Proper Converter For The Kaweco Sport

[max dog]

ink = MB Lavender Purple

The new push/pull plunger converter by Kaweco for their Sport, is a much needed improvement from the squeeze converter. It actually holds a normal amount of ink for a converter, and works very well. Now I can use my Kaweco Sport with all my favourite bottled inks, and the pen has become that much more practical for me overnight with the release of the new converter. Now it is on par for versatility and practicality with the TWSBI ECO and Lamy Safari budget range pens. The new converter is highly recommended.

Edited April 3, 2017 by max dog

[tinta]

I see you can pull the plunger all the way back. Not so for my stainless Lilliput.

This little unit works very well in my Dia2, while the standard sized Kaweco branded converter does not.

[max dog]

I see you can pull the plunger all the way back. Not so for my stainless Lilliput.

This little unit works very well in my Dia2, while the standard sized Kaweco branded converter does not.

Maybe I will get another Sport converter for my Dia 2, as the factory twist piston converter for it has been a major dissapointment. It's good to know this converter works in the Lilliput too. I think the plunger is a clever idea as you can adjust how far to pull it out to fit within the clearance of the barrel of the other Kaweco pens.

Edited April 3, 2017 by max dog

[chromantic]

I will have to try one of these. I've had a problem just getting standard shorts to fit/stay on, especially if they're empties I've used in other pens (I guess due to slight variations in the "standard" feed size between manufacturers). SometimesI I can wrap the front end of the cartridge with a couple layers of Scotch tape so it fits snugly against the collar of the section and that holds it in place.

[tinta]

I will have to try one of these. I've had a problem just getting standard shorts to fit/stay on, especially if they're empties I've used in other pens (I guess due to slight variations in the "standard" feed size between manufacturers). SometimesI I can wrap the front end of the cartridge with a couple layers of Scotch tape so it fits snugly against the collar of the section and that holds it in place.

If you can get an empty (or full) MB cart, their fit is quite tight.

[ManofKent]

I see you can pull the plunger all the way back. Not so for my stainless Lilliput.

This little unit works very well in my Dia2, while the standard sized Kaweco branded converter does not.

 

How usable is it in a Liliput - does it still hold a reasonable amount of ink?

[ink-syringe]

That Kweco mini-squeeze converter was dreadful. I could never get that thing to fill. AND I GENERALLY LOVE SQUEEZE converters (a lonely club).

 

 

LONG LIVE THE CON-20!

[Pentode]

This is good news! I've been syringe-filling used carts up 'til now. I've had no problems with fit (Pelikan carts, I think), but I'd still rather have a proper, dedicated converter.

 

Looks like I'll need to swing by FPH after work...

[LizEF]

There's also a Monteverde mini converter which I have (the Kaweco was out of stock or I would have gotten both to compare) and it works well (though I'm using it on a Karas Kustoms Fountain K Mini, not a Kaweco). They appear to use the same concepts and be about the same size. The Monteverde is a nice tight fit on my Fountain K Mini.

[Chrissy]

There's also a Monteverde mini converter which I have (the Kaweco was out of stock or I would have gotten both to compare) and it works well (though I'm using it on a Karas Kustoms Fountain K Mini, not a Kaweco). They appear to use the same concepts and be about the same size. The Monteverde is a nice tight fit on my Fountain K Mini.

 

Whenever I've seen the Monteverde converter for sale, the adverts say it does not fit the Kaweco Sport. I bought one and it falls out of all of my Sport pens. You might be lucky, but I can confirm that the Kaweco Sport converter, shown in the original post, has a smaller hole and fits very tightly.

[chromantic]

I bought a 3-pack of the Monteverdes and had the same results as Chrissy.

[LizEF]

Whenever I've seen the Monteverde converter for sale, the adverts say it does not fit the Kaweco Sport. I bought one and it falls out of all of my Sport pens. You might be lucky, but I can confirm that the Kaweco Sport converter, shown in the original post, has a smaller hole and fits very tightly.

 

I bought a 3-pack of the Monteverdes and had the same results as Chrissy.

 

That's good to know! Now I want to try one just to see how it fits my Fountain K Mini - will it be too tight, or will it be even better than the Monteverde? Curiosity killed the cat, er, budget...

[OakIris]

I will have to try one of these. I've had a problem just getting standard shorts to fit/stay on, especially if they're empties I've used in other pens (I guess due to slight variations in the "standard" feed size between manufacturers). SometimesI I can wrap the front end of the cartridge with a couple layers of Scotch tape so it fits snugly against the collar of the section and that holds it in place.

 

I had a similar problem with the mini-piston converter coming off of the nipple. My Brass Sport suddenly started writing like it did right out of the box - dry and skipping - before I had made adjustments to the flow. I removed the barrel to see if the pen had run out of ink - and the converter fell out and into my hand. That has only happened once, but it does make me worry a bit and I find myself checking from time to time to make sure the converter is still properly seated.

 

We are not the only ones that have had problems with the "ink container" coming loose from the nipple of a Kaweco Sport. A good solution I have read about, which would work for a cartridge or for the piston converter, would be to place a spring of the right diameter and length to press down on the top of the cartridge or converter and hold in place on the section nipple. I haven't tried it yet, but have no reason to think that wouldn't work.

 

I had an older version of the Kaweco Sport squeeze converter, actually has a metal cage and squeeze bar like a mini-aerometric filler, that I purchased several years ago for a different pen - it didn't fit - and was all happy about having the squeeze converter for my newly purchased Brass Sport, planning to use the piston converter in my newly acquired Liliput Brass Wave....but the squeeze converter didn't work, wouldn't suck up any ink, at all. Apparently the new squeeze converters without the fancy metal bits don't work much better. Disappointing! But the mini-piston converter works just fine.

 

The mini-piston converter doesn't hold quite as much as an ink cartridge does (.5ml to .75ml) but they do make filling a pen a bit easier than using a syringe to refill cartridges, and you don't have to prime the feed.

 

Holly

[LizEF]

...We are not the only ones that have had problems with the "ink container" coming loose from the nipple of a Kaweco Sport. A good solution I have read about, which would work for a cartridge or for the piston converter, would be to place a spring of the right diameter and length to press down on the top of the cartridge or converter and hold in place on the section nipple. I haven't tried it yet, but have no reason to think that wouldn't work....

 

That may not work with these particular converters which are push converters rather than threaded. With threaded, the knob only turns, it doesn't compress, but with these guys, it compresses. The spring or other device would actually push the plunger, thereby pushing ink out - unless you could find a spring which fit around the piston while still providing support for the main body of the converter...

 

A spring is how cartridges are helped to stay in place on the Fountain K Mini. Also, on the Monteverde converter in my Fountain K Mini, when I screw the body onto the pen, it pushes the piston in a little, but only enough to force some air out, not ink (assuming I hold the pen nib up while putting the body back on). I'm assuming the Kaweco won't have this problem with its own converter since they're made for each other.

 

I think we just need Standard International Medium cartridges.

[OakIris]

 

That may not work with these particular converters which are push converters rather than threaded. With threaded, the knob only turns, it doesn't compress, but with these guys, it compresses. The spring or other device would actually push the plunger, thereby pushing ink out - unless you could find a spring which fit around the piston while still providing support for the main body of the converter...

<snip>

 

I think we just need Standard International Medium cartridges.

I envisioned that the piston rod would fit right up the middle of the spring, while the spring "bottom" rests on the top of the converter, not the piston rod. I think a spring would work fine, but won't know until I try it. I have only had the piston converter pop off the section nipple once, but obviously would like to avoid future occurrences! No mess this time, but next time could be quite different!

 

And I agree - where are the MEDIUM standard international cartridges when we need them? The exact size we need to fit nicely in the barrel of the Sport with no wiggle room and a better ink capacity than the short cartridges or the converter. Seriously - why isn't there a cartridge like that?!?

 

Holly

[LizEF]

...And I agree - where are the MEDIUM standard international cartridges when we need them? The exact size we need to fit nicely in the barrel of the Sport with no wiggle room and a better ink capacity than the short cartridges or the converter. Seriously - why isn't there a cartridge like that?!?

 

At the moment, I'm pondering two other possibilities:

1. A converter that uses the same concepts as the Conid Bulkfiller - where the plunger can be locked at the far end of the ink well, while the rod is pushed back into the ink well. The problem with this, of course, is that for something as small as a standard international converter, the rod would have to be the diameter of a needle (considerably thinner than the current plastic rods), otherwise there wouldn't be any increase in ink capacity.
2. Similar, but a removable rod - it screws onto a little threaded nub on the plunger (where rods currently live), you screw it on long enough to push the plunger down and pull it back up, then you unscrew it. The problem, of course, is that you now have a detached rod and nowhere to put it (since the rest of the converter takes up all the available space in the pen body). Lots of people would lose the detached rod. I still like the idea, though, and may try to make a prototype using a Standard International Long and bits of a converter - or just a converter alone, as a test - cut off the rod and go from there... Must consult my brother - he's the engineer in the family.

[senzen]

Glad it worked for you. Tried both the useless squeeze converter and the not much better Monteverde... Gave up on Kaweco, way too much effort for such terrible results. Can't sell the Sport as it's a gift, every time I'm reminded of it I'm sorely tempted to accidentally put it under my chair.

[tinta]

 

How usable is it in a Liliput - does it still hold a reasonable amount of ink?

In my experience, the mini-piston's plunger could not be drawn back fully, for a complete fill of ink & still fit into the barrel of a Lilliput. The diminutive Kaweco Lilliput was designed to take short international cartridges.

Nestled in its leather sleeve, my stainless steel Lilliput is always in my small shoulder bag, ready to write a brief note or a cheque. I use Pelikan's 4001 blue/black carts (sourced from Cult) because this ink is quite water resistant.

[max dog]

Glad it worked for you. Tried both the useless squeeze converter and the not much better Monteverde... Gave up on Kaweco, way too much effort for such terrible results. Can't sell the Sport as it's a gift, every time I'm reminded of it I'm sorely tempted to accidentally put it under my chair.

I think the new converter works quite well. I am able to get a full ink fill with the plunger and Ive had no ink flow issues so far using the converter in the pen. Might be worth giving that Sport another chance.

[ManofKent]

In my experience, the mini-piston's plunger could not be drawn back fully, for a complete fill of ink & still fit into the barrel of a Lilliput. The diminutive Kaweco Lilliput was designed to take short international cartridges.

Nestled in its leather sleeve, my stainless steel Lilliput is always in my small shoulder bag, ready to write a brief note or a cheque. I use Pelikan's 4001 blue/black carts (sourced from Cult) because this ink is quite water resistant.

 

Thanks - I mainly use mine for sending a quick postcard or two, and have been using the Kaweco cartridges. I don't need a full load of ink,but it would be quite nice to be able to use bottled if I could get the equivalent of a half a short cartridges worth of ink in it.