Converters – Writer's Bloc Blog

June 19, 2013

Monteverde Mini Converter for Fountain Pens

The Monteverde Mini Ink Converter is designed to fit most fountain pens that take short standard universal ink cartridges. It has a simple plunger style filling system with an easy to use push/pull action. This mini ink converter does not hold as much ink as a short cartridge, so why would anyone want to use it? An ink converter allows you to use bottled fountain pen ink in a fountain pen that would normally only use ink cartridges. This greatly expands the selection of ink that you can use with your pen, reduces waste and saves a bit of money!

Monteverde Mini Converter size — Monteverde Mini Converter compared to a Pelikan giant ink cartridge and a short standard international cartridge.

There are several fountain pens and rollerball pens that have a barrel that is too short or too narrow to take a regular size ink converter. This is where the Monteverde Mini Ink Converter comes to the rescue! Fully extended the Mini Converter is only about 2.25″ long. Here it is inside a J. Herbin Rollerball Pen:

Monteverde Mini Converter & J. Herbin Rollerball Pen

It also fits inside the short barrel of the Kaweco Sport fountain pen and rollerball pen:

Monteverde Mini Converter & Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen — Monteverde Mini Converter & Kaweco Sport Rollerball Pen

A note about using the Monteverde Mini Converter with the Kaweco Sport: Because the connector for the ink cartridge in the Kaweco pen is very short, some writers find that the converter wants to “pop off” of the connector or does not seem to attach very securely. This can be remedied by wrapping tape around the clear part of the converter. Wrap it with tape once and check to see if it fits the pen securely. If not, try wrapping it with tape a second time and it should stay put.

Since the plunger on the Monteverde Mini Converter is so easy to use, the Mini is a useful tool for using water to flush out the feed of some of your fountain pens or rollerball pens (assuming that standard universal cartridges fit in your pen).

What fountain pens do you find the Monteverde Mini Converter to be particularly suited for?

September 26, 2012January 28, 2016

Fountain Pen Basics: What essentials do I need with my first fountain pen?

If you’re thinking of buying your first fountain pen, you may be surprised to discover just how many choices of styles, brands and inks there are for this traditional writing instrument! It may seem overwhelming to figure out what you need as you sift through the huge variety of fountain pens and accessories available to the modern writer. What basic essentials must you have to begin writing with your first fountain pen?

(LAMY Safari fountain pen in charcoal with a black nib)

(1) A fountain pen. It is not necessary to buy an expensive pen with a real 14K gold nib to begin your new writing experience. Something as simple and cheap as a disposable pen can be sufficient to help you get the feel for what writing with a fountain pen is like. The refillable Platinum Preppy fountain pen is a very popular choice under $5.00. There are many other pen choices in the $50.00 or less category that can even last a lifetime. Generally, most (but not all) pens in this price range have steel nibs and cartridge/converter filling systems. Just like regular pens, fountain pens come in a variety of nib sizes, often ranging from extra-fine to broad. If you’ve never used a fountain pen you’ll probably find that either a fine or a medium nib is the easiest to begin writing with. Here is a short list of some suggested beginner fountain pens:

LAMY Al-Star
LAMY Safari
LAMY Vista
LAMY Joy Fountain Pen
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen
Kaweco Classic Sport
Kaweco Ice Sport
Pelikan Pelikano
Pelikan Pelikano Jr.
Platinum Plaisir
Platinum Preppy

J. Herbin Universal Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges - Rose Cyclamen — J. Herbin Universal Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges – Rose Cyclamen

(2) Some ink. If you are a beginner, ink cartridges are the easiest way to refill your fountain pen. The most important thing is to make sure the ink cartridges you get are compatible with the fountain pen that you buy. Standard international or universal cartridges fit many types of fountain pens, but not all fountain pens. Some fountain pens require proprietary cartridges, or in other words, ink cartridges that are the same brand as the fountain pen. Here’s the same list of beginner fountain pens with suggested compatible ink refills:

LAMY Al-Star – LAMY T10 fountain pen refills
LAMY Safari – LAMY T10 fountain pen refills
LAMY Vista – LAMY T10 fountain pen refills
LAMY Joy Fountain Pen – LAMY T10 fountain pen refills
Pilot Metropolitan – Pilot Namiki Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges
Kaweco Classic Sport – short standard international cartridges
Kaweco Ice Sport – short standard international cartridges
Pelikan Pelikano – short standard international cartridges and Pelikan 4001 Giant universal cartridges
Pelikan Pelikano Jr. – short standard international cartridges and Pelikan 4001 Giant universal cartridges
Platinum Plaisir – Platinum fountain pen ink refills 10 pack or 2 pack
Platinum Preppy – Platinum fountain pen ink refills 10 pack or 2 pack

Our blog includes articles that are very helpful in explaining ink cartridge use:

Crash Course in Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges
Pelikano Fountain Pen Cartridge Tips

Also worth mentioning – once you start writing with fountain pens you will notice that the kind of paper you write with will matter more than it did before. The type of paper you use will definitely affect your writing experience. To find out why, take a look at this blog article:

What is Fountain Pen Friendly Paper?

If you are left-handed and have noticed that some fountain pens come with left-handed nibs, this article might answer some of your questions:

Do I need a left-handed nib on my fountain pen if I’m a left-handed writer?

So that’s basically it – a pen and some ink are all you really need to try out a fountain pen. If you discover that you like fountain pens and want to expand on the basics, what comes next? This will be the subject of a future blog post.

What was your first fountain pen? Was it love at first write, or did your taste for fountain pens develop slowly? Do you have any suggestions for someone who wants to get their first fountain pen?

June 15, 2011October 21, 2013

What is a Fountain Pen Converter?

(Aurora push-in style piston fountain pen converter)

Those of you that are new to using fountain pens or want to purchase your very first fountain pen may have heard of fountain pen converters but might not know what they are. Do you need one? Should you get one?

Fountain pen converters are designed to be used with fountain pens that are usually filled with ink cartridges. They “convert” these fountain pens from using ink cartridges to using bottled ink instead. The converter has a small reservoir that contains the ink.

The converter can be removed from the fountain pen, so you can still use ink cartridges if you choose. I personally feel that using bottled ink is advantageous because it is cheaper, comes in a wider variety of colors and is easier on the environment (as opposed to throwing away multiple plastic ink cartridges when they become empty). However, ink cartridges are definitely more convenient when you’re on the road.

Push-in style fountain pen converters are pushed on to the nib section of the pen, the same way an ink cartridge would be pushed on to the pen. Screw-in style converters screw on to the nib section of the pen. A previous blog post of ours How to Install a LAMY Converter provides photos and a description of how to attach a push-in style converter to a LAMY Safari fountain pen

(A standard or universal piston converter compared to LAMY and Platinum piston converters)

Many converters are brand-specific, in other words, they are specially made to fit a particular brand or model of fountain pen. Other converters are standard, or universal, and fit the many fountain pens with a standard or universal cartridge filling system. It is often easiest to figure out what kind of converter you need at the time you purchase your fountain pen.

Fountain pen converters have several different types of filling systems including piston, button, and squeeze (aerometric) fill. If you’re having trouble filling your converter with ink you may have to try filling it 2 or 3 times before you get the air bubbles out and get a good fill. How to Fill a Fountain Pen With a Piston Converter provides an example of how to fill a fountain pen using a piston style converter. If you prefer video, LAMY has a video demonstrating how to insert and refill a LAMY fountain pen converter.

Converters, as well as your fountain pen, do need to be cleaned occasionally especially when changing the ink color or brand. Usually cool water is sufficient, but if that doesn’t do the trick try this home-made fountain pen cleaning solution.

Not all fountain pens have ink cartridge filling systems, so not all fountain pens will require a converter. Fountain pens that do not require converters have a piston, aerometric, button or other filling system of their own. What kind of filling system do you like on your fountain pen?

(Pilot Prera fountain pen with a Pilot push-in style piston converter)

August 11, 2009October 21, 2013

How to Fill a Fountain Pen With a Piston Converter

Take the cap off the fountain pen and remove the barrel by unscrewing the pen. Attach the piston converter to the pen if it isn’t attached already. You will need a bottle of fountain pen ink with enough ink in it to completely immerse the nib of the pen.

Immerse the nib in the bottle of ink and twist the top of the converter counterclockwise to move the piston down and to force the air out of the converter.

Turn the top of the converter clockwise to move the piston in an upwards direction and to begin filling the converter with ink. Be sure that the nib is entirely submerged in the ink!

Be patient and wait for a little while before removing the nib from the ink to allow the converter to fill completely.

December 30, 2008October 21, 2013

How to Install a LAMY Converter

The LAMY converter has been carefully designed to help it stay securely attached to your LAMY fountain pen. When used correctly, this can help prevent accidents from leaking ink.

LAMY converter – notice the 2 small plastic nubs in this picture – one pointing up and the other pointing down.

The converter can fit in the pen with the nubs facing this way, but this does not help to secure the converter.

The nubs are designed to fit into these slots on the main part of the pen. This helps to keep the converter securely in place.

LAMY pen with converter securely in place.