Short International Cartridge Physical Characteristics

[James]

I use ink cartridges, because my EDC pen is a Kaweco Liliput – which only accommodates Short International Cartridges. However, I mainly use fountain pen inks that are not sold in cartridge format. So I routinely empty the original ink from the cartridges (while ejecting the sealing ball), and fill them with my desired ink using a 0.2 ml disposable plastic transfer pipette.

 

I thought it would be interesting to assess the physical differences between 16 different Short International Cartridge brands – to see if some cartridges have advantages or disadvantages over others. The table below lists some key cartridge physical characteristics that I measured on one sample from each cartridge brand.

 

I found some interesting differences with three brands, as compared to the other 13. The three notable brands are:

 

1. Pelikan – The empty cartridge has the lightest mass of all the measured cartridges, but it also has the largest ink volume. The cartridge shape is different from most of the other brands, since Pelikan made the cartridge as a single smooth tapered cylinder. I rate this cartridge as tied with the Schneider, as my favorite ink cartridge design.

2. Schneider – This cartridge shares many of the same design characteristics as the Pelikan. It has a slightly higher empty cartridge mass, but has the same maximum ink volume and single smooth tapered cylinder shape. The Schneider ink cartridges are less expensive than the Pelikan cartridges.

3. Waterman – This cartridge is significantly smaller than all the other ink cartridges. I guess this has an advantage of being fully compatible with any of the other ink cartridge brands – from a dimensional perspective. However, since all the short international cartridge brands are compatible with my pen, the small Waterman ink volume is a negative characteristic for me.

 

I’ve included a photo of several longitudinally sectioned ink cartridges – to illustrate some of the subtle physical differences between the cartridge brands. The majority of the 16 cartridge brands have physical characteristics similar to the Kaweco cartridge.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Tells me how little I use my CC pens....didn't realize they were different.