Ink Bottle vs. Cartridges

[SweetieStarr]

I got a pen, that didn't come with the converter. Are most of the good converters, universal?

Many converters are universal, but some (like Parker's) are not. Just make sure the converter is designated universal before you buy it and it should be fine. Also, check on the brand of your pen to see if it takes universal converters or if they are proprietary.

 

[John in Covina]

I got a pen, that didn't come with the converter. Are most of the good converters, universal?

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No not always, depends on the pen and the maker.
Also some pens are too small to take a converter.

What did you get? Call a good pen shop and ask there, if you can go to one, bring the pen and the cartridge so they can match them up.

 

[Davep]

It's a Conklin Victory, I have three one for each ink color
Two came with the converter, the last I got one didn't

 

[John in Covina]

Does it say anything on the converters you got for the other colors?
Does the instructions say anything about what cartridge to use?

A lot of pens use what's called the International short cartridge which is the style Montblanc cartridges are. If it's like that then a converter like Schmidt brand or those for Lamy or Rotring may work if they aren't too long.

Some online pen shop sites have pix of cartridges and converters so you may be able to match up by sight, but if you're going to buy one from a pen shop first check the other converter you have that it fits and bring it and the pen to the store, failing that call and discuss with the pen shop. Most converters are 5-6 bucks and a few up to 10 bucks for the special one off model ones.

 

[Davep]

On the other purchases, the converters came inside with the pen. None had markings.

I found a website that sells them with no pictures and their own internal part number.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

Having used both and as I have about 6 fountain pens with different colours on the go at once, I prefer cartridges. I get all the colours I want, I use waterman. If I were to use a convector my preference would be the screw bladder, neatest solution I think.

 

[John in Covina]

I'd just like to throw into the mix that cartridges had been concieved of prior to the 1950's with some early GLASS cartridges were actually used by some of the pen makers. As I recall it's Waterman that persues the cartridge fountain pen and found that buyers still wanted the option of bottled inks so most but not all cartridge pens can use converters to satisfy that need.

It must be noted that today's high end pens in the Pelikan and Montblanc line with a few others still are bottle fill only. The Montblanc 149 / Diplomat, Lamy 2000 and Pelikan's 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 series (collectively known as the Souvreign line) use the body barrel as the reservoir and the built in filling mechanism is similar in function to the screw type converter. There are versions of the squeeze bulb converter out there too.

Prior to cartridges most pens used a rubber sac also known as a bladder as the resoirvoir and it'a natural shape was open so various designs to compress that bladder were devised such as lever fillers and end buttons like Paker's Duofolds. Once compressed and released the bladder openes up to draw in ink thru the submerged nib and feed and holds it similar to the way an eye dropper works.

The draw back in the past was as the sac aged it cracked and leaked at the most inopportune times. Also the gases released by the sac as it aged and broke down would "amber" the color of the barrels, which is why so many old pens have dark barrels and lighter colored caps. These days the modern sacs are made of better materials.

I can't recall which makers use sacs today except Conklin's modern crescent filler and I think Bexley has done some.

Delta has an eyedropper fill fountain pen in the Dolce Vita series and that is "Old School" for sure.

I tend to shy away from cartridges myself.