Ink piston converter

First Responder Discount. Teacher Discount. Free Shipping. Country of Origin. Product Reviews. Fountain Pen Quiz. Nib Tipping Chart. Fountain How Tos. The suction created on an upward pull causes ink to be drawn into the converter. Most manufacturers supply some form of piston converter which is either a proprietary fit, or matches international standards allowing the converter to be put in any pen that accepts international fittings. You will also find that converters are generally not glued into place, giving you the option to use a cartridge for ink delivery if you wish.

A fountain pen converter is normally filled after it is attached to the pen. With a little practise you'll soon find that filling a converter is a breeze. Here are the steps:. Step 1: Make sure you have some handy kitchen towel ready to clean up any inky mess! Step 2: Screw the plunger up so that it is at the top of the converter, away from the nib. Step 3: Insert the nib and nib section front of the pen into your ink bottle. Make sure the nib and just a little of the nib section is fully submerged in the ink.

Screw the plunger down and squeeze the air out. You'll see bubbles! Step 4: Keeping the nib submerged, screw the plunger so that it moves upward and toward the top of the converter. You should see the converter filling with ink because of the suction that is created. Step 5: If you don't see ink filling the converter or you may be allowing air to enter the converter, keep the nib of the pen submerged and start again from step 2.

You may need to do this a couple of times to get the converter fully loaded with ink! What fountain pen ink is the best for my fountain pen? What fountain pen inks are waterproof? How long does a fountain pen ink cartridge last? Is it OK to fly with a fountain pen?

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How to Use a Fountain Pen Converter. Simple and reliable, piston converters are by far the most common variety, made by virtually every manufacturer from Aurora to Waterman. Piston converters come in different shapes and sizes, but they all work the same way.

Twisting the knob at the end of the converter moves a piston inside the converter up and down, creating a vacuum that draws ink up into the pen. Dip the nib into the ink. Make sure the entire nib is submerged in ink so that the grip section is also touching the ink. Twist the converter knob counterclockwise to lower the piston and expel air from the pen. You should notice air bubbles escaping from the pen as you do this. Twist the converter knob clockwise to raise the piston and draw ink into the pen.

You may notice that some air is still in the converter when the piston is fully raised. That is normal. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the converter is filled with ink or until air bubbles no longer come out of the pen during step 3. Use a paper towel to clean the grip section and absorb any excess ink from the nib. Some piston converters like the Monteverde Mini Converter use a plunger instead of a twist knob to move the piston. Besides that, however, they work exactly the same as any other piston converter.

Squeeze converters can consist of a simple exposed sac, like the Kaweco squeeze converter , or they can be enclosed in a protective case with a bar on the side that squeezes the sac when you press it, like the converter that comes with the Pilot Metropolitan. Squeezing the air out of the sac and then releasing it creates a vacuum that draws ink up into the pen. Squeeze the sac or push-bar as firmly as you can to expel the air from the pen.

Slowly release the converter and wait several seconds for the converter to draw in ink. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until air bubbles no longer come out of the pen during step 3. This is the normal limit to how much ink squeeze converters can typically draw. Push-button converters like the Pilot CON are the least common. They can hold a lot of ink, but they also require more finesse to use and are trickier to clean than other converters. Push and release the button to expel air and draw in ink.

Repeat until the converter is filled with ink or until air bubbles no longer come out of the pen when you push the button. Not all pens are compatible with the same converters. Converter-filled pens can become oversaturated with ink after being filled, causing them to drip ink. If this happens, wrap the nib in a paper towel for several seconds, letting the paper towel soak up ink from the nib. When fresh ink flows to the nib from the converter, it should naturally achieve the correct saturation level until the next time you fill your pen.

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