Post #1523307
2026-04-22 12:19 UTC
Replies (19)
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@samebchase@fantastic.earth 2026-04-22 12:30
@TimmyMac@social.vivaldi.net I personally prefer pens with a piston filling mechanism like say the TWSBI Diamond 580. Piston converters are fine, but have a lower capacity. Not a fan of cartridges, but they can be refilled and carried along, so when on the go that can save you from having to carry a bottle of ink.
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@RLRVivaldi@social.vivaldi.net 2026-04-22 12:23
@TimmyMac either way is fine (converter or refill cartridges) but using the converter gets you writing more quickly as the feed is filled.
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@backtoanalog@mastodon.social 2026-04-22 12:25
@TimmyMac Normally, a cartridge will hold more ink than a converter. However, with the converter it is more convenient to fill from a bottle and you'll be able to write with your pen immediately. My preference is a converter, just not the bladder one because of the points you mentioned. You probably can get a piston converter for your pen. I am guessing you have a Pilot MR pen, so Con-40 is the converter that will fit.
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@RobinMarx@wandering.shop 2026-04-22 12:26
@TimmyMac Refill cartridges are quick and easy if you like the available ink colors. If you want to use fancy inks (I like Pilot’s Iroshizuku ink), a converter is usually necessary. I use both.
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@amanjeev@cosocial.ca 2026-04-22 12:30
@TimmyMac converters for me. cartridges are wasteful. cartridges also do not usually come for inks i want or are harder to find. lastly, and rather facetiously, if you don’t fill ink in your converters and get your fingers the ink color on them are you even using a fountain pen? 😂
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@kensanata@tabletop.social 2026-04-22 12:31
@TimmyMac Refill cartridges are cheap, practical, clean, quick to change, and leave a bit of plastic. The piston converter implies an inkpot made of glass, fancy ink, a messy blow out and washing of the fountain pen, a messy refill procedure, and all of that. So if you want to just write, use the cartridges. Currently I use a piston converter and I am not convinced.
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@KatS@chaosfem.tw 2026-04-22 12:34
@TimmyMac If you're refilling cartridges then you can use bottled ink, just like with piston converters, so it's a wash on that front. I like the convenience of piston fillers, but then I also stick with the same ink in a given pen for long periods. When the converter's close to empty, I just refill without any additional fuss. The reverse flow involved in sucking ink into the pen also helps clean the system, so you can go for longer periods without disassembling and cleaning. My partner's prone to switching colours, so quite likes the flexibility of syringe-filling a cartridge.
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@teadrinker@aus.social 2026-04-22 12:37
@TimmyMac I have a Pilot with a bladder and a Lamy that uses a slidey thing to siphon up the ink. The Lamy is less messy but tbh I'm just a complete goblin when it comes to refilling my fountain pens so I just embrace the inkiness. It washes off eventually ;) I also have cartridges and I don't think I've noticed much difference in the volume. Just make sure you're squeezing in the bladder fully before you submerge it in the bottle and I reckon it should fill up completely. Someone else mentioned the Pilot Iroshizuku ink and if you've not discovered that yet, wowee, you're in for a treat because it is DIVINE.
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@spacekatia@girlcock.club 2026-04-22 12:37
@TimmyMac i love piston converters but honestly they are never aseasy and reliable as i want them to be and i end up refilling cartriges anyway i'm using (and reusing) 1 ml syringes and blunt needles marketed for refilling vapes (cause those were cheapest when i went looking a few years ago)
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@jimp@masto.ai 2026-04-22 12:42
@TimmyMac I prefer converters since I can fill them as much or as little as needed and they're usually easy to clean. You can see the ink level clearly, and less messy than syringe filling. More options than cartridges. I figured you had a Pilot Metropolitain based on that alone, and I see you confirmed that already. The CON-40 is awful, but there are other options that fit the MR. https://masto.ai/@jimp/115725173404088760 https://penfount.ink/alternatives-con-40/
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@JillsJoy@NerdJoy.social 2026-04-22 12:54
@TimmyMac I am only about a year in to using fountain pens. I first tried a plunger converter, but then dropped it in the ink bottle and I can't fish it out yet. 😅 I was intimidated by the idea of a syringe, but have found it much less messy, and very easy to refill a cartridge with a different ink. Cartridges themselves are very easy to use. I recently bought a piston pen as I was fascinated by the mechanics. Refilling a cartridge with a syringe is my favorite, so far. #FountainPen
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@Steveg58@aus.social 2026-04-22 13:00
@TimmyMac I do both depending on the circumstances. I usually put a refilled cartridge straight in a pen once I have filled it but other people seal them with something like Blu-Tack for later use. You can't re-use a cartridge forever. They will eventually become loose or the collar will split and ink will spill. And yeah, the squeeze converters are pitiful. Pilot are about the only people who still use them. Piston converters still only hold a tiny amount of ink ... If you really want ink go for a cheap piston filler or vacuum filler. A cheap solution but needing more care is an eyedropper pen. You can find out more about these options online.
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@jamesnvc@social.occasionallycogent.com 2026-04-22 13:13
@TimmyMac I’m guessing it’s a Pilot with a Con-B converter? If so, the Con-40 piston style one is widely disliked too and the Con-70 doesn’t fit in all pens. Using blunt syringe to refill empty cartridges is indeed a good technique, that’s what my dad always does. I personally just used the bladder style converter when I had a pen with one. You certainly can syringe-fill the converter too, to be sure how much ink you have in there; just remember if you fill that up way, the feed won’t be primed, so you’ll have to wait a moment (or give the bladder a GENTLE squeeze) to let the ink work its way through the feed to be ready to write.
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@arestelle@dice.camp 2026-04-22 13:42
@TimmyMac I like to use a converter. Have never tried refilling a cartridge (have never used up a cartridge and it seems like it would be harder to clean when I want to change inks, but again, never tried). I avoid Noodler’s, as do many others, fwiw. Notoriously inconsistent and the guy behind them has made some pretty gross moves. (I use a lot of Diamine, Pilot Iroshizuku, Birmingham Pen Co, and a couple others)
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@Myotis_cuniculus@flipping.rocks 2026-04-22 14:23
@TimmyMac i hate the bladder type converter my Pilot uses; and the second time I used it, it broke! But I wanted ink in it (i had some pilot iroshi-somethingIcantspell cartridges) and so I took and empty one, that I had rinsed out - first with tap water then with filtered water to make sure no big particles stuck - and saved for exactly this, filled it with a syringe and popped it in. I used an actual syringe cauze I have a few around and i keep a few for non medical. Tldr yea if you have a cartridge just rinse it save it use it. Ive been known to empty a blue or black platinum cartridge to use something else too. I make a habit of keeping empty cartridges as i do find them way nicer than some converters. The only converter I really like the kaweco sport one - old style without folding knob thing. Most else I wont buy the $15 converter, Ill just use the cartridge it came with and syringe fill it with whatever ink I want. Clean between each color change and let dry and youre good.
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@greg@cloudisland.nz 2026-04-22 21:49
@TimmyMac I like piston converters for the flexibility around ink selection and it’s a bit easier to top up from time to time rather than waiting for the cart to run out. I used a couple of disposable cartridges but found the inks limited. Big fan of Wearingeul ink too, should you be looking.
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@ledo06@piaille.fr 2026-04-23 11:23
@TimmyMac piston converters and refilling cartridges are equally fine. The latter avoids inky fingers and allow easier access to nearly empty bottles
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@Archergal@wandering.shop 2026-04-23 13:50
@TimmyMac My pref is to get a blunt syringe (sold at most pen shops) and fill the converter/cartidge with them. Then squirt a little ink on the feed.
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@M0CUV@mastodon.radio 2026-04-24 07:35
@TimmyMac @samebchase pistons over cartridges every time - choose your ink rather than constraining your choices. Was forever refilling bladders.