Cartridge or Bottle

[silhouette]

Cartridges, my parents won't let me buy bottled ink.

Why not?

 

Because I'm awfully clumsy. I'd probably spill the bottle.

[Spector]

I am pretty new to the fountain pen scene but I like the bottles because they add a sense of novelty and are also a lot more economical than cartridges especially from Lamy.

[ddickenson]

Cartridges definitely! All kinds of them: .22, 9mm, .40, .357, .38, 7.62x39, .308. Alas, they don't fit to the pen. For the pen God gave us all kinds of bottles :roflmho:

 

 

Love it! Although you missed my favorite .45!

 

Gotta throw in my vote for bottle though for my pens... that is unless I could find one of those pen guns from the spy movies!

[AndreaDuni]

Cartridges, my parents won't let me buy bottled ink.

Why not?

 

Because I'm awfully clumsy. I'd probably spill the bottle.

 

The only way to fight your clumsiness is to try and try and try to do everything you think is impossible for you. You should buy an ink bottle by yourself and if you spill the bottle you should wash the clothes by yourself.

[drej16]

For me, it really makes no difference, I love them all. I have some pens that only take cartridges and I love the way that they write. I have some that are good old lever fills and love them, several that can do either. and have used both in them and I also have several that are dip style glass pens which I seem to use more and more when I am in a writing mood, something about the nostalgia that really draws me to them.

[Yuki Onitsura]

Cartridges, my parents won't let me buy bottled ink.

Why not?

 

Because I'm awfully clumsy. I'd probably spill the bottle.

 

The only way to fight your clumsiness is to try and try and try to do everything you think is impossible for you. You should buy an ink bottle by yourself and if you spill the bottle you should wash the clothes by yourself.

 

Hell, I still spill ink from time to time. Just be sure to refill over a sheet of newspaper or at a sink to minimise any damage.

 

Yuki

[sexauerw]

I don't buy a pen because of the way it fills, I buy it because of the way it writes. I know some folks experience flow problems with cartridges and/or converters, but I suspect they are using broader nibs or are writing faster than I do. I usually use fine nibs or, if I am using stubs or italics, I am writing slowly. Also, the only cursive that I remember how to do is my signature; I print everything else. Again, that makes me a little slower. So I don't have any trouble with the feed system keeping up with me even if the pen is a C/C filler.

 

As to ink choices, I'm as likely to refill a cartridge using a syringe as I am to use a converter. I do sometimes use a new cartridge, but that's not a common event.

[Shangas]

Cartridges, my parents won't let me buy bottled ink.

Why not?

 

Because I'm awfully clumsy. I'd probably spill the bottle.

 

The only way to fight your clumsiness is to try and try and try to do everything you think is impossible for you. You should buy an ink bottle by yourself and if you spill the bottle you should wash the clothes by yourself.

 

Hell, I still spill ink from time to time. Just be sure to refill over a sheet of newspaper or at a sink to minimise any damage.

 

Yuki

 

When my parents finally accepted that I was weird as hell and father bought me my first "real" fountain pen...one that filled from a BOTTLE!!...he said I could only fill it on a stable surface with plenty of tissues nearby, or in the kitchen.

[jjdeal]

Yep, bottled ink for me whenever possible

[Possum Hill]

 

When my parents finally accepted that I was weird as hell and father bought me my first "real" fountain pen...one that filled from a BOTTLE!!...he said I could only fill it on a stable surface with plenty of tissues nearby, or in the kitchen.

It is every parent's duty to instill in his offspring an appropriate degree of paranoia.

[wiseguyh]

I have spent most of my life with cartridges because of the convenience, lower mess and poor design/capacity of most converters.

But two things recently changed. First it the incredible selection available from Noodlers and Private Reserve. Yes, I know PR makes cartiridges and I have some, but they don't fit a VP. Second it the ease of filling and huge capacity of piston fillers.

I'm now a convert.

[djpyle]

Cartridges, my parents won't let me buy bottled ink.

Why not?

Because I'm awfully clumsy. I'd probably spill the bottle.

The only way to fight your clumsiness is to try and try and try to do everything you think is impossible for you. You should buy an ink bottle by yourself and if you spill the bottle you should wash the clothes by yourself.

Hell, I still spill ink from time to time. Just be sure to refill over a sheet of newspaper or at a sink to minimise any damage.

 

Yuki

When my parents finally accepted that I was weird as hell and father bought me my first "real" fountain pen...one that filled from a BOTTLE!!...he said I could only fill it on a stable surface with plenty of tissues nearby, or in the kitchen.

The kitchen is the only place I trust myself to do refills. I inevitably spill at least a drop or two. I thought that was part of the fun.

[wallylynn]

Because I'm awfully clumsy. I'd probably spill the bottle.

The only way to fight your clumsiness is to try and try and try to do everything you think is impossible for you. You should buy an ink bottle by yourself and if you spill the bottle you should wash the clothes by yourself.

 

Try to get permission for a bottle of Lamy ink. You can start with their washable blue. The T52 50ml bottles are rock stable with lots of heavy glass and a wide base. You have to try hard to knock it over while filling. If the clumsiness is in general, well, it won't matter if it's an ink bottle or a cup of coffee.

 

Sometimes I imagine spilling ink so I have an excuse to buy more.

[silhouette]

By the way, I walked into a door yesterday.

I imagine that the bottle of ink will cause some sort of terrible accident

All joking aside, your advice is good. I think I will search for the washable blue Lamy ink.

[PianoMan14]

I prefer bottle because there are so many more color choices out there with bottle inks...plus I just like the idea of using bottled ink.

Those are my thoughts pretty much word for word.

 

As well as a generally larger ink capacity than cartridges (except when using a converter)

[weightofyourskin]

No difference to me. If I like a pen and its is a fantastic writer, and looks and feels good, then the fact that it may be cartridge only makes no difference to me. Also I've become fairly proficient in the use of converters so I still get the ink variety.

 

This! When I'm buying a pen, whether it only uses cartridges or requires bottle-filling is the last question I ask. That and I only use Herbin or Waterman inks (not because I don't like other brands, but because I want to use up a bottle or two before I explore any other brands) and as far as I know, neither company has any ink that's bottle-only.

 

I use fountain pens to write course notes and tests, so cartridges are just a lot more practical than bottled ink for my purposes, but at home it could go either way.

[Fuddlestack]

What's the attitude of airline security staff to a bottle of ink in your briefcase? As opposed to cartridges?

[Fuddlestack]

By the way, I walked into a door yesterday.

I imagine that the bottle of ink will cause some sort of terrible accident

All joking aside, your advice is good. I think I will search for the washable blue Lamy ink.

 

Yesterday afternoon I refilled my CS with Diamine Saddle Brown. Last night I was in a meeting, amongst folk who know that I have two new, untrained, Labrador pups. They looked at my fingers and made wry faces.

 

Washable is good.

Edited February 24, 2010 by Fuddlestack

[beelzebub23]

I have only tried bottled ink, never tried cartridges. Using bottled ink makes me feel proud though for some reason.

[PigRatAndGoat]

Bottle only for me. Besides cost, it's not as satisfying or as authentic feeling as filling a fountain pen from a bottle.