USA twist fillers

[GlenV]

I have recently added a Autofiller brand fountain pen, and I thought it would be fun to compare some twist fillers that I think are the main brands of this type made in the US.  The Autofiller here is their later version and I was trying to figure out how it worked.  All 3 are pretty simple in design and work fine filling this way and hold a lot of ink. The little bit protruding from the end on the Autofiller is too short to twist like the early version they made, but it seems clear now that this was shellacked to the twist knob. The Ingersoll used a metal tack that pressed into a rubber stopper, the AA Waterman has a more complex design of the end and more carefully machined. I like that the Autofiller is threaded in the normal direction on both ends of the barrel making it easier to disassemble but still doesn’t loosen the section twisting the knob to fill. Simple but smart.  AAW and Autofiller from around 1900-1915 approx and the Ingersoll one of their later Bakelite models, I know it’s unusual to actually be made from Bakelite but they did, from the 1920’s.

 

[Glenn-SC]

Very interesting.  
An experience in how long a twist filler sack lasts?

[GlenV]

12 hours ago, Glenn-SC said:

Very interesting.  
An experience in how long a twist filler sack lasts?

Probably about the same as other pens, but modern sacs are quite a bit thinner rubber than rhe old sacs. The sacs on Ingersoll pens remind me of surgical tubing .  it can add to the challenge of disassembly of an old pen, and the AA Waterman ones are really tough to get the section moving. They are a bit harder to get the sac the right length than the others too. I have 3 AAW twistfillers now with modern sacs and they are working pretty well so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Glenn-SC]

Again, very interesting.  
Thanks for the information.