The Best Eye Dropper Fountain Pen

[brahmam]

The advantage with eyedroppers lie in their great ink holding capacity. However, the downside is that shake them and you would have blobs of ink splashed all around. However, there are some great eye-droppers our there, especially those made in Japan, such as Pilot which have a great slosh resistance. Eye-droppers made in India, such as Ratman, Brahmam, Deccan and Guider have nice flow, but unfortunately, they come with pathetic feeders and less than perfect hand made nibs (gold ones). They splash as the ink within the barrel sloshes. Here is the question guys:

1. Which do you think is your preferred eye-dropper?

2. What are the metrics that you had considered?

3. What is your stipulation/specification for a perfect eye-dropper?

 

Thanks and regards,

[stevlight]

MY best eyedroppers are my Edison Herald Grandes and my Bexley 58--great flow no sploshes of ink.

[Scriptorium Pens]

I only have 2 eyedroppers, and I love them both - Edison Huron and Lamy 2000, which came to me already converted to an ED. I once let the ink level get too low in the Huron and it leaked out into the cap, so I think an ink window would be a real plus for an ED. The Lamy has never leaked or blobbed.

[hari317]

 

1. Which do you think is your preferred eye-dropper?

 

This one: Link

[Namo]

I love Indian ED, and they are not as bad as you think: all you have to do is be carefull with inklevel. Mine got a vintage Pelikan nib and feed and works perfectly, although it is better not to shake it all around.

I think the Delta Dolce Vita Oversize is one of the best ED on the market. The feed is so hudge that the chances it splashes is null. And it is a real advantage that it can be use as a standard c/c filler.

And of course, Danitrio makes wonderful ED. The valve is a nice feature when travailling around, but I wonder up to what point it is useful - maybe to prevent ink from evaporating? - as mine never splashed. Danitrio behave incredibly well.

 

Chears, and long life to ED fillers!

[Brian C]

1. Which do you think is your preferred eye-dropper?

This one: Link

+1 Hari Edited March 9, 2011 by heraclitus682

[USMCMom]

I have several Wality Airmail EDs and haven't had issues with any of them. They behave beautifully and hold a lot of ink. Because the ink level can be so easily seen, there's no problem with refilling when the ink level is very low. Refilling at that point, for me, would happen with a converter or cartridge as well if I wanted to continue to use the pen. I'm very pleased with my Airmail EDs.

[rockydoggy]

I have a few Walitys and they're generally fine--I've got one inked now; I esp like the nibs. However, by far my favorite eyedroppers are two Recife Crystal pens. I got one back in the 80s, I think, and it's still going strong. I got the other one cheap off eBay last year (it has an interesting pattern of textured circles on the barrel). I've never had one of the Recifes misbehave on me.

[rwilsonedn]

I have never had difficulty with a Deccan eyedropper, even if I write it completely dry. In my experience other Indian pens require more care. But it appears that some Indian manufacturers are starting to import Chinese nibs and feeds in place of their more traditional locally-made feeds. That could change things a lot.

ron

[RedSox04]

a bump for a cool topic.

 

I like the Edison pens. Really want a Mina Extended...soon, soon!

[FP Writing]

I just fill the Kaweco Blue demo barrel with ink

And it is ready to go as an eye dropper.

The nib section insert is designed such that it does not leak even without silicone grease

 

[greencobra]

Having several ED's currently and having owned several more that don't live with me any more, my favorite and the one that impresses me the most, and overwhelms most novice FP handlers is the Danitro Mikado. Not an Indian pen but it is my current fav and my idea of the best ED. Holds a vast quanity of ink. The shutoff is extremely reliable and creates a good seal, the joint where the section/nib seperates from the body is another reliable seal point. I've never had the pen burp or discharge unwanted ink at any time, and starts right up every time and writes as well as any pen out there. When you screw the cap on I swear it's leakproof....period....and so airtight it would float forever. Beautiful and simple to look at too.

[jde]

Four of my pens are eyedroppers; 2 Danitrios and 2 Edisons. (If I count my 1 highlighting pen and 2 Wet-dry erase pens... there are 7 total. oh my)

 

 

I like that they hold a lot of ink and that the filling mechanism is so simple. Uh... just unscrew the barrel, drop in ink, and close it up with some silicon grease. No issues with leakage or burping of any kind. I write with a tank until it is dry... that is, when the pen suddenly becomes 'hard starting' I know the ink is gone. Works for moi.

 

The best one is the one you use, IMHO.

[RedSox04]

The Mikado is pretty damn expensive.

 

So it looks like there are not many pens out there designed as eyedroppers (like the Mikado is)?

[Thornton]

I use a Conway Stewart 37 which was designed as a modern day eyedropper. A huge feed to prevent splashes, but it will leak if the ink level gets too low.

[carlc]

Conway Stewart 37 - limited edition made for Andy's pens last year.

 

Not cheap - but a purpose built eyedropper.

 

The other is (was) a Pilot 'Tank' Eyedropper - purpose built - same nib as the 78G, very cheap (at least the one I bought a few years ago from FPN was) but sadly it has started to 'burp' and even drip - I'm not sure why (it never did in the past). I'm now trying different inks to get it to behave like it used to. Sadly you don't see them around much.

[RedSox04]

It sounds like the ED scene is pretty limited. A good eyedropper with a gold nib will shoot the price way up.

 

As for steel, the Edisons are a great value it seems. I like the idea of ED more than piston (I like to know what's going on in the pen without taking it apart)

[zenshrink]

Danitrio Mikado

Conway Stewart 37

Bexley 58

[Parse Error]

The Platinum Preppy isn't half bad for what it is -- they last about half a year each and have really nice flow (on the wet side) and never leak.

[kiavonne]

Danitrio Mikado

Danitrio Densho

Danitrio Genkai

 

I own pens of each model. I like the Japanese safety eyedropper pens. There is a safety valve to prevent leaking. Perfect for me.

 

The only other eyedropper I use at the moment is the Noodler's eyedropper pen that came with my bottle of Kung Te Cheng. The ink is so picky and particular, and it seems to work best from this pen (though believe me, I tried it in others). Every Preppy I had that was converted to an eyedropper leaked, and thus I don't like Preppy pens at all.

 

I'm not of fan of converting c/c pens to eyedroppers, I don't like messing with silicon grease or o-rings or the like, just to have a pen leak anyway because the heat from my hand makes the ink expand in the barrel and blob by overrunning the nib. It's the reason I don't try to convert either of my Edison pens.