Kaweco Sport Squeeze Converter And Bleeding

[jaysongo]

I have four Kaweco Sport fountain pens, three Classic Sports in M, B, and BB and an AL-Sport in medium. Recently I outfitted them all with Kaweco squeeze converters. Up until that point I had been refilling cartridges with a syringe. I found that once I started using the squeeze converters the pens started bleeding through every paper with every ink. They bled through Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and Maruman Mnemosyne papers I've used them on. I haven't been using bleed-prone inks with them either. Off the top of my head, I've used Waterman Serenity Blue, Parker Quink Blue, Noodler's Heart of Darkness, and other inks that I've had zero problem in the past with bleedthrough. This happens regardless whether I draw ink up through the feed or fill the converter directly with a syringe.

Seeing this pattern since I started using squeeze converters, I started refilling cartridges again to fill the pen. Now I'm back to having no problem at all: back to my Kaweco Sports being on the slightly dry-ish side. I bought my converters from different sources so I don't believe it's a case where I had a bad batch. So I can only conclude that something about the squeeze converters affects the ink or the nib and feed in a way that causes bleeding with conservative inks on usually bleed resistant paper.

Am I the only one having this problem? Is there anyone who could explain how this could happen?

[dk76]

I suffer the exact opposite. I found that with the converters my sports ran dry. Using a cartridge I got more consistent flow. So, like you, I am doing the cartridge + syringe method.

[jaysongo]

I suffer the exact opposite. I found that with the converters my sports ran dry. Using a cartridge I got more consistent flow. So, like you, I am doing the cartridge + syringe method.

That's interesting, they will sometimes run dry on me too, but in the same way that a flex pen would where ink flow starves the feed.

 

Additionally I think my problem may have something to do with the ink being altered in some way because Parker Quink is no longer quick drying and seems to get worse the longer it spends in the converter, though that's only a guess and may be due to more ink on the page causing longer dry times.

[inkstainedruth]

Very apropos topic -- weird bit of synchronicity. I've considered getting a Kaweco, and had been hesitating about it because they took cartridges (and the mini size ones at that). So when I was on the Goulet Pens website yesterday I opened a Live Chat (in regards to a technical issue I was having). But while I was on, I asked about the Kaweco squeeze converters and was told that they were such a problem that GPC is going to stop carrying them. But I was also pointed to an Ink Nouveau blog about turning the Kaweco Sports into eyedropper pens (sadly, not an option for the metal bodied AL-Sport models).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[whych]

...

But I was also pointed to an Ink Nouveau blog about turning the Kaweco Sports into eyedropper pens (sadly, not an option for the metal bodied AL-Sport models).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Have you tried using a rubber o-ring around the threads. The o-ring should seal the barrel.

 

@jaysongo

Do you have a problem using cartridges? If not, then the problem lies with the converter not sealing and leaking air.

[migo984]

I use Monteverde converters in all my Sports-size Kawecos. I have no problems.

[jaysongo]

@jaysongo

Do you have a problem using cartridges? If not, then the problem lies with the converter not sealing and leaking air.

Well, as I mentioned in the first post, switching to cartridges did solve the problem; and I can say that this is still the case more than a week since I've written that post. Regarding sealing, the squeeze converters actually fit on really tightly whereas the cartridges, since they've been reused so often, fit rather loosely. Despite this the effect is still the same where I've had zero problem with cartridges.

 

Additionally, and perhaps I'm wrong about this, I don't know if having a tighter seal around the feed matters too much since these pens are often eyedropper converted: there would be nothing around the feed at all. Silicone grease would be added to make the eyedropper water-tight, but the one problem I never had with the squeeze converter was leaking of any kind -- as I said, the converter fit very snug.