Sunday, December 12, 2010
Getting the most ink into your fountain pen
Link to YouTube for more viewing options.
Have you ever wished that your fountain pen would last longer on one ink-up? That maybe you could just fit a little more ink in there? You just might be able to. This is a little tip I use when inking up my pen to get the most into the pen as I can, that way it'll be longer before I need to re-ink. I hope you find it helpful!
Do you already do something like this? How does it work for you?
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Small point, but I just tap the back of the converter/feed against a table to jiggle the air up into the feed. Doesn't create as much of a mess as shaking the thing side to side, especially with the inks that have higher surface tension.
ReplyDeleteIf you can spring for one, the Visconti Traveling Inkpot makes it very easy, and very cleanly to fill the whole pen. I use it mainly for integrated filling systems, but have used it with success with some CC pens.
ReplyDeleteI use a syringe to fill my converters as well as recycled carts. I guess in doing that I am essentially not loading up the feed with ink as well, but I have yet to go through a whole cart or converter of ink before wanting to switch colors, so it is not a huge issue for me. I just find using the syringe to fill is far less messy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip here, Brian. Something that was once recommended to me by Osamu Ishimaru, longtime ink blender for Sailor Jentle Ink—For a better fill of ink converters, piston fillers, or otherwise, a slooooow turning of the piston will almost always get better results. Heard the same from an old friend who has taught me a lot about fountain pens.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting, Brian. This is what I do, as well.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should post this video around the forums.
Sometimes CC's get bad comments based on ink capacity, and I'm sure that most people who are not happy with their CC ink capacity are not aware of this technique.
Thanks for the tip - will definitely try this out next time I can find an empty pen :-D
ReplyDeleteThe simplest way, in my experience, to get maximum capacity AND get ink in the feed (to make it write right away):
ReplyDelete1) With the converter in the pen, suck some ink into the converter from the ink bottle. Then empty it.
2) Remove the converter.
2) Fill the converter straight from the bottle, that will give you almost 100% ink and no air in the converter. Reinsert the converter. You are ready to write!
Rita
That's another great tip Rita. I didn't do it this way because I also wanted it to be useful if filling with piston-fill pens too. The trick of removing the converter and filling it straight from the bottle does work well, except in the tall and skinny bottles (like Noodler's, Diamine, etc) when the ink level gets below half. Then the converter's just not long enough on its own to reach the ink.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous and I are on the same page. I always remove the converter to refill the pen. I am so new at this I didn't know any different. In fact, I was going to get on FPN and ask how do you get to the bottom of an ink container with a converter LOL. Sort of like the owl and the tootsie roll pop. lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great video Brian. I do something simialr and have tried to explain it on FPN but a video si so much better.
ReplyDeleteTony
Tony, feel free to share the video. You can fairly easily embed the video right into a post on FPN.
ReplyDeleteWilson, talking about getting the ink out of the bottom of the bottle is a whole other video in itself. I think that's a great idea for a future Ink Blot!
re: getting ink from the bottom of the bottle.
ReplyDeleteI tend to pour ink into little vials. This also helps to prevent contamination.
Brian Goulet said...
ReplyDelete"That's another great tip Rita. I didn't do it this way because I also wanted it to be useful if filling with piston-fill pens too."
I never thought of that because I haven't had problems with piston fillers in this sense. But if I ever do, I'll know how to solve them after this tip!
Rita
I have actually found that I can get a really full converter by just emptying the converter out a time or two while filling and by turning the converter knob sloooowly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great video Brian. I do something simialr and have tried to explain it on FPN but a video si so much better.
ReplyDeleteTony
That's another great tip Rita. I didn't do it this way because I also wanted it to be useful if filling with piston-fill pens too. The trick of removing the converter and filling it straight from the bottle does work well, except in the tall and skinny bottles (like Noodler's, Diamine, etc) when the ink level gets below half. Then the converter's just not long enough on its own to reach the ink.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip here, Brian. Something that was once recommended to me by Osamu Ishimaru, longtime ink blender for Sailor Jentle Ink—For a better fill of ink converters, piston fillers, or otherwise, a slooooow turning of the piston will almost always get better results. Heard the same from an old friend who has taught me a lot about fountain pens.
ReplyDeleteI'm having exactly this problem with a platinum music nib pen. I'm going to try Rita's method now.
ReplyDeleteYup, that'll do it too. Every now and then I get a pen that just doesn't want to top off with this method, plus I don't always have the patience to turn the piston slowly ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Platinum Music Pen uses the same converter I use in this video, it should work well for you :)
ReplyDelete