A solution for Early Capless & Pilot Double Spare pens

[kamakura-pens]

Hey Guys,

Just about every week I receive an e-mail or call from someone who bought an early Capless or some other 1960’s Pilot pen from some other seller, and is dismayed to find that the modern Pilot cartridges or converters do not fit his pen.

 

Most vintage Pilots like the Elites and Customs will accept the modern cartridges with no problems, but in the mid 1960’s Pilot launched its Double Spare campaign. The marketing idea was…well imagine you are taking an important test and you start to panic because your pen is running dry. Then you relax because you know that you have a Pilot Double Spare pen. You simply disassemble the pen and invert the double cartridge. Now you can finish your test and enter the University of your Dreams. If you had been using some other pen, say like a Platinum, you would have failed the test and made minimum wage for the rest of your life.

 

Yes, Pilots idea was to have two small ink cartridges connected by a small metal joiner. As you can imagine, the idea was a flop. Platinum was marketing extra long cartridges so that you wouldn’t need to change them as often. Your pen wouldn’t go dry during that test, so you wouldn’t need to disassemble your pen in the middle of your test. Pilot quickly abandoned the idea and restarted making their original carts, just like the ones they sell today.

 

The only problem now is that the Double Spare cartridges used a different size than the usual carts, and since Pilot stopped making these cartridges decades ago, you have to jump through some hoops in order to use these vintage pens.

 

I was lucky enough to find a large stockpile of these cartridges a while back. Since Japanese stationary stores couldn’t sell these cartridges any more, often they simply gave them to me. I usually include a box of these when I sell one of these pens. Another trick has been to take the nipple of one of the old cartridges and use a plastic welder to marry it to a modern Pilot converter. I know that sounds a little lame, but I have made hundreds of these converters for my customers, who have been delighted with them.

 

However, I just learned that a modern Sailor converter will fit most of the tall double spare pens, and even some of the Capless pens. Perhaps some of you guys already knew this, but it was a bit of a surprise to me, and now I won’t have to use my welder as much. I hope this information will come in handy for you sometime.

 

Below are some of the pens that take the Pilot Double Spare ink

http://www.kamakurapens.com/FPN/PilotDoubleSpare2.jpg

 

 

And here is an image of a Pilot Double Spare pen fit with a new Sailor converter. All ready to write.

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/FPN/PilotDoubleSpare1.jpg

 

 

Stay Well

Dr. Ron Dutcher

Edited April 8, 2008 by kamakura-pens

[haywoody]

Hi Ron,

 

Thanks for the information. I noticed you forgot to mention the Pilot CON-W... it's a CON-20 which fits the old double spare pens. As far as I know they are still available, but I am not so sure.

 

/Woody

[stephenchin]

BIG CAVEAT: based on this posting, I just bought 3 Sailor converters to put into my early capless and double spare pens.

 

And yes, the diameter is identical (to within 2/100's of an inch) to the old Pilot converters. However, be forewarned that the longer length of the Sailor converter makes it unsuitable to many of those older Pilot pens. I own 2 of the pens in the far left of Ron's photo above, as well as several of the 60's early Capless pens on the far right. It's too long for both of those.

 

So...anybody need 3 never used Sailor converters?

 

[kamakura-pens]

BIG CAVEAT: based on this posting, I just bought 3 Sailor converters to put into my early capless and double spare pens.

 

And yes, the diameter is identical (to within 2/100's of an inch) to the old Pilot converters. However, be forewarned that the longer length of the Sailor converter makes it unsuitable to many of those older Pilot pens. I own 2 of the pens in the far left of Ron's photo above, as well as several of the 60's early Capless pens on the far right. It's too long for both of those.

 

So...anybody need 3 never used Sailor converters?

 

 

Hey Stephen,

 

Gosh I am sorry about this. I tested the Sailor converters In the first two pens, and simply assumed that the other double spare pens would fit too. I forgot that the Sailor converter is kind of long, and that the barrels of the other pens might not be long enough for the converters.

 

I feel rather bad about this, and I would be happy to pay for your converters.

 

Send me a PM

 

Stay Well

 

RD

[stan]

Pilot has addressed this problem and makes a 'W' converter that fits in older Vanishing Points. It is a squeeze type converter. Just tried it out and it fits like a glove. It does not show up on their website but, may be available through local dealers. If any need some, please let me know.

 

for those who must have screw type converters, Dillon Ang (dillo) sells modified Sailor converters for use in those Sailor models where the large modern converter cannot be used. Am assuming they can be used in older pens by Pilot too.

 

Regards.

[knewmans]

I have a Pilot Super 300 which I had assumed was a double spare pen; it has an open sided metal tube which fits into the section similar to the cartridge protector in a VP. Having tried a Sailor convertor the Pilot 'nipple' is too big and too small for a modern Pilot convertor. Any ideas?

 

I also have another 300 which is a knock filler which needs a new sac. For fun I tried a Con-20 convertor which seems to fit perfectly and will keep me going.

Thanks

Ken

[stan]

I have a Pilot Super 300 which I had assumed was a double spare pen; it has an open sided metal tube which fits into the section similar to the cartridge protector in a VP. Having tried a Sailor convertor the Pilot 'nipple' is too big and too small for a modern Pilot convertor. Any ideas?

 

I also have another 300 which is a knock filler which needs a new sac. For fun I tried a Con-20 convertor which seems to fit perfectly and will keep me going.

Thanks

Ken

 

 

Your Super 300 might need a W converter which fits pens made for the older small cartridges.

I have a few if interested.

[Bruno Taut]

Hi there,

 

I wanted to revisit this thread because I am encountering this problem myself.

 

Yes, I have just discovered that a Pilot pen i bought over an auction uses the W-converter and it came with none. Following the instructions given by Ron I used a Sailor converter and it worked. My pen seems to be the one he uses to demonstrate the trick --second pic, and second pen from the left on the first picture-- but in stainless steel color, unless there was some light-induced color effect in those pics.

 

So, I am puzzled by the comment by stephenchin saying that in that pen he cannot close the barrel due to the length of the Sailor converter. I had no problem is doing so

 

Anyway, I would like to know if there is still any chance to find a Pilot CON-W Converter and/or a double spare cartridge. The message on the converter are contradictory--some say yes, some say no.

 

Could anyone shed some light on this?

 

Cheers,

 

Io

[AltecGreen]

Pilot still makes the W-Converter although in very small numbers

 

They can be found occasionally on eBay. Just keep your eye open.