Retro 51 Tornado

[aircraft_electrician]

I bought a Retro 1951 Tornado this weekend, and it's a great pen. It leaves a wet medium line and is very smooth for a $35 pen.

 

My only problem with it is the lack of a converter. It uses short international cartridges, long cartridges and the converter tha came with my Retro 1951 Double eight are too long for it.

 

Does anyone know where I can get a short international style converter?

 

Alternately, I've considered converting it to an eyedropper, but the barrel is steel and I'm afraid the ink would corrode the inside of the barrel.

 

Any ideas would be welcome and appreciated.

 

Tom

[Ravula]

No convertor will fit without modification. Not even a tiny Monteverde Fountain Pen Converter (it will not seat fully into the section). I was able to get some cheapo squeeze fill ones from woodbin and with some modifications to the end, I was able to fit them. Unfortunately, they did not fill completely and I decided not to destroy any more convertors.

 

 

http://www.simcom.on.ca/woodbin/squeeze%20convertor.jpg

 

I had to cut this convertor's white end and also thin down its OD before it went in. Your pen uses schmidt nibs, which are very good writers, but their nipple is not exposed as in other pens. It is covered by a plastic thread. The convertor must fit between these two. You can unscrew the nib like a pelikan and check.

Edited August 7, 2006 by Ravula

[AlejoPlay]

No convertor will fit without modification. Not even a tiny Monteverde Fountain Pen Converter (it will not seat fully into the section). I was able to get some cheapo squeeze fill ones from woodbin and with some modifications to the end, I was able to fit them. Unfortunately, they did not fill completely and I decided not to destroy any more convertors.

 

I actually have that converter in my Retro 51 and it works fine. I took it to Art Brown and they searched for a converter for it and that was the one that fit.

 

I love my Retro 51. It was my first fountain pen. The only issue is that the screw on cap never screwed on too well.

[The Man]

Yep. Really impressed at how well this pen writes, for the prize and (hmm, I guess I can say) for its size. Barrel and cap hasn't shown any scratches yet, and I've dropped this thing, thrown it in a backpack, clanked it on the desk inadvertently. Great pen.

 

Hope you find a converter, aircraft_electrician. For me, the pen operates well enough, I don't mind being limited to cartridges.

[Jigglypuff]

I bought a Retro 1951 Tornado this weekend, and it's a great pen. It leaves a wet medium line and is very smooth for a $35 pen.

 

My only problem with it is the lack of a converter. It uses short international cartridges, long cartridges and the converter tha came with my Retro 1951 Double eight are too long for it.

 

Does anyone know where I can get a short international style converter?

 

Alternately, I've considered converting it to an eyedropper, but the barrel is steel and I'm afraid the ink would corrode the inside of the barrel.

 

Any ideas would be welcome and appreciated.

 

Tom

 

i understand this is an old topic, but i have the EXACT same issue. the same pen and everything. the store that sold it to me told me it WOULD take regular converters but it does NOT. so does anyone know what i can do or should i return the pen (the only thing i wanted it for was to be about to use ink colors not sold in refills.

 

[gr10girl]

I've got a tornado postmaster and my tiny monteverde converter works wonders.

[penartist]

I bought a Retro 1951 Tornado this weekend, and it's a great pen. It leaves a wet medium line and is very smooth for a $35 pen.

 

My only problem with it is the lack of a converter. It uses short international cartridges, long cartridges and the converter tha came with my Retro 1951 Double eight are too long for it.

 

Does anyone know where I can get a short international style converter?

 

Alternately, I've considered converting it to an eyedropper, but the barrel is steel and I'm afraid the ink would corrode the inside of the barrel.

 

Any ideas would be welcome and appreciated.

 

Tom

 

i understand this is an old topic, but i have the EXACT same issue. the same pen and everything. the store that sold it to me told me it WOULD take regular converters but it does NOT. so does anyone know what i can do or should i return the pen (the only thing i wanted it for was to be about to use ink colors not sold in refills.

 

I save some of the international cartridges after they are empty. As long as they fit snugly and don't leak, I refill them with whatever ink color I choose from using a long "micro" dropper bought at a hobby shop.

Edited December 15, 2007 by penartist

[GreenVelvet]

Well, this is a handy old topic, because I'm having the same issue. I have short international converters and they won't actually fit - it's not a length issue, but a fitting in the nib issue. A short international cartridge will work, so I guess I'll empty out one of those, but I'd rather have a converter. I'll give a Monteverde converter a shot, if I can get a hold of one.

 

Anyone else bummed, like I am, that this pen doesn't come with a converter??

[TWRDO]

It bums me out too because I'd like to get one to match my Tornado Rollerball, but I would much rather have a C/C pen than a straight cartridge pen.

 

If the Monteverde converter works out please give us a report.

[aircraft_electrician]

I've aquired another Tornado, now I've got 1 with the metal barrel and 1 with an acrylic barrel. I bought a couple of these converters from Colorado Pen and they work great in the pen with the metal barrel, but don't fit well in the acrylic barrel. It works, but the piston gets pushed back when I screw the barrel on, so it really limits the ink capacity.

 

Tom

Edited February 14, 2010 by aircraft_electrician

[TWRDO]

I've aquired another Tornado, now I've got 1 with the metal barrel and 1 with an acrylic barrel. I bought a couple of these converters from Colorado Pen and they work great in the pen with the metal barrel, but don't fit well in the acrylic barrel. It works, but the piston gets pushed back when I screw the barrel on, so it really limits the ink capacity.

 

Tom

 

Thanks for the info. I'll keep that in mind.

[TWRDO]

My Monteverde mini converter came today and I can confirm that it does fit, fully extended, in my black Tornado. Yay!

[GreenVelvet]

My Monteverde mini converter came today and I can confirm that it does fit, fully extended, in my black Tornado. Yay!

 

Oh wow, that's awesome. Thanks so much for the info.

 

Edit: Did you get yours from Colorado Pen, too?

Edited February 23, 2010 by GreenVelvet

[TWRDO]

I got mine from Swisher Pens. Search for "monteverde converter" and it's the one for $2.50, SKU # D-MV31072.

 

It looks very similar if not identical to the one from Colorado Pen.

Edited February 23, 2010 by TWRDO

[cuza]

According to Retro 51 customer service, they have a converter for the lacquered metal version Tornado. The converter doesn't work in the thicker-walled barrels of the acrylic version of the Tornado, however. I have one coming.

 

-- cuza

[CountryMouse]

My Monteverde mini converter came today and I can confirm that it does fit, fully extended, in my black Tornado. Yay!

 

I have a pink acrylic Tornado, and as someone upstream said, the Monteverde converter that I have gets squashed as you screw on the barrel.

 

I guess give up? I was going to try some Everflo ink in it.

 

CountryMouse

[TWRDO]

My Monteverde mini converter came today and I can confirm that it does fit, fully extended, in my black Tornado. Yay!

 

I have a pink acrylic Tornado, and as someone upstream said, the Monteverde converter that I have gets squashed as you screw on the barrel.

 

I guess give up? I was going to try some Everflo ink in it.

 

CountryMouse

 

I think it works in some Tornados but not in others.

 

Refilling cartridges really isn't that hard to do, if all else fails.

[CountryMouse]

 

I think it works in some Tornados but not in others.

 

Refilling cartridges really isn't that hard to do, if all else fails.

 

Okay, I'll keep that in mind. I usually don't like trying to fiddle with refilling cartridges.

 

CountryMouse

[dan in montreal]

I realize this thread is super old but in case anyone is still interested, Retro 51 have an extended version - the Lincoln - which can apparently fit a regular converter. Jetpens have them, and I've just ordered one from an eBay seller who had them listed for less money. These pens, with their Schmidt nibs are rather nice. I have two and as I do not like the Monteverde mini converters because of low ink capacity, I did this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl92XmaQ3Hg and it works wonders.

[dan in montreal]

I came back to this thread and just realized my post was not quite clear: the Lincoln Ext will take a regular converter. The regular Tornados do not, hence my comment on the mini-converters and the suggested alternative.