Cartridge Or Converter?

To cartridge or converter? That is the question...

Whether it is nobler to quickly change one's ink when it runs empty, or to refill it using bottled ink.

Many times you will hear of a fountain pen commonly offered with the cartridge/converter filling system. This means that the fountain pen can either accept disposable ink cartridges or use the refillable, screw-type converter that can draw ink from a bottle.

My intention of this article is to pit both options against each other and see which would triumph gloriously. Kidding. The idea is to show you the benefits/drawbacks of either ink refill method, what types of writers it would benefit, and you can determine what works best for you. Whether you prefer the convenience of cartridges or the tradition of bottled ink, shop fountain pens that cater to your writing style and needs.

Benefits & Drawbacks of Using Ink Cartridges

Ink cartridges seem innocent enough, don't they? Most of them are these cute little tubes, maybe 1 1/2 inches long and usually come in packs of 5 or 6. While there is an "international" size like the Pelikan mini cartridges you see below, you do have to confirm if your fountain pen uses proprietary cartridges designed to fit only their particular pens. To help you find the correct-fitting cartridges and converter, please reference our cartridge/converter compatability guide.

Cartridges are, by far, the easiest between the two fountain pen refill options. They are fully supplied with ink, so when you pop that sucker into the front section of your fountain pen and hear the satisfying snap of the insert being pierced, you know you are moments away from writing the Great American Novel, or signing your expense reports, or writing a passive aggressive note for the noisy neighbor upstairs.

No mess filling your pen, but it does take a few moments to get that ink into the feed and to the point. To juice the process, I usually like to give the ink cartridge a gentle squeeze with my thumb and forefinger to get the ink down faster. Removal is as easy as plucking out the empty cartridge and throwing it away.

But wait, isn't throwing away the cartridge putting more garbage in landfills? Yes, the drawback of going the cartridge route of filling your fountain pen is that they are disposable, hurting the environment and your wallet at the same time. Buying box after box of cartridges isn't as cost effective as getting bottles of ink. Also, if you limit your fountain pen ink color selection to cartridges only, you're missing out on the entire spectrum of fountain pen ink available on the market. Most manufacturers will simply offer cartridges in standard blue, black and blue-black, while their selection of bottled inks will have every color "under the rainbow."

Consider Ink Cartridges to Refill Your Fountain Pen if...

  • You are short on time and like to use the same ink in your pen.
  • You do most of your writing while traveling or commuting and cartridges are most convenient to refill when you're out and about.
  • You use pocket pens that don't have a full-size converter option anyway.
  • Your fountain pen's converter option is terrible (I'm looking at you CON-40)
  • You prefer reusing ink cartridges by syringe-filling them.

 

Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Converters

Converters are the modern compromise between the traditional bottle-filling systems of old with the industrialized notion of interchangeable parts. Without going into a whole historical tangent, the converter's purpose is to allow the user to fill their fountain pen in an old-fashioned way without having to worry about delicate pen repair down the road.

You simply insert the converter in the same manner you would a cartridge. Seat it properly into the front section of the pen. Then, submerge the nib and feed into your bottle of fountain pen-friendly ink. Screw the black knob clockwise to draw ink up through the nib into the converter's ink chamber. Screw anti-(counter)clockwise to expel the contents (air, ink or water) out of the converter. This may take several twists up-and-down to get the proper suction, making sure all of the air is removed from the converter and that you are drawing up only ink. Filling via converter is a process that takes several tries to get a handle on it and novices are sure to get their fingers inky at first. Heck, I still get inky sometimes.

There are two main "draws" with a converter: one is the actual process itself. It may be nostalgic for some, while many also experience a sense of being deliberate and caring for your writing implement. With so many of our modern consumer items being disposable, it is a nice change-of-pace to actually take the time and fill your fountain pen, getting it ready to meet the day's tasks head-on!

The second point is that it is more cost-effective to fill from an ink bottle than it is to continually buy cartridges. By the time you are buying package after package of disposable ink cartridges that last a few months, you could have had a whole collection of modestly priced ink bottles to last you a few years. There are online communities like /r/Pen_Swap on Reddit that encourage ink swapping or ink sampling, which would mean getting small 2 mL samples of different brands, hues and formulas of ink to find one that you really would love to get a bottle of.

The intimidating part of using the converter over a cartridge is the potentially messy process. The closest activity I can relate it to is changing the oil on your car. It is far more satisfying to do the job yourself, but you need to take time and get a little messy to accomplish. Taking the car to Lube 'N Go will be more expensive, but far less effort involved. If the oil came in different colors, which would change the colors of your exhaust, now we'd be much closer to the experience of filling a fountain pen.

Consider Using a Converter to Refill Your Fountain Pen if...

  • You love sampling a wide array of fountain pen inks and often change the ink color in your pen.
  • You prefer the cost-effectiveness of bottled ink over purchasing cartridges.
  • You enjoy the sense of ownership that comes with maintaining your fountain pen.
  • You want to minimize the ecological impact of your writing hobby.

Which is the best refill option for you?

Most pen manufacturers offer both the converter and one ink cartridge with the purchase of a new fountain pen for the same reason that both Jiffy Lube and Advance Auto Parts are around. There are people who prefer to be more hands-on, while there are others who want to keep things simple. It really depends on the effort of the individual. Not that I'm saying people who use ink cartridges are lazy, they just would rather concentrate their daily efforts elsewhere. People who like filling their fountain pen with a converter want to invest themselves in their writing instrument and are willing to take the risk of getting ink on their hands because it is part of the charm, the very reason why they selected a fountain pen to write with in the first place.

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