Can someone explain how a button filler works

[pgmarin]

Hi all.

 

All of the fountain pens I have are fitted with converters. I'm going to be in the North of Italy in July, and I thought I'd take advantage of my presence there and pick up some of the locally made fountan pens in the region. I've found that some brands are button fillers. Can someone explain how they work in filling with ink. To they have a barrel that fills with ink like the Pelicans?

Appreciating the replies in advance

 

Paul

[Shangas]

To my knowledge, no modern fountain pens are made as button-fillers. Are you sure you're not thinking of a piston or plunger-filling fountain pen? Those are still fairly common.

[pgmarin]

To my knowledge, no modern fountain pens are made as button-fillers. Are you sure you're not thinking of a piston or plunger-filling fountain pen? Those are still fairly common.

 

I'll provide the link where I saw the pen

 

Paul

[troglokev]

Richard Binder's site has a list of filling systems, here.

 

A button filler uses axial compression to bend a bar that presses on the sac, squeezing out air. Releasing the button allows the bar to straighten, allowing the sac to draw in ink.

[Rena]

Button fillers have a blind cap at the back of the pen which you remove to fill. Then you press the button while pens' nib is completely submerged in the ink. This causes a pressure bar, similar to one in a lever filler, to press against the ink sac. When you release the button, the pressure bar goes back into resting position and the sac takes in the ink.

 

I like button fillers. Some hold quite a lot of ink. I'm attaching a photo from when I did a non-scientific experiment for ink capacity. Notice the three pens on the left are button fillers, 2 of them modern Italians.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/Buttons-InkComarisonJPG.jpg

 

Marlen Journal, Filcao Silvia, Parker Thrift Time

Pelikan Athens (piston)

standard converer

Esterbrook J (lever filler)

[pgmarin]

Yes, yes, yes, the filcao pen is the one I was looking at. Thankyou Rena for your help. I just didn't know how they worked. Would have looked stupid in having bought it and not realized how to fill it. Does the barrel act as the resevior?

 

regards

 

Paul

Edited January 14, 2010 by pgmarin

[Rena]

The barrel holds the ink sac, so it does not act as a reservoir the way a piston filler does. The Filcao Silvia, as you can see, holds a healthy amount of ink for a sac pen, in my opinion. Nice pen — I have several other Filcao pens which are cartridge converter pens. I like it that Filcao is still a family business and cares about quality, but items are not over-priced.

 

Follow Troglokev's link to Richard Binder's site so you can see Richard's drawings of how the pen innards are situated. That will give you a clear understanding of how button fillers work.

Edited January 14, 2010 by Rena

[pgmarin]

The barrel holds the ink sac, so it does not act as a reservoir the way a piston filler does. The Filcao Silvia, as you can see, holds a healthy amount of ink for a sac pen, in my opinion. Nice pen — I have several other Filcao pens which are cartridge converter pens. I like it that Filcao is still a family business and cares about quality, but items are not over-priced.

 

 

Thanks again Rena. I found their pens very nice. So nice I can't decide which to get but their Sylvia FP's remind me of Pelicans, of which I adore.

 

Regards

 

Paul

[alkman]

Button fillers are still made. Filcao lists a few on their website, and the marketplace recently had a Bexley. The system is just not as widely used as it once was.

[Wheelieman3]

Paul,

 

If it is a true button filler you unscrew a blind cap on the rear end of the pen and remove it (being careful not to lose it!), You should then see either a small brass or silver coloured button. You take the cap off the pen, dip the nib right in the ink and give the button one firm press. still holding the pen in the ink you release the button and hold the nib in the ink for 10 to 15 secs. Take the pen out of the ink, wipe the nib and put the caps. back on.

 

All button fillers have ink sacs, they did not fill into an empty barrel. Pressing the button squeezes the air from the sac, releasing it lets it expand and fill with ink. Always press the button over a bottle as if there is ink in the sac it will spray everywhere when you press the button!

 

Piston fillers have a knob under the rear cap which twists to raise or lower a piston; as you raise the piston ink is drawn directly into the pen barrel. These pens hold much more ink than a button fill with a sac. Ink sacs need replacing every 3 to 4 years - easy and cheap. Pistons last much longer - difficult and expensive to replace.

 

If you go to YouTube and search for butto fill or piston fill pen you will find videos of how they fill.

 

Hope this helps,

 

John

[Rena]

The barrel holds the ink sac, so it does not act as a reservoir the way a piston filler does. The Filcao Silvia, as you can see, holds a healthy amount of ink for a sac pen, in my opinion. Nice pen — I have several other Filcao pens which are cartridge converter pens. I like it that Filcao is still a family business and cares about quality, but items are not over-priced.

 

 

Thanks again Rena. I found their pens very nice. So nice I can't decide which to get but their Sylvia FP's remind me of Pelicans, of which I adore.

 

Regards

 

Paul

 

You're welcome, Paul. I like the Silvia for the classic styling you mention. I bought mine in 2005, and at that time they were spelling Silvia with an "i" but have now switched to spelling it with a "y." Franco Grisolia, owner of Filcao, named the pen after Giovanni Abrate's wife, Sylvia. In case you are not aware, Giovanni used to be the person who marketed Filcao products in the U.S. The pen is reminiscent of the Pelikan 100N of the 1930s, although it is patterned after the old pens of Settimo.

 

It is true that ink sacs need to be replaced from time to time. So far, mine is still the original sac and doing fine. These are light in weight, so easy to write with for lengthy periods of time. I had the green striated one as well — equally as fine as the red and horn one. I always had a difficult time choosing which to write with and eventually sold the green one.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/Silvia-both.jpg

[Highbinder]

Button fillers have a blind cap at the back of the pen which you remove to fill. Then you press the button while pens' nib is completely submerged in the ink. This causes a pressure bar, similar to one in a lever filler, to press against the ink sac. When you release the button, the pressure bar goes back into resting position and the sac takes in the ink.

 

I like button fillers. Some hold quite a lot of ink. I'm attaching a photo from when I did a non-scientific experiment for ink capacity. Notice the three pens on the left are button fillers, 2 of them modern Italians.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/Buttons-InkComarisonJPG.jpg

 

Marlen Journal, Filcao Silvia, Parker Thrift Time

Pelikan Athens (piston)

standard converer

Esterbrook J (lever filler)

 

Cool shot! I really like the look of that Marlen Journal, had a quick google but couldn't find very much info on that pen? http://airlineintl.com/marlen/marlen_journal_special.htm That the one?

[cmeisenzahl]

Cool thread and pics!

[Rena]

 

 

Cool shot! I really like the look of that Marlen Journal, had a quick google but couldn't find very much info on that pen? http://airlineintl.com/marlen/marlen_journal_special.htm That the one?

 

 

That's it, Highbinder. These pens are out of production now, but sometimes you see them go up on the sale boards (here on FPN as well as the Green Board on Pentrace) and on e-bay. The trim is sterling, which is a feature I really like about a number of Marlen pens. Here's a stunning shot by Ethernautrix of her pen:

Ethernautrix's Marlen Journal

 

And here's a glamor shot of my Marlen Journal.

[Highbinder]

 

 

Cool shot! I really like the look of that Marlen Journal, had a quick google but couldn't find very much info on that pen? http://airlineintl.com/marlen/marlen_journal_special.htm That the one?

 

 

That's it, Highbinder. These pens are out of production now, but sometimes you see them go up on the sale boards (here on FPN as well as the Green Board on Pentrace) and on e-bay. The trim is sterling, which is a feature I really like about a number of Marlen pens. Here's a stunning shot by Ethernautrix of her pen:

Ethernautrix's Marlen Journal

 

And here's a glamor shot of my Marlen Journal.

 

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/M-Journal.jpg

 

That is a gorgeous photo.

[Rena]

Thanks.

[Ghost Plane]

Love the Marlen Journals. Mine are BB nibs and simply glide over the page, as well as holding a bucket of ink.

[Highbinder]

Regarding the Marlen if you spot one for sale can you shoot me a PM?