How Do You Manage Pens Without Ink Windows?

[Alohamora]

The pens I use most are demonstrators, or have ink windows or cartridge pens where I can unscrew the barrel to peak at the ink level in the cartridge. I'll normally notice when the ink is very close to the end and I'll refill before running out.

 

But I also have some lever fillers with no ink windows. At home it doesn't matter so much, but I really hesitate to take them to work with me because I don't want to be running out of ink in the middle of a phone call while I'm taking notes or away from my desk in a meeting.

 

I'm just wondering how people who use such pens frequently manage the ink level.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Alohamora

[Shaporama]

I keep an extra pen inked and ready.

[Keyser]

only way possible: write till the ink runs out and pull out the 'backup' pen. I'm afraid there's no other choice

[IWantThat]

Can only agree with others...carry more than one

[rollerboy]

Refill regularly whether you need to or not. Example: Fill every Sunday night for the week, or Sunday and Wednesday or whatever works for you.

[Alohamora]

Does your backup pen have the same nib size and the same color ink as the primary?

[Roger W.]

I always carry two pens. Even then you have to fill them from time to time - as I've been empty on both a couple of times but, this is the exception. I use Sheaffer lever fillers or snorkels a lot so I'm usually blind on ink level.

 

Roger W.

[JLT]

If you find yourself without a back-up pen and the pen that just ran dry is a piston filler or has a converter, partially fill it with a small amount of water and keep writing. There's enough ink in the feed that, even so diluted, you will be able to keep writing until you can refill from a bottle. Works for level fillers as well, but one has to time it just so by pulling the nib out of the water before too much water is drawn into the sac. As for me, I try to have at least one back-up handy.

[jar]

Same way we always did. Remember to fill the pen regularly and learn just how long each filling lasts. Oh, and use the Regal Solution of an Heir and a Spare.

 

The issue goes back a long, long way. Many early Sheaffer pens had a ink view window where the section meets the barrel and the Parker Vacs and striped Duofolds had clear panels to see ink levels. Even many low end pens like Wearever and Elgin had ink view windows in the sections of some of their pens.

[Roger W.]

Does your backup pen have the same nib size and the same color ink as the primary?

 

I primarily use blue black so yes on the ink. I use a variety of nibs but, I prefer having them not too wet though sometimes the second pen is and then you are stuck with what you've got.

 

Roger W.

[impossiblebird]

Carry a spare, or/and make sure it/both is/are both full before leaving the house. Even at school/university, I never managed to empty two full pens in a day.

 

Usually the ink colour will be different, and the nib size may well be, also.

Edited April 15, 2012 by impossiblebird

[BrandonA]

I keep a bottle of ink at work.

[mucephei]

It gives me a chance to play with my pens and check the cartridges. Both my main pens are Pilots (Capless and M90) so no ink windows. The M90 has a backup in the form of a Tombow Object; both are loaded with Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue. The Capless currently has Pelikan 4001 Blue Black in it, but I may change it to another colour as I don't want too many blue-inked pens.

[radellaf]

I really just don't like pens where there is no way to check the ink level. At least with a piston you can sort of test by seeing how many turns it takes to see ink, and squeeze-bars you can (try) to do a similar thing. The impossible ones are touchdown fillers (the few w/o a window) or snorkels.

When I do carry a pen I can't check, usually I have filled it recently and not used it much. That said, I've still had one go out on me since it apparently failed to fill its sac, but there was no way to tell (short of weighing). Hey, there's your answer, get one of those .1 or .01g scales and keep it on the desk to weigh your pen Works for printer ink cartridges, too.

[professionaldilettante]

You generally will develop a feel as to how much ink you have used in a day. I can say that with a heavy day's work, I;ll use maybe 9/10th of all my ink in one pen. Thats why I use two pens, and I always refill before I head out for the day, as well as carrying a small bottle of ink with me. With two pens, I never need to tap that bottle of ink so far.

[etoyoc]

• 
   
  
• backup pen(s)
  
• refill regularly whether needed or not
  
• keep bottles of ink at work as well as at home
  

 

The only time I have only one pen on me is in the time between work and home.

[jar]

The Bic Crystal was an example of a ball point with an ink window. Of course, many a Bic ceased writing while still near full of ink. Most upscale ball points, roller balls, felt tip highlighters also don't have ink view windows and yet ...

 

people somehow seem to be able to survive, even function at times, while using them.

[CAG_1787]

I kind of have a ritual of checking the fill in the daily pens, usually on a Sunday evening. It has the dual purpose of ensuring the pens are full and some how readying my mind for the week ahead.

[fncll]

Most pens hold relatively generous amounts of ink, and you can find some that hold more than others. Then re-ink on a schedule. Inking doesn't take much effort, so inking every few days (I ink once each week, but I carry multiple pens anyway) should do for you.

And, of course, keeping a second pen around is generally not a hardship.

You could always through a Pilot Petit1 in your pants pocket

[radellaf]

>many a Bic ceased writing while still near full of ink.

 

To much consternation, yes, though more often this happened to me with metallic ink G2 pens. The ceasing was usually followed by trying to get the ballpoint to write again by orally pressurizing the refill...which sometimes only worked while the air pressure was there, and sometimes it just fixed the problem. Writing notes this way is awkward.

 

>Most upscale ball points, roller balls, felt tip highlighters also don't have ink view windows and yet ...

 

Rollerballs and felt-tip pens warn you by getting drier first, unless they're the free-ink reservoir type, but hardly any of those don't have a ink window.

 

Ballpointes are less of a problem just because of how long the write out is, but yes, the anxious among us live in constant fear of our jumbo Parker ballpoint running out of ink in the middle of a credit card signature.

 

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Happiness is a full ink reservoir.