn’t expect any flex, so this slight variation was a nice surprise. Flow (10/10) Satisfaction (9/10) Rating The pen has a wet flow of ink, which keeps the nib well supplied. I haven’t yet had any hard starts or skipping during my use of this pen at all, which is quite pleasing and a relief since it would be a nightmare to prime the feed using a squeeze converter. General reliability (15/20) An annoyance with this pen is its tendency to leave a ring of ink on the section near the nib. This is quite minor, since I don’t grip so far down anyways, but my compulsive requirement to wipe it off has given my fingers a variety of colours. Other than that, the pen has not failed in its performance as of yet. I take it to places where I don’t expect to write too much, since it’s not the most ergonomic of pens for me. The nib, however, is smooth enough to warrant me to want to use it more often than not. Construction and Ergonomics Fit (8/10) The exterior of the pen is done flawlessly. The cap slips on firmly and stays closed. The clip does not wobble, and like I’ve said before, the plating on this pen’s trim is flawless. The section unscrews rather roughly, which is a minor concern. Clip (4/10) This pen’s clip is very stiff. It’s hard to open manually, and doesn’t slip on surfaces easily. The clip on my pen is also ever so slightly misaligned which is OCD-terrifying. However, this doesn’t affect the functionality. Posting (7/10) The CF’s balance is great posted, and I almost always use it that way. The cap isn’t the most secure when posted, but usually stays on most of the time. Miscellaneous (Extra thoughts) Value for money (8/10) I got this pen for $90US. Not an incredible deal, but a fair price for a pen in excellent condition. Considering the fact that $90 doesn’t get much these days, I am quite pleased with the purchase. Innovation (5/5) This pen was amongst the first cartridge pens, and the first commercially successful ones. In that respect, the Waterman CF is quite historically significant. Image and Advertising (3/5) Strangely enough, the pen isn’t as well known or respected as the 51. Whilst having a more conventional design, the fact that the first successful cartridge pen isn’t celebrated more is quite a surprise. Buying experience (4/5) I bought this pen on the internet, through eBay. I didn’t expect much and was rather wary after my previous experience. Free shipping was a very nice touch, even though I didn’t communicate much with the seller. Total (113/150)=75.3% This pen is a very pleasant writing instrument, although too small for extended use in my larger hands. It’s quite an underrated and underexposed pen, in my opinion. I feel that the extremely specific filling system and rarity of converters has put of potential collectors who would rather have an easily replaceable part as opposed to something that is expensive and difficult to find. The Waterman CF is a pen I take out in order to make quick notes or fill in forms. I find it visually appealing but cannot write with it for an extended amount of time. Since I’ve been through 3 of these, I am happy to say that I have found another piece that will stay with me in my collection.

After asking for recommendations here, I bought a Platinum Century #3776 and I am delighted with it. After a couple of months using it, it's the most reliable fountain pen I've ever had (although this may be normal as the other pens I had were cheaper...), and I love the nib's feel too. The only downside of it is the fact that it doesn't take standard cartridges. I have bought the international cartridge adapter, and it works, but at least in my case (with Waterman serenity blue ink) it decreases reliability. With a Platinum blue-black cartridge, the pen never ever skips. But with the adapter, it sometimes does, and I need to squeeze the cartridge to get it working reliably for a while. So, question #1: is this just a necessary evil with the adapter, or should I be able to get the same reliability as with Platinum cartridges if I find the right ink and/or replace the adapter with another? If it's a necessary evil, then one possibility would be to stick with Platinum ink. I like their blue-black color, but I have read horror stories about it being an iron gall ink that eats nibs for breakfast. I definitely don't want to damage my pen. However, since it's a gold nib, maybe this shouldn't be a problem? So, question #2: can Platinum's blue-black ink damage a 14K gold nib, or is there no risk of damage in this case? Finally, a third option (which is not my favorite as it's more uncomfortable, but it can be a good B plan) would be to refill cartridges using syringes. But I have also read horror stories about bad stuff happening when you mix iron gall ink with other inks (in fact, Platinum themselves warn about this). So, question #3: can I refill a cartridge which originally held iron gall ink with a different ink? What precautions do I need to take to do so? PS: I know there is also the possibility of using a converter, but this is not something I like in my case, as my pen travels a lot between home, work, and various places and it would be a bit too messy for that kind of use. Thanks in advance!

This pen has been reviewed before, but I just wanted to give anyone considering one or needing an extra fine nib another viewpoint to check out! First Impressions (5/5) The pen arrived from Jetpens in a small baggie. It is a fairly attractive pen, I got the clear demonstrator version, and came with a standard Black pilot ink cartridge. The plastic of the pen feels less brittle, and much thicker, than something like a Platinum Preppy or a Pilot Petit1. Appearance (4/5) The pen is long and thin, looking almost like a desk pen. There is a significant amount of space in the back of the barrel of the pen past the where the cartridge ends, making the pen even longer. The cap of the pen is tiny, just slightly longer than the nib, and has two small fins on it to keep the pen from rolling. The nib is simple, and steel colored, with “PILOT SUPER QUALITY JAPAN <EF>” stamped onto it. The style is very understated and utilitarian, and in a way beautiful for that. One slight problem with the Clear Cap is that ink can stick to the top of it and be visible through it. Design/Size/Weight (4/5) The pen is very light, but it’s length and ergonomic grip make it comfortable in the hand, and well balanced. The cap can post, but it is so tiny, short, and light, that you wouldn’t notice either way. The barrel of the pen is airtight, so it can be converted to an eyedropper if desired with some Silicon grease and an optional O-Ring. Nib (4.5/5) The nib is unsurprisingly, extraordinarily fine. The extra fine nib from pilot is perfect for note-taking, cheap paper, and math. The nib is not quite as smooth as some of the larger nib sizes from pilot, but for an extra fine nib I was pleasantly surprised at the smoothness and ease with which it wrote. In terms of flow, the nib is on the dry side, but it isn't something you notice when you are writing with it, if that makes any sense. I had to go back and think about it, because although being dry the nib never skips and is still exceptionally smooth for the width. One major plus of this nib is that it can be swapped into a Prera or Metropolitan if you want an Extra Fine nib in one of those pens. Filling System (5/5) Not much to say here, it’s a simple Cartridge/Converter system. The pen comes with one cartridge, and can be fitted with a Con-40 or Con-50 if you so please. The ink lasts much longer than it does in most pens because of the extreme fineness of the nib. Cost and Value (5/5) This is a great pen at a great price, and can be found in most places for $6-$8. Many people buy the pen just for the nib, to then be fitted into a Prera or Metropolitan, and it would be a steal if pilot offered just the nib for that price! Instead, you get an entire pen around it, and one that provides a very pleasant writing experience. Conclusion (28/30) I would strongly recommend this pen to anyone who needs a very fine nib on a budget. It has a great nib, perfect for swapping if you have a nice body like the Prera’s, but if you don’t the body that comes the with the Penmanship is still durable and good-looking.

As a newbie I'm experimenting with cheap fountain pens: so far I have a Platinum Preppy (F), a Pilot Varsity (M), and a Pilot Penmanship (EF). Overall I prefer the Fine nib in the Preppy but I don't like the washed-out blue cartridge it came with. As I continue my FP journey I'll eventually look into the mind-boggling array of bottled ink choices but for now I'd like to stick with the convenience of pre-filled international cartridges I can use with the $2 Platinum cartridge adapter (which is in my Shopping Cart right now). I use a variety of paper, from Post It notes to cheap Mead spiral notebooks to Rhodia pads, so I'm not sure if there's a type of ink to avoid or look towards. Since I'm a leftie I assume that a faster-drying ink would be preferable, though. Aside from a deeper, bluer blue, I'm really liking the solid black in the Pilot Penmanship (though the EF nib may be a little too EF for me), so I'd appreciate it if someone could point me towards some appropriate blue and black preloaded international cartridges to consider that would fit in the Preppy. (And if there any catridges to stay away from, too.)

Hi everyone! I usually carry something like 5 spare cartridges in their orginal packaging in my backpack wherever I go. Problem is, after a while of being in there, the cardboard packaging more or less gets destroyed. Does anyone know of a company that makes a hard carry case for international long (or short for that matter) cartridges? Has somebody thought of a clever solution to this? I can't believe I would be the only one with this problem! Thank you all very much in advance! - 3nding

Hello, I have some cartridges of a black ink that I like a lot and I am running out. I would like to find some more (either cartridges or a bottle), but I am not sure about the brand or type of ink. How can that be? you may ask; let me explain: Years ago (1999-2000) I was living in the US. I did not use fountain pens but I was interesting in them, so I bought a cheap fountain pen at a CVS. This is the pen: http://preview.ibb.co/iMEDua/pen.jpg As you can see, there is a faint "Mondial E.I" stamp on the clip. This fountain pen came with (or was sold with, I can't remember) 10 or so international short cartridges of the ink in question. I tried the fountain pen and ink once, but this was a horrible fountain pen and I was put off using them. About 15 years later I inherited some very nice fountain pens from my godfather, and my interest in them was rekindled. I discovered the old Mondial (?) cartridges in a box and started using them. The cartridges have a black "bottom" and a ball agitator. The ink was labeled black, and looks very black when wet, but it fades a bit when dry. I actually like this, since it gets an "old-timey" look. If smeared it looks dark brownish. Here is a sample: http://preview.ibb.co/gwurfF/ink.jpg This ink flows very well in all fountain pens and all rollerballs I have tried it in and does not clog them. It also writes very well in all kinds of paper: it does not bleed through and does not feather even on very cheap and flimsy paper; and it produces lines of the same thickness in all types of paper, even brown kraft paper where most other inks fail miserably: http://preview.ibb.co/bWvE0F/kraft.jpg I would really appreciate any help identifying it or anything close to it. edit: more info added

I received a pre-owned Boheme today along with a pack of mystery black Montblanc ink cartridges. I popped in a cartridge - making sure it was firmly in there - and nothing. After some contemplation and mild frustration I decide to run the nib under some water. A stream of old blue ink gushes out and after some wiping I put the nib to paper. The ink flow was fantastic and never skipped. At this point the ink was taupe colored and it faded into grey then black. My Boheme wrote beautifully for a whole page of Rhodia, but all of a sudden it refused to cooperate. What was once a generous flow of ink was now a twisted hybrid of skipping and nothingness. I should note that a similar situation occurred with my 149. The pens write amazingly well for a few hours, then...kaput! What is the source of this problem and how can it be remedied?

Hi All, I would like to share some of the things that I have created with my 3d printer specifically for my fountain pens. Here is a picture of some of the iterations of the things that I made. I will talk about them in more detail below. 1) The interlocking parts at the top are cross sections of a pen tray system that I designed. The idea is that you can print as many of them as you like and they will just sit one next to the other. The clip at the top of the ark is used to hold down a suede like fabric that is gentle on the pens. I did a few iterations until I arrived at something I liked... but decided that the trays were taking too long to print so gave it up. 2) The feeds at the bottom are my attempt at a zebra-g nib feed that pools the ink so that it does not get dry as I flex the nib. I did a few iterations of that too... the first 2 tries did not work so well, but I am really looking forward to testing the third one at some point. A pen with this kind of nib is not going to leave home (in my mind) so having a lot of pooling ink like this is not a huge deal. 3) The wrench-ish thing in the middle is a piston wrench for the 149... the piston on mine was very rough... so I did some handleless prints of the jaws and when it all fit... I print one with the handle... I used it to disassemble the pen and it is now greased and working so well 4) I wanted my KoP to hold more ink so I decided to create an eye dropper vessel (aka a cartridge) that would hold the maximum capacity that would fit in the barrel, so I measured the converter out and modelled it. After a couple of iterations and test fits, it turns out that the result was not water/ink proof. The solution was: cover it in super glue... wait for the glue to dry then sand off the excess... it works quite well and holds approximately 1.2ml of ink. And finally 5) This is the hex wrench for omas caps that use a hex screw to hold the inside of the cap and the clip to the cap... I have already posted the details of that one here https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/321667-omas-milord-loose-clip/ Hope this helps/amuses someone

I don't own any Sailor inks and I just got my first Sailor pen a 1911 standard/profit size and when I bought it I misread the auction and I thought it came with a converter. However, the pen did no come with a converter. Of course I don't have any Sailor converters so I popped in one of the black Sailor cartridges that come with the pen. Does anyone know if the black cartridges that would come with a Sailor pen like the one I bought are the same ink as the Sailor Gentle Black bottled ink? I am trying find my go to black ink and so far I am really liking this ink. I used to use Noodler's black but the ink just dries out in my pens to quickly and takes quite some time to dry if in a wet pen. It is still my go to ink for when I want a permanent ink though or I'm using very cheap paper. So far I've tried Noodler's black or course, Monteverde midnight black. J. Herbin Perle Noire, and Aurora Black. I want to try Cross black as well because I've heard some good things about it even though a cross ink wouldn't normally be on my radar. Thanks!

My MB149 Traveller REALLY doesn't like cartridges. It writes beautifully if the nib is dipped in ink but use it like it's supposed to be used and it's awful. Poor feed,no ink coming through just dreadful. I've flushed it through countless times,cleaned it with a peroxide solution only used MB ink cartridges and still it just won't work properly. It was s/h so MB aren't interested. Bloody awful for a pen that costs so much. Any ideas/help appreciated.

There are a lot of people asking about whether it's okay or not to use other cartridges for Lamy, but the answers are all about opinions from people who doesn't have experience. I thought it'd be nice if there was a forum dedicated for everyone sharing their experiences (I tried to find one before deciding to make this), good or bad, regarding this. Sharing pics of your handwriting with the pen (w/ the brand -- cartridge) is better

This review and others can also be found at my website: www.pensinksandpaper.com At first glance, the Deli S677 might appear to be a cheap marker, a plasticky bit of mass-produced unpleasantness that has no place in the hand of a fountain pen user. One would be surprised, then, when removing the cap to find not a ballpoint tip or a marker’s felt but a nib. Appearance & Design (3/10) – I’m not entirely sure what the creators of this pen were trying to do in terms of visual appeal. They look rather unusual. The caps are a solid pastel color, with a white clip that says “deli” on it. The body of the pen is the same pastel color as the cap, but with small white hearts dotting the area. In the center of the bodies of the pens are cartoon animals, under which there is text that reads “Here is a More Lush Forest.” Your guess as to what they mean is as good as mine. Just before the section on the top of the body there is a white ring with an “inspirational” quote on it. The pink pen reads “I am to grow strong and tall”. The green pen reads “My skin is the most beautiful of all”. The most inspiring of all, though, is the blue pen, which gives us the truly beautiful line of “The squirrel is a typical arboreal mammal”. Running alongside the body of the pen is the model number of the pen and a barcode that my barcode scanning app did not recognize as a product available here in the states. Construction & Quality (6/10) – Compared to other pens of the same price level/target audience, the S677 isn’t terribly built. The plastic feels solid enough, and after some time using the pen and carrying it around in a messy backpack I have not experienced any paint chipping or scuffing. The cap posts very securely, and snaps back onto the body securely and satisfyingly. It actually feels excellent in the hand, if a bit light, as long as you don’t look down at it. The pen is about the length of a Lamy Safari, but a bit lighter and thinner, and if you removed the silly paint it looks and feels remarkably similar to a Pilot Varsity. Nib & Performance (6/10) – The nib us also suspiciously similar to that of a Pilot Varsity. Apart from the S677’s being stamped “Deli” rather than “Pilot”, the nibs are virtually indistinguishable in terms of design, size, and performance. It is smooth and reliable, but don’t expect anything except a nail. The pen writes a tad bit dry, but not dry enough to impede the smoothness or cause any skipping problems. The feed also differs from the Pilot Varsity, as I believe the S677 has a traditional plastic feed rather than a wick one like the Pilot. Filling System & Maintenance – There isn’t all too much to say here, the pen is a Cartridge/Convertor filler. The pen comes with some blue ink cartridges, which work nicely. One point of interest here: the pen does not accept international sized cartridges or convertors, but works perfectly Lamy’s alternatives. Cost & Value (8/10) – The pen was purchased from China for a mere dollar and eighty cents for a pack of three. At that price point, I think that these are a far better buy than Pilot Varsity’s if you can stand their design choices. I wouldn’t use these on a regular basis, because I have much more interesting and good-looking pens that I use and rely on. As pens to give away to people, or to lend as first fountain pens, though, they’re just about perfect. (Again, if the person receiving them can stand the design) Their nail of a nib is smooth and can withstand the pressure of a ballpoint user, and they accept cartridges, putting them a notch above the Pilot Varsity in my book. Conclusion (Final score, 5.75/10) – To be brutally honest, I will not be using these pens again for a while. I have, however, already given two of them away to first-time fountain pen users, both of whom love them dearly and are already looking at more expensive, better pens. As tools for someone who has many fountain pens already, I’d steer clear of these guys. But for a first fountain pen, or giveaway pens, at $1.80 for three these make a pretty great alternative to Pilot Varsity’s, Platinum Preppy’s, and the other cheap “disposables” on the market.

I always grumble a little bit when I have to use a pen that uses cartridge converters to handle bottled ink. The problem is that the capacity of these converters is so small. They are a pathetic bit of technology, when one is used to piston-filler pens. I wish someone -- perhaps Nathan Tardif at Noodlers -- would make refillable, sealable cartridges for pens that take standard, international-cartridges. (Uh... and also for Platinum, Parker and Pilot format cartridges.) What I'd want is something like Tardif's "308" refillable cartridge that Noodler's provides for its Ahab and Neponset pens, but in an international-cartridge format. That is, made of strong, solid clear plastic;threaded for a cap that can securely seal a full cartridge when it is not being used inside a pen; andavailable in a range of lengths from very short to very long, in increments of 1 mm.Such a cartridge would roughly get you double the capacity of standard piston cartridge converters, because all of the pen's barrel length would be used to store ink; none would be needed for the piston mechanism. You could buy one in a size that would use as much barrel length as your particular pen provided -- short for a Pilot Elite 95s, long for a Sailor King of Pen. (This is especially critical for short pens -- they desperately need the extra capacity.) But why buy just one? Buy five, fill them with a syringe or an eye-dropper in your office, and carry them around in a screw-top plastic cylinder for safety. Now your ink problem is completely solved, when you are out & about. For extra points, line the interior of the cartridge with a thin layer of teflon (better yet, aluminium magnesium boride). Now you will have no capillary forces keeping ink stuck at the rear of the pen; it will all flow downhill into the feed. You can afford the extra expense of doing so, because these cartridges aren't disposable. So this will be a much better ink-reservoir system than either standard converters or cartridges. A thin layer of Teflon will suffice, because the interior of the cartridge is not a high-wear surface -- and a thin layer is good, because you want the walls of the cartridge to be as transparent or translucent as possible, so the ink level of the cartridge can be visually seen. (In a similar vein, I wish that makers of piston-fillers, like Pelikan, Montblanc, TWSBI and Sailor, would teflon-line the reservoirs of their pens. Not only would it improve ink flow, but it would improve the efficacy of flushing the pen with water to clean it, e.g., when changing inks.) I would pay $20/cartridge for such a thing. And I'd buy a bunch of them. They'd completely alter the useability of cartridge/converter pens for me. E. K. P.S. Alternatively, how about a piston-filler converter with a detachable pushrod/plunger? To refill the pen, you screw the rod into the back of the piston, do the refill, unscrew and detach the rod, then recap the pen. Make the piston long for stability in the converter barrel, and have the rod screw into the back of the longer piston. Simple and not particularly high-tech, but you ought to get close to a 2x multiplier in filler capacity over the current designs.

ASA GALACTIC My handcrafted pen journey started with ASA Galactic, a beautiful pen from ASA pens (www.asapens.in/eshop). Honesty Note :- I am very lazy and my only motivation for writing this is to get a discount coupon from Mr Subu. and then use it to buy ASA Daily . When I ordered ASA Galactic, there was a shipping mistake and mine was sent to Spain. So the first Galactic I received had "Gilly" written on it, but Mr. Subu. is very cool, he sent me another Galactic and added Click Tulip (for free !!) . Now there are many reviews of this pen eg. mehandiratta's, but since I am an engineer ( by choice ) so this review is all about the experiments I did with the pen !. Edit Note :- Please read this post from an reverse engineering point of view and all I care about is learning how things work, not what makes them pretty, not what the simple solution is, nor i even care if I end up ruining the pen. The experiments started when one fine Dehradun morning (4 am), I was studying algorithm space-time complexity concepts and the Galactic burped !. The review :- Pen looks amazing when inked up ! The pen has a massive ink capacity and there are no leaks from the side of the barrel. So I was writing at 4 am and then as I paused while still holding the pen in writing position, to read all the weird complexity stuff I wrote, when I came to the bottom of the page I saw the BURP !! The pen was leaking from the top of the nib, bottom of the feed and from the tip of the nib as well. The standard process is to apply 100% silicone grease to stop the leaks from the side of the nib and feed. The fix for burping is to either change the feed or ink up the pen. Now I wanted to see if I can find another solution using only the things I had at home. I started with toothpaste, yea you read it correctly, i applied toothpaste and it worked for a few minutes until the toothpaste started to mix with the ink ! Then I used cello tape, which worked but as I fixed the position of the nib and feed the tape broke and nik started to leak again. So I used Glue stick and it worked for a few minutes but ink started to leak again. As you can see below, by this time I had already broken the feed tip and the nib was bent ! Then I thought I should try to reduce the ink flow. Now flow reduction worked but the ink flow was not consistent, so I removed the pipe that was connected to the ink channel, but then wax broke and started to block the ink flow. So I removed all of it and replaced it with an injection cap (needle removed), the cap fit perfectly and securely. I created a hole on the top of the cap, the ink would flow from there to the feed and the pipe (coming out from cap) would bring extra ink back from feed to the tank. Now this worked beautifully, no leaks no burps, ink flow reduced and we finally have a fix !!. But it looked ugly so now it was time to optimise it (fix the problem first and then find a better solution). So I looked at it for some time and then vola (syringe always goes securely inside its cap) ! What if I remove the top of the cap, rotate it, insert it in the pen and then use the syringe as a cartridge !! I removed the bottom half of the syringe and left the syringe piston rubber inside it to prevent any leaks (since that is what its job is ). Now all of this looks good but the ink flow was not consistent because there was no capillary action happening between the nib section and the cartridge. So I added the pipe (I reduced its size afterwards), and now due to capillary action the ink would stick to the sides of the pipe and flow from syringe to the nib section. The syringe converted cartridge is basically going inside it's cap, so obviously connection is very secure/strong and so there are no leaks. After this conversion the pen stopped leaking from the nib and feed as well and there was no burping. The final product ! I really enjoyed doing these experiments, hope you enjoyed them too ! Edit :- Now lets use this knowledge to create our own pen So all we require is a nib, feed, some body and ink ! So i found an old use and throw pen, took Jinhao Nib and Click Tulip feed. Wrapped them together using plastic wrap that Galactic came in. Filled the pen with ink and securely placed the nib and feed in it. My pen is not handcrafted but oh well ! Ah !, the happiness of finally satisfying the engineers "how things work" and "do it yourself" itch...

Hello, I own a older Namiki Vanishing Point that I have had for many years and use it rarely because it seems to hold almost no ink and starts streaking after a few lines. I like its portability, but is too frustrating to use. Is there something I can do to remedy this problem? Can I change from the squeeze converter to a screw converter? Is there some way to get it to draw in more ink? Photos below. Thank you, Lloyd

Hello. So I have a lot of used standard-international cartridges, and I would like to be able to reuse them so that I can carry a fistful of them whenever I go on business trips. Unfortunately, the plastic ball that seals the cartridges initially can't be used to re-seal the cartridges, so I have no way of closing off the cartridge so that I can, for instance, store ti in my pocket. Is there any kind of rubber stopper made for the ends of standard-international cartridges? If so, could you tell me where I might find them?

I just bought a Faber-Castell Loom and inside was a full cartridge and an empty cartridge. The empty cartridge doesn't have a closed bottom. Whats the purpose of that empty cartridge? Is it to just prevent the full cartridge from slipping down? Or is the empty cartridge suppose to have a closed bottom and I just got a defective one?

Since last few weeks and problems with my Pilot CON-70 and Platinum converters and the fact they have smaller capacity of ink than cartridges I feel quite discouraged from using converters. Buying cartridges is more pricey and in order to get colors from different manufacturers you need to get them in bottles but in my experience, Japanese cartridges feel more sturdier than their European counterparts (Lamy leaked on me few times after reusing a cartridge) so refilling them with a syringe is not a problem. what are your thoughts about on using converters vs. cartridges?

I was gifted this Mozart 15720 pen for Christmas. The person who gifted it to me had gotten it from a high end raffle. As such, the pen is nicely nestled in it's box and has the general instruction manual but nothing else. What I need to know is if there is a special cartridge I need to purchase since this is such a small pen. I see that on the Montblanc site they have two types of cartridges (regular and Meisterstuck.) but I can't see any physical difference between them in the pictures. I just want to be certain I'm purchasing a cartridge that will fit my pen.

This ink writes EVERY time I pick up my little Kaweco Sport, whether it's only been 5 minutes or 2 weeks since the last time I used it. An excellent ink in my opinion. http://imgur.com/dSETIwW

I just purchased a Platinum Preppy, and am having trouble inserting the included cartridge into the pen. Any hints or suggestions?

I know this ink has been reviewed several times already but I was so impressed with it I couldn't resist adding one. Skrip Red is a lovely dark red that shades nicely on the 24 lb. copy paper of the test, less shading, more even, darker line on the 20 lb. at work, shades more on better paper. I would say the color is like a cranberry red, it's definitely not a bright red, like Diamine Ruby. I was initially reminded of Levenger Claret but once I actually compared them, Claret is much darker. It looks somewhat similar to the scan of Cult Pens' Deep Dark Red in cybaea's review. Like the Skrip Orange I reviewed, on good (BnR) paper the Red has a slightly 'flat' look to it when it dries but the beauty of the color more than makes up for that. This is less a problem on copy paper, where it really looks good. On the 20 and 24 lb. copy, show-through is minimal, though there is some slight dotting bleed but whatever they use in the petty cash slip pads at work, the bleed-through was pretty bad. There is some water resistance, judging from the smear and drops test - plenty of residual line remains. Flow is good and the pen writes smoothly. No spread or feathering to speak of on the test paper. I really like this ink. While not suitable for serious business use, it's dark enough that casual inner-office use shouldn't be a problem and may even elicit admiring comments. Definitely suitable for personal use (although love letters possibly restricted to vampires). I can easily see it as a daily or, at least, frequent carry. The color in the full scan is pretty accurate, if just a teensy tiny bit light, while the partial further down is a little too dark. full scan of review, laser copy, color is a little light close up of shading on BnR spiral This partial scan is darker than the review page but closer to what it looked like on the 20 lb. at work. And the test pen - I'm impressed by how well it writes, it's smoother than my Waterman JIFs. One thing to note: the cartridge seemed pretty tight going in and, sure enough, when I unscrewed the section the cart stayed in the barrel; there was no problem (no visible leakage) after screwing it back in but may take something like a crochet needle to remove it or I can probably use a syridge to refill it in place.