Pilot Con-40 converter solutions?

[Doc Dan]

I simply love my Pilot Vanishing Point that my wife gave me for Christmas. It has become my favorite pen. However, the Con-40 converter is pure c**p, to put it mildly. The ink flow is good, but filling it requires me to use a syringe. It won't pull ink in by itself using the piston nob and the nib in the bottle. Terrible in that regard. I was told the pen won't take the Con-70. Do any of you have a solution?

[Doc Dan]

Also, why don't we have a Pilot subforum so we can discuss these things?

[Armo]

Don't know if this is any good?

 

[Lithium466]

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005006172304036.html

 

This Majohn/Moonman converter is a copy of the Pilot CON-50, and does fit in my décimo and VP. I heard that it wasn't fitting in all the pens but never had a problem.
 

[Driften]

Refilling cartridges work well and you can find new old stock on the Con-50

[inkstainedruth]

@Doc Dan I got a Con-40 converter for the VP I bought used and gave to my husband and AFAIK it works just fine (same as the Con-B converters that are in my Decimos, and IIRC my two Metropolitans).  Although admittedly I've noticed that the converter in the Grey Decimo isn't filling as much as I remember it doing.  

I've NEVER had to use a syringe to fill ANY of my Pilot converters.

Do you know someone that you could borrow a converter from temporarily and see if that works in your pen?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth 

[Ted A]

I prefer refilling Pilot cartridges with a syringe rather than any of the Pilot converters. Pilot makes great pens but mediocre converters

[inkstainedruth]

Well I started out doing that, early on, but found refilling cartridges to be a major PITA -- especially if I needed to clean out a converter when I wanted to use a different ink from what was originally in it.  

Plus, IME, filling a pen through the feed into to the converter has the added bonus of helping to prime the feed....  And that works for all my pens, no matter what the fill system is.

Ruth Morrisson aka instainedruth

[Dillo]

Make sure you immerse the nib completely past the hole on the underside of the feed. You have to dip it all the way so that the entire metal nib is immersed and the tip of the metal housing as well. Otherwise you will get a load of air when you are trying to fill the pen.

 

There should be no need to pull it out to refill the converter. I've never had any trouble with that converter in particular.

[Paul-in-SF]

8 hours ago, Doc Dan said:

Also, why don't we have a Pilot subforum so we can discuss these things?

 

The Japan-Asia forum in Regional Focus is where that discussion would go (although here is also fine). All the major and minor Japanese brands are discussed in there. 

 

(You can save yourself the anguish of wondering why, and just accept that this is the way the board owner wants it. This board is not a democracy.)

[lamarax]

The best solution to the CON-40 issue is... a Pilot cartridge (re)filled by syringe. Especially with the VP, where you get that neat metal 'cap' 🙂 

 

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

Plus, IME, filling a pen through the feed into to the converter has the added bonus of helping to prime the feed....  And that works for all my pens, no matter what the fill system is.

 

You can always prime the feed by squeezing the cartridge.

[A Smug Dill]

9 hours ago, Doc Dan said:

Also, why don't we have a Pilot subforum so we can discuss these things?

 

 

[lamarax]

3 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

 

 

We'd need a Sailor subforum then as well. Maybe also a Platinum 🙂

[A Smug Dill]

16 minutes ago, lamarax said:

We'd need a Sailor subforum then as well. Maybe also a Platinum 🙂

 

As much as I'm a fan of the Japanese ‘Big Three’ fountain pen brands, I don't think we need those subforums. There just aren't all that much discussion to require or warrant individual subforums for those brands to make posting, searching, and browsing new contributions relating to them manageable for users.

 

Note that this is not an argument on the basis of, “If brand X with just as little or even less traffic and attract less interest these days (still) have a subforum, ‘why doesn't’ Pilot? It seems unfair to seemingly downplay the interest of Pilot fans, in direct comparison.” It's not about prominence, and it's not about how someone feels towards Pilot (fans) having or not having the standing.

 

Just simply what does having a new forum achieve, that without it is nigh impossible, never mind how anyone would feel better and that browsing would be “easier” and more targeted if their particular interest area is “highlighted” by being according the distinction of having its own subforum separate from competing brands.

[Doc Dan]

Really I shouldn't have to use a refilled cartridge. I should be able to simply use the converter. Maybe they should subcontract their converter manufacturing to Lamy, Delta, or other company. 

[Dillo]

Delta buys converters from Schmidt as do many others like Faber Castell, Pelikan, Visconti. Lamy's converters used to be supplied by Schmidt, and the tooling is similar and some parts can interchange. I have a lot of the new Pilot Con-40, and I like them better than the standard Schmidt. (but I prefer the Con-20 which is no longer made)

 

As long as you dip the nib past the hole in the bottom of the feed it should fill just fine. The hole in the bottom of the feed is the true breathing hole. The Capless does not use the breathing hole on the nib itself to breathe. If you don't submerge it deep enough, no ink will be drawn up. Cycle the piston at least two times (standard for any piston converter or piston filled pen).

[A Smug Dill]

16 minutes ago, Doc Dan said:

Really I shouldn't have to use a refilled cartridge. I should be able to simply use the converter.

 

You can, if I could. Filling the converter:

• does not require that you can see the ink level inside the converter cavity during the process;
• does not require it to be ‘clean’ or neat so that you wouldn't have to submerge the entire front end of the Pilot Capless nib assembly up to the hole,
  • and to submerge to entire front end, it may require transferring ink from your bottle to a suitably shaped inkwell or ‘ink miser’ apparatus, giving you more to clean up afterwards (both from the outside of the Capless nib assembly and also the ink-holding apparatus;
• does not require the stated ink draw capacity (0.4ml for the CON-40) to be reflected by the volume of ink inside the converter's cavity, when the 0.4ml of ink drawn from the bottle or inkwell into the pen will partially reside inside the Capless assembly and feed

irrespective of how lacking in confidence or satisfaction the process leaves you. Simply put, if you fill a suitably shaped inkwell with 2.0ml of ink, and after filling the Pilot Capless nib assembly using the rotary piston handle on the CON-40 already inserted into the nib assembly, only 1.6ml of ink remains in the inkwell, then logic would dictate that the other 0.4ml must have been physically drawn into the ‘pen’ by your “simply” using the CON-40, e.g. mission accomplished (to the specifications of the CON-40's capability). It doesn't matter if the converter's cavity is not completely filled with ink, and more importantly it doesn't matter if you as the user feels it could have done more because of it, and maximise its potential beyond the stated 0.4ml.

[inkstainedruth]

2 hours ago, lamarax said:

The best solution to the CON-40 issue is... a Pilot cartridge (re)filled by syringe. Especially with the VP, where you get that neat metal 'cap' 🙂 

 

 

You can always prime the feed by squeezing the cartridge.

Depends on the cartridge....  I suspect that the plastics vary between brands.

Ruh Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Doc Dan]

Sometimes I get a good fill after running the piston up and down two or three times. However, with the nib inserted all the way up beyond the silver holder, I sometimes get little to no ink. I have checked the seating. I have gotten to where I just take the converter out and fill it by syringe. Maybe it is the converter? I have an E95S and doesn't that use a CON-40 (I can't remember)? I have no issues with that one.

[Dillo]

The E95S does use a CON-40, but because of the design, you don't need to submerge it as deep compared with the Capless. You can try to swap out the converter you are using with the Pilot Capless and see what happens. Do make sure that the hole is completely submerged and somewhat below the ink level. Also, I wouldn't bother expelling the air unless it is in the ink. That way you can see bubbles to confirm that your nib unit is submerged deep enough. With each cycle you should see more bubbles come out.