why CC might have some advantages

[acolythe]

I know this is sacrilege. But hear me out before flaming please. The cc can be filled with a syringe. This means you can get the last ink out of a badly shaped bottle. If you need to add an ink additive such as inksafe because of a dry writer it can be added to the cc instead of to the whole bottle of ink. These things cannot be done with a piston filler. Or am I just rationalizing the dearth of piston fillers in my collection? Still it seems no one has mentioned these advantages.

Barry

[LapsangS]

All filling systems have their pros and cons. It is a fact.

[Shangas]

I have to agree with Lapsang.

 

That done...LET US BURN ACOLYTHE AT THE STAKE!!

 

Just kidding. Yeah, the c/c system is the easiest to use, in my opinion. Completely idiot-proof.

[blak000]

Just as Lapsangs said: all filling systems have their pros and cons.

 

One other thing some people find great about converters: their smaller ink capacity means you can change ink colors often.

[ConnallMac]

One other thing some people find great about converters: their smaller ink capacity means you can change ink colors often.

 

This is about the only advantage I have ever found to converters. YMMV.

[Keng]

you usually get the option of using a cart. and can always get a replacement if it's broken, much cheaper than repairing a piston filler.

 

Mike

[daveg]

If you need to add an ink additive such as inksafe because of a dry writer it can be added to the cc instead of to the whole bottle of ink.

 

Don't you use 1 to 2 drops of Inksafe in a bottle? What do you use to get ~ 1/20th of a drop in a cartridge?

[DrPJM1]

Many, if not most, modern pens use the ubiquitous cartridge or converter. They are very convenient as you can switch a cartridge cleanly and easily, the converter allows you to use the bottled ink of your choice, both can be filled with a syringe. However, the ink capacity is small as compared to a piston. For changing ink color, I prefer using another pen.

[Shelley]

Yes there are some advantages, however i do sometimes get a rattle inside my Van Gogh from the converter (cart does not), to me it just seems nicer to have a piston filler-more bang for my buck!

[tamburlaine]

Would I be correct in surmising that a cartridge filling system would be advantageous in the long term for a pen with a steel nib? Refilling with cartridges or refilling cartridges would mean less chance of external nib corrosion, which could possibly occur after a while due to submersing the nib into ink and filling from a bottle with a piston or such.

 

Shrug. Just wild conjecture.

 

Patrick

Edited November 25, 2007 by patrick1314

[RLTodd]

My thought is the CC systems are merely the evolutionary survivors. The other systems had their chance and have failed.

[acolythe]

If you need to add an ink additive such as inksafe because of a dry writer it can be added to the cc instead of to the whole bottle of ink.

 

Don't you use 1 to 2 drops of Inksafe in a bottle? What do you use to get ~ 1/20th of a drop in a cartridge?

according to the directions, dip a needle into the inksafe and then into the converter.

Edited November 25, 2007 by acolythe

[daveg]

My thought is the CC systems are merely the evolutionary survivors. The other systems had their chance and have failed.

 

Spoken like a ballpoint user.

[KCat]

If you need to add an ink additive such as inksafe because of a dry writer it can be added to the cc instead of to the whole bottle of ink.

 

Don't you use 1 to 2 drops of Inksafe in a bottle? What do you use to get ~ 1/20th of a drop in a cartridge?

according to the directions, dip a needle into the inksafe and then into the converter.

 

Makes sense. Yes, it's very strong stuff so you don't need much at all. I've used that method when adding detergent to ink (before Ink Safe became available.) It's easy and you definitely can get a much better idea of whether or not you really want to increase flow on a particular ink.

[Col]

Would I be correct in surmising that a cartridge filling system would be advantageous in the long term for a pen with a steel nib? Refilling with cartridges or refilling cartridges would mean less chance of external nib corrosion, which could possibly occur after a while due to submersing the nib into ink and filling from a bottle with a piston or such.

Perhaps, but with modern stainless steel nibs, the theory would probably take more than a lifetime to prove.

 

Of course, it's perfectly possible to fill converters straight from the bottle, and I do this on a regular basis now. Some designs are more suited to this than others. For example, the Cross screw-in type is very well suited to the technique. Converters with a wider opening require a little more care, but it can still be done.

[Chris C]

Cartridge is my favorite filling system. It is fast-changing, best for travel, clean, and neat. The only disadvantages is that you don't get to experience the classical mistique of filling a pen from a bottle and your choice of ink is more limited. You can get the experience and choice of bottle-filling using the converter. The disadvantage of the converter is that the capacity is small and that...well...it just doesn't work that well. Ink flow is poor because of the narrow diameter of the converter barrel, causing ink to cling to the top by surface tension. Ink flow is noticeably wetter with the disposable cartridge than with the converter in all of my pens, and these include diverse c/c systems from Sheaffer, Platinum, Sailor, and several international-size systems. Recognizing the inherent superiority of the cartridge some diehards will refill spent carts from a bottle using a syringe.

 

When in doubt, I would choose a pen with an international size cartridge since then you get a wide choice of inks from makers such as Montblanc, OMAS, Lamy, Diamine, Waterman, Private Reserve, Cartier, Conway Stewart, J. Herbin, Pelikan, ST Dupont, and Visconti. I have a hard time believing you can't find at least one good ink on that list.

[ericthered2004]

Yup, cartridges for preference every time for me too, for the abovementioned reasons, and because there is less to go wrong if that hasn't been mentioned. I find the other filling methods interesting, but fiddly. Taking the cap off that big inky bottle still makes me a bit nervous, and those little shards of dried ink around the bottle threads can be shocking messy. Plus, at school all the cool kids used cartridges, and that just has to mean something doesn't it?

 

Cheers,

Eric

[acolythe]

If you need to add an ink additive such as inksafe because of a dry writer it can be added to the cc instead of to the whole bottle of ink.

 

Don't you use 1 to 2 drops of Inksafe in a bottle? What do you use to get ~ 1/20th of a drop in a cartridge?

according to the directions, dip a needle into the inksafe and then into the converter.

 

Makes sense. Yes, it's very strong stuff so you don't need much at all. I've used that method when adding detergent to ink (before Ink Safe became available.) It's easy and you definitely can get a much better idea of whether or not you really want to increase flow on a particular ink.

KCAt

what detergent did you use?

Barry

[FrankB]

I learned to write with a dip fountain pen at age eight, in 1958. FP's were still in vogue, though ball points were taking over the writing instrument market. My dad gave me a Parker 51 that was/is a vac filler. I also acquired a Sheaffer student pen in which I used only cartridges. Dad had a couple Sheaffer pens that were lever fillers. Hence, I was exposed to multiple filling mechanisms and dip pens from the start. All of the filling systems work, and I am not a die hard advocate for any particular one.

 

Over the years, I have watched the cartridge/converter system become the most common type of FP filling system. I have no problems with it personally. The system is essentially foolproof, it is durable, and it allows one to use bottled ink or cartridges. The c/c system is the easiest to clean and maintain. When I travel, I invariably reach for a c/c pen in which I can use cartridges.

 

By the way, the idea of filling a converter with a syringe is new. I have only been doing it for about a year-and-a-half. In all the years I have used FP's, neither I nor anyone around me ever thought to use a syringe. Once I learned about it, it made all the sense in the world. I guess it is an idea whose time has come, but I sure wish I had known about it 40+ years ago.

Edited November 26, 2007 by FrankB

[Pengrump]

I'm more comfortable using cartridge/converter pens with very saturated inks. If a converter gets stained enough to bother me, I can buy a new one inexpensively. Also I can take the pen apart more easily in order to clean the remnants of saturated inks out of it. However, I really love my piston fillers and my Ban-ei ED filler. I just use less dramatic inks in those pens.