High Ink Capacity Pen

[Sacheverall]

Hi, I'm a student, and I use a Lamy Vista in school for taking notes. My problem is that it tends to run out of ink in 3-5 days, depending on my workload. (I'm using the converter.) I'm wondering if there's any cheap student pens with high ink capacity. Perhaps a piston filler?

 

I went to the Vancouver Pen Shop and they suggested I ask online. They also suggested I look into the Pelikan Level, but one look at the mechanism... urgh.

 

I do have some Pilot pens, but Pilot's squeeze converter looks like it has even less capacity... (Though I would love to get the Bamboo... maybe when I get a job <.<)

 

If this topic has already been created, sorry. >< But I couldn't really find anything in the first few pages of search.

 

PS: also, any recommendations on cheap fountain pen stores/sites in Canada? Everything seems overpriced here compared to other places.

Edited February 24, 2010 by Sacheverall

[WendyNC]

Generally, an eyedropper pen is going to give you your largest ink capacity because the whole barrel is used to store ink. You might want to check with Steve Braun (a member here at FPN) at All Write Now.

 

(no aff)

[park]

Convert something to an eyedropper? You turn your entire barrel into an ink chamber.

 

I did it successfully with my 78G.

[tonybelding]

I have a Wality eyedropper pen, which I think was made in Pakistan. It works well and the whole body is a huge transparent ink reservoir. I found it on eBay for nearly nothing. I think these are still being made, but I'm not aware of anybody importing them currently. Which is a bit of a shame.

 

However, All Write Now does import various eyedropper type pens from India, so I'm sure they could set you up with something.

[kernando]

The Pelikan Level mechanism works fine and looks good. You just wouldn't expect to flush and change colors often.

 

Order a rollerball barrel for your Lamy Vista and use that as an eyedropper with some silicone grease on the threads just in case. Or just syringe filling a cartridge would probably get you more days.

Edited February 24, 2010 by kernando

[professionaldilettante]

Hi, I'm a student, and I use a Lamy Vista in school for taking notes. My problem is that it tends to run out of ink in 3-5 days, depending on my workload. (I'm using the converter.) I'm wondering if there's any cheap student pens with high ink capacity. Perhaps a piston filler?

 

I went to the Vancouver Pen Shop and they suggested I ask online. They also suggested I look into the Pelikan Level, but one look at the mechanism... urgh.

 

I do have some Pilot pens, but Pilot's squeeze converter looks like it has even less capacity... (Though I would love to get the Bamboo... maybe when I get a job <.<)

 

If this topic has already been created, sorry. >< But I couldn't really find anything in the first few pages of search.

 

PS: also, any recommendations on cheap fountain pen stores/sites in Canada? Everything seems overpriced here compared to other places.

I find this very misleading. Newbies are all pointed toward eyedroppers as having the largest capacity, but there is a catch. While you can fill an inkdropper pen full of ink, you can't utilize all of it, needing to refill when you've hit 1/2 to 2/3 full. Other wise, the ink will be forced out by the expanding air bubble in the body of the pen, barfing ink all over your notes in blotches. Now, I'm also a student and also started out with a Safari. What I found is that filling a pen is while at first a hassle, you'll find that it soon becomes relaxing to break from your work to fill it.

I had the Safari and was taking notes with it, and though it was an extra fine nib, it would run out every other day. I got skilled at filling it on the run, with nothing more than a damp paper towel nabbed from the washroom, just to wipe the pen off. Sure, that was annoying at first, but I found out how to get around it by getting another pen. Finding a cheap one is not that hard, especially here, and fountain pens tend to multiply. Thus you'll never have to worry about running dry. A Safari is actually very large for a converter pen, one of the larger ones.

I wish you luck, what ever you decide, but I don't think that an eye dropper would be right for you at the moment, from what it sounds like.

ps. I got the M90 with the con-20 squeese converter, and it holds so little ink, about 2-3 ml. However, because my Pilot M90 sips ink so well, I can go a week without refilling. Go figure. Maybe a finer nibbled pen?

[bitterwonder]

I fill all my pens every morning before I leave; maybe you should try that?

I also carry spare cartridges for those pens that use a converter.

And I have a spare bottle of ink at school and in my studio.

[razr]

The largest ink capacity in my collection is my Pelikan M1000 FP. My other pens just don't hold near enough for my daily use.

[rwilsonedn]

There is a very inexpensive Pilot ED pen called the Tank that is sold in Asia and is usually available on the Web. It uses the same wonderful nibs as the 78G, I believe. And it does not have any particular problems with secreting ink drops as the pen becomes less full. It's a small pen--same size as the 78G--but if that's OK with you it's a wonderful writer. Also, there are several threads here about converting a Platinum Preppy--a somewhat larger and even less expensive pen--to an ED, giving you an enormous capacity on top of an excellent nib. The Preppy has a quite elaborate ink collector, so it should have no problems with blobs of ink either. Now there are both what I'd call an EF nib and a 0.5 mm narrow Medium nib available in the Preppy, so you might try that. You don't have to get elaborate with O-rings, by the way. A little silicon grease on the threads seems to work just fine.

ron

[inkcoffee]

I recommend syringe filling used cartridges. The Lamy cartridge has good capacity and will get you a bit more ink than the converter.

 

Wality pens are Indian-made BTW.

[tonybelding]

Hi, I'm a student, and I use a Lamy Vista in school for taking notes. My problem is that it tends to run out of ink in 3-5 days, depending on my workload. (I'm using the converter.)

 

Hmm, thinking about this. 3 to 5 days. . .? You know, you could just refill the pen every day. It takes what, 20 seconds?

 

If you're not having any other problem with the pen, then I'd say you're doing okay.

[inkcoffee]

I was thinking the same thing. That's about what I get with work.

[Silvermink]

Come to a Vancouver Pen Club meeting and I'll show you my Wality 71s. They're eyedroppers and have a freakin' enormous ink capacity, and I got one for $15 shipped from Hari (hari317) and the other in a trade with Maja.

[karmakoda]

Lots of good suggestions. If you pick up a couple of extra Lamy converters, you could fill, cap and carry them, if you don't like cartridges. Actually, for a little variety, buy another Vista, Safari, or AlStar, online and carry it for emergencies.

Vancouver pen prices are high, but Victoria is even worse. Sorry, but I buy on eBay.

If you want to shop locally, my favorite places are:

Opus on Granville Island, or their Lower Lonsdale store in North Vancouver.

There used to be a shop in the Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver Seabus Terminal, upper floor, called Perks, that had a good selection of pens, and inks, including Noodlers. They also have a shop on Cambie St across from Oakridge Centre.

I can almost guarantee, they will help you out.

or:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/LAMY-SAFARI-ORANGE-FP-FOC-3pcs-CARTRIDGE-N-1-CONVERTER_W0QQitemZ270521692770QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efc597262

[bluemagister]

Professionaldilettante's post was pretty good in informing on the ONE drawback to an eyedropper. The air bubble in the barrel will expand with the heat of the hand, forcing ink through the feed and blotching everything up. You'll end up having to refill when it's 1/2 empty, also necessitating frequent regreasing to keep leaks out. The silicone is also messy.

 

A good solution is to get a couple of cheap Pilot pens (like Penmanships or 78Gs) and try fitting large converters on them. CON-50s fit my Penmanships well and each extra fine-tipped pen can hold enough ink to last me for a solid week of writing. Having both pens filled and ready (and alternating them daily) will give you 14 days of writing before a refill is needed. Ink with good, but not wet flow (like Noodler's Bulletproof Black or Bad Belted Kingfisher) will keep your refills to a minimum.

 

I don't have experience with CON-70s, but maybe you can find a cheap pen that fits them well.

 

 

As a backup, carry a Jetstream 0.7mm. They flow well and glide across a page like an 18k rhodium nib.

[RevAaron]

The largest ink capacity in my collection is my Pelikan M1000 FP. My other pens just don't hold near enough for my daily use.

 

Don't mean to rain on your parade... but the M1000 doesn't actually hold all that much ink- it hasn't changed in 50 years! The M1000, M200, M400, M600, 400, 400NN, etc all hold 2.0-2.2 mL of ink, depending on who is filling the pen and how they do it. It's a common misconception, but Pelikan does it on purpose- to prevent ink burps as the pen empties. Otherwise they could probably hold 3.0 mL or so....

 

One really high capacity pen is an Oversize Sheaffer Balance Vac-fil- 3.0 mL!

[Silvermink]

Don't mean to rain on your parade... but the M1000 doesn't actually hold all that much ink- it hasn't changed in 50 years! The M1000, M200, M400, M600, 400, 400NN, etc all hold 2.0-2.2 mL of ink, depending on who is filling the pen and how they do it. It's a common misconception, but Pelikan does it on purpose- to prevent ink burps as the pen empties. Otherwise they could probably hold 3.0 mL or so....

 

Yeah, I was going to mention - the only difference in how much ink the various Pels hold is how much the feed will hold, isn't it?

[hari317]

I have a Wality eyedropper pen, which I think was made in Pakistan. It works well and the whole body is a huge transparent ink reservoir. I found it on eBay for nearly nothing. I think these are still being made, but I'm not aware of anybody importing them currently. Which is a bit of a shame.

 

Wality/Airmail pens are made in India, look here. The company is doing well and the pens have been in continuous production. Retrodesk is importing these pens into the USA. Venu K Rao (of Schreiber, USA) has developed a improved piston for the Walities and is selling the improved pens through Swisher and some other firms.

 

 

Come to a Vancouver Pen Club meeting and I'll show you my Wality 71s. They're eyedroppers and have a freakin' enormous ink capacity, and I got one for $15 shipped from Hari (hari317) and the other in a trade with Maja.

 

I am glad that the pens are liked by you Silvermink.

 

Regards,

Hari

[Silvermink]

Come to a Vancouver Pen Club meeting and I'll show you my Wality 71s. They're eyedroppers and have a freakin' enormous ink capacity, and I got one for $15 shipped from Hari (hari317) and the other in a trade with Maja.

 

I am glad that the pens are liked by you Silvermink.

 

They are! Thanks again for selling me one.

[hari317]

They also suggested I look into the Pelikan Level, but one look at the mechanism... urgh.

 

That was actually a good suggestion, have a look at the level 65, this pen can be posted and holds a lot of ink.