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Fountain Pen Filling Systems
Ink for a fountain pen is provided either in a bottle or in disposable cartridges. Whether you can use bottled or cartridge ink, or both, is determined by the kind of fountain pen filling system your pen utilizes.
Cartridge-Converter
Many contemporary fountain pens have a cartridge-converter filling system. This allows the pen to use both bottled ink when the pen is fitted with a reusable converter, or disposable cartridges when the converter is removed. Many pen users value the ease of use and versatility of cartridge-converter pens.
While a bottled fountain pen ink can be used in any pen, both cartridges and converters come in both standardized and proprietary versions. International style cartridges and converters are in a standard size and can be used in a wide of variety of pens from different manufacturers.
While a bottled fountain pen ink can be used in any pen, both cartridges and converters come in both standardized and proprietary versions. International style cartridges and converters are in a standard size and can be used in a wide of variety of pens from different manufacturers.
Many other cartridges and converters are proprietary and can be used only in the pens from a single manufacturer. Our pen product pages always list the filling system and, if applicable, cartridge-converter compatibility for pens you purchase from us.
Piston-Fillers, Eyedropper-Fillers, and More
Equally popular are piston-fill fountain pens, which can be filled directly from an ink bottle. Piston-fill fountain pens usually have an ink capacity greater than that of comparable cartridge-converter pens. Avoiding the use of a disposable cartridge is also a plus for those who are attracted to fountain pens as a means of reducing environmental waste.
Similar to piston-fillers, some contemporary fountain pens use vacuum, power-fill, or double reservoir systems. All of these filling systems involve drawing the ink directly into the pen from the bottle. Virtually all vintage fountain pens dating from the 1950’s and earlier use a piston-fill or similar system, including crescent, lever, and button-fillers.
Of particular note to many enthusiasts are eyedropper fillers. As the name implies, these require the use of an eyedropper or plastic syringe in order to fill the reservoir in the pen barrel. Eyedropper-fillers offer the advantage of having by far the highest ink capacity of any fountain pen filling system.
How To Decide On A Fountain Pen Filling System
When deciding on what fountain pen to purchase, the choice of filling system will often be a major factor. If you’re new to fountain pens, we’ll often suggest a cartridge-converter pen for its versatility and ease of use.
If higher ink capacity is a priority, or if the pen you’re most attracted to utilizes a piston-fill or similar system, then that will be the obvious choice. Many new users are intimidated at first by the idea of refilling directly from an ink bottle, but most find that after a very short time this becomes an easy and even enjoyable process.
Need help deciding? As always, we’re here to help. Just email us at info@pacificpenworks.com and we’ll be happy to guide you through the process of deciding which filling system will work best for you…