Piston fill vs Cartridge/Converter

[georges zaslavsky]

I have used both but the piston filling systems, the button fillers, the vac filling system and the eye dropper beat the converter for me except the pilot con 70 converter which holds a great amount of ink.

[dogpoet]

There are times when a cartridge pen is pretty handy, sadly: I've worked in a few offices where I wouldn't want to leave a bottle of ink in my desk in case one of my twattier fellow employees got hold of it, to pick one example.

[Sandy1]

If I were comparing 2 identical pens, I would choose the Piston Filler for the same reasons you expressed. However, the CC is sufficiently like a piston filler, i.e., there is not all that much difference between filling a PF and filling a CC through the nib from the bottle.

 

I would choose the pen based on how it writes, the nib, the weight, and afterwards, the look.

 

I have both types, I enjoy both types, but I find pens to differ far more on their writing characteristics than the pleasure of the filling system.

 

I like the choices you are considering; I would just make the choice based on other than the filling system.l

 

Just my 2 cents,

 

Andy

 

+1. -- S1

[Blade Runner]

I too prefer piston fillers. With convertors sometimes the ink gets stuck on the narrow walls leaving an air gap between the ink and nib/feed, and one needs to flick the body of the pen to dislodge the ink and resume flow.

[welch]

The way the pen writes matters more than the way it fills.

[ExcaliburZ]

I have to side with the cartridge/converter for pure practicality. I almost always run out of ink when I am not in a position to refill from my ink bottle (need to buy a second one and keep it at work).

[Bo Bo Olson]

How could I collect ink wells, if I used cartridges?

I'm still a five ink noobie. I now only collect double ink wells....well I only have two doubles and a single. One for each ink.

I'm going to a B&M auction....hopefully no antique shop owner out bids me. There are four inkwells there, of which, I only got hopes on one. The Meisen and the Neuphenberg and the one with the iron smith will go at prices I can't afford. That leaves a polished brass double with blotter roller.

 

I live in Germany and piston fillers are the way to fly here. I have some sac pens. Any other pen I have, that does not have a converter, will have one. I just EBay'ed two.

 

of course I need a couple of traveling ink wells....I might some day afford travel.

Edited November 23, 2009 by Bo Bo Olson

[wtlh]

I too prefer piston fillers. With convertors sometimes the ink gets stuck on the narrow walls leaving an air gap between the ink and nib/feed, and one needs to flick the body of the pen to dislodge the ink and resume flow.

 

 

Aha, now I fully understand what the loose spring in my 145 converter is for :-). Originally I thought it is there to prevent ink particles precipitating ...

Edited November 23, 2009 by wtlh

[wtlh]

The piston on my Lamy 2000 locks so it is not easy to accidentally engage it. The pen definitely holds more ink than the converter in my Lamy Al-Star does though.

 

I confess that I have not yet disassembled the 2000 for cleaning (I've only owned it for a couple of weeks).

 

Thanks for replying my earlier question :-). I have frequently seem people talking about putting lubricant on the pelikan piston rubber, does that mean it can be taken apart easily?

[MME]

I like much more cartridges beecause using a cartridge will keep the nib clean,and I like to draw the last drop with a syringe from the ink bottle.Best of luck

[leod]

piston filler if possible

[fabrimedeiros]

I prefer the piston fillers and vacuum fillers (not the vacumatics). Both hold a fair ink amount and the vac-fillers even more, a ton of ink. In my work day ( 12h), I write a lot, someting between 2 or 3 full tanks of ink (M1000 or 149 tank). So I fill one or two times at work, but, if I would have to carry C/C fillers to my work, how many times would I have to fill the pen? 6 or 7 refillings per day??? It would be a bit annoying, wouldn't it?

[Albertine]

Piston filler. Or any other integrated fill mechanism.

 

I have C/C pens that I like, look good, work well. I never use them.

[New_Falcon]

I prefer the piston fillers and vacuum fillers (not the vacumatics). Both hold a fair ink amount and the vac-fillers even more, a ton of ink. In my work day ( 12h), I write a lot, someting between 2 or 3 full tanks of ink (M1000 or 149 tank). So I fill one or two times at work, but, if I would have to carry C/C fillers to my work, how many times would I have to fill the pen? 6 or 7 refillings per day??? It would be a bit annoying, wouldn't it?

 

My hat's off to you! That is a lot of writing.

 

I spend most of my day behind a computer and only make notes in my notebook, with that I'm ashamed to say a Pilot cartridge lasts me about 5 days. I don't really like dipping my pen into the ink bottle as I feel I'm wasting a lot of ink wiping down the section and the nib.

[jar]

I prefer cartridge/converter any day over any other filling system I've come across.

[Dave the brew guy]

Wow, old post. I'll play along anyway.

 

I like to think of a pen as a machine, a sum of it's parts, and the value of the complete package is dictated by the various components that make up the pen. To compare a pen to a car, the nib and feed would be the suspension (the handling/feel comes from these parts), cap and barrel are the body (looks count for something), the section is the interior (comfort is important) and the filler is the drivetrain (a mechanism that makes it all "go"). I wouldn't pay top dollar for a car with no drivetrain and I wouldn't pay top dollar for a pen with no filler. I do own a number of C/C pens (which I tend to use with a converter) but I will pay more for a pen with a built-in filler than I will for a similar C/C pen.

I'm not one of thse who must have a piston filler. I'm perfectly happy with many types of fillers, in fact, I have my own "pecking order." Pistons and vacuum fillers (eg; Visconti or old Sheaffer Vacs) are among my favorites but I also like Snorkel/Touchdown, and Vacu-matic fillers. Plain old sac-pens are OK too, levers, crescents, twist, etc. The next step down the ladder is aeromatics, it's a sac-pen with out a lever or crescent to operate it so you have to open it up and work the filler from the inside. Next is any converter, this includes piston converters, aero converters and any other converter, not only do you have to open up the pen but it's removeable, replaceable and disposable. Cartridges aren't even on the ladder, but maybe they're the ground on which the ladder stands. I still haven't decided where I stand on eye-droppers.

The typical converter goes for $5-10 and looking at one will tell you why. Because of this, I am hesitant to spend more than $150-200 on a C/C pen when there are wonderful, complete pens available for this price or less. A Lamy 2000 is a well-made pen that can be found for under $150 and it comes with a very nice gold nib, a piston filler and a great "body." A TWSBI has a good steel nib, a piston filler and a decent "body," all for $50. I can't think of many C/C pens at the $50 price point that are as well made so I can't imagine that an integral filler would cost that much more to make.

I wish more companies would produce pens with built-in filler in the "under $300" range. I recently purchased a Visconti Rembrandt, it's beautifuly made and the nib is fantastic, at $140 it's a nice pen. I also looked at the Van Gogh, it's even more beautiful but for the price, I think they could put a real filler in it. The same goes for Pilot, Sailor, etc., I like a western B and by the time I pay extra for a "music" nib I'm past the amount I'm willing to pay for a C/C pen.

It really isn't a matter of just piston or C/C in my case. I want a whole pen, one with a filler of some sort built-in, it doesn't have to be a piston but it seems that a lot of them are. Until the other companies wise up to this, I'll be anxiously awaiting the release of the TWSBI Vac.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Dave the brew guy

[SylvainP]

Definitively piston.

 

I'm thinking of selling my freshly acquired parker vacumatic because I hate the filling system even if the nib is very nice.

[R_Dorothy Wayneright]

Piston, baby!

[Phormula]

I prefer the piston fillers and vacuum fillers (not the vacumatics). Both hold a fair ink amount and the vac-fillers even more, a ton of ink. In my work day ( 12h), I write a lot, someting between 2 or 3 full tanks of ink (M1000 or 149 tank). So I fill one or two times at work, but, if I would have to carry C/C fillers to my work, how many times would I have to fill the pen? 6 or 7 refillings per day??? It would be a bit annoying, wouldn't it?

 

Wow! I write about 11 A4 pages with one standard European cartridge, 7 refillings would be a whole notebook every day... 250 notebooks a year!

That's a lot of writing!!!

 

I use converters and inks at home but at the office or on the go I use cartridges, my mileage is 2-5 cartridges per week, and I prefer practicality over cost saving.

[ArnyDelan168]

Piston for:

Prestige

More amount if ink

Ease of refilling

 

Converter for

Ease of maintenance [whenever it broke, buy a new one which less than 10 US $

 

I don't see which one is better in utilitarian point of view, but I prefer converter. it is cheaper and easier to be replaced.

Edited August 7, 2014 by ArnyDelan168