Why Is There A Spring In My Cartridge Convertor?

[djunderw]

I received an engraved fountain pen as a birthday gift from my girlfriend who lives in China. The nib is labeled "Genius Iridium Germany". Inside the cartridge convertor, there is an apparently metal spring. The spring moves freely inside the tube. Why is the spring there?

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2012 by djunderw

[tutelman]

Some convertors have flow problems. The spring breaks the surface tension of the ink in the convertor so that it will consistently flow to the nib instead of remaining at the back end of the convertor.

[Ted A]

To break up the surface tension of the ink in the converter. Otherwise, the ink often stays at the top of the converter ( from when you were carrying it nib up) and your feed and then nib go dry. The spring slides in the converter and helps the ink flow down to the feed

[djunderw]

Some convertors have flow problems. The spring breaks the surface tension of the ink in the convertor so that it will consistently flow to the nib instead of remaining at the back end of the convertor.

 

Ahh, I see. Thanks for the information.

[Sasha Royale]

I have the same in mine. Sometimes, it is a little ball. It is not a spring,

rather a coil of wire. I believe it is supposed to break the surface tension

of the ink, so it does not hang at the top of the piston.

 

Does it work ? In my experience, not very well. However, the question remains,

"How bad would it be without the coil or ball ?" At very worse, it's harmless.

 

How do you like the pen ?

Edited December 13, 2012 by Sasha Royale

[djunderw]

How do you like the pen ?

 

Well, because it is a specially engraved gift from my fiancé (I sometimes absent-mindedly still refer to her as my "girlfriend", haha), the pen has high sentimental value to me.

 

Strictly in terms of writing quality and feel in the hand, I would say that it writes rather well for what is presumably a Chinese or Taiwanese fountain pen marketed with a German label--I read that this is probably what it actually is. With moderate pressure, the pen only skips occasionally on long fast strokes and doesn't cause feathering on my Ampad Gold Fiber legal pad using a Pilot Iroshizuku (color "Tsukushi") ink. The only thing I dislike is that the diameter of the barrel is approximately 2-3 millimeters longer than the diameter of the section, which is less than perfectly comfortable to grip.

 

For a relatively inexpensive Asian fountain pen that has not been professionally adjusted, it writes pretty well. The body and nib are quite pretty. And, as I said, to me is has sentimental value.

[RMN]

How do you like the pen ?

 

Well, because it is a specially engraved gift from my fiancé (I sometimes absent-mindedly still refer to her as my "girlfriend", haha), the pen has high sentimental value to me.

 

Strictly in terms of writing quality and feel in the hand, I would say that it writes rather well for what is presumably a Chinese or Taiwanese fountain pen marketed with a German label--I read that this is probably what it actually is. With moderate pressure, the pen only skips occasionally on long fast strokes and doesn't cause feathering on my Ampad Gold Fiber legal pad using a Pilot Iroshizuku (color "Tsukushi") ink. The only thing I dislike is that the diameter of the barrel is approximately 2-3 millimeters longer than the diameter of the section, which is less than perfectly comfortable to grip.

 

For a relatively inexpensive Asian fountain pen that has not been professionally adjusted, it writes pretty well. The body and nib are quite pretty. And, as I said, to me is has sentimental value.

 

Has she stopped being your friend? Or is she no longer a girl???

 

 

By the way, I would like some converters like that. I am always at war with the forces of cohesion and adhesion, resulting in the mentioned dryness of feed and nib...

 

 

D.ick

[djunderw]

Has she stopped being your friend? Or is she no longer a girl???

 

Touché.