Help Choosing A Cartridge Ink?

[keepitfresh]

My friend got me a very cute little A.G. Spalding and Bros. mini fountain pen. I tried to find a converter, but from what I found, it seems like there's no converters available for this particular model. If that is so, I'm in need of some assistance choosing a cartridge ink. I have no experience with cartridges, except for the ones that are included with the new pens I've bought (which I think hardly counts), and I have all bottled ink. I have generice blacks and blues in all my other pens, so I thought maybe it would be nice to go with an unconventional color of sorts, but I'm really not sure what I'm looking for (except that it has to be a European sized cartridge). So, if anyone has any suggestions for a brand, color or anything and a brief description or even a link to a review would be absolutely perfect! Thanks in advanced!

[Uncle Red]

Oh, cartridges aren't reviewed much around here. I tried PR velvet Black, American Blue and Midnight Blues in cartridges and the vb bottled version too. the velvet Black bottle and cartridge varied a lot and the Midnight Blues didn't have the water resistance that the bottled version showed in reviews, I wouldn't use a review of a bottled ink as an example of the cartridge ink in general. Levenger inks are supposed to be consistant between bottle and cartridge but the carts are pricey. Nice colors though. I also tried Kaweco Black, Blue and Blue-Black. The Black is nice and black, water resistant and a little wet. I'm finishing out these carts. The Blue-Black is more blue-grey and does look a bit like an iron-gall ink without any of that chemistry, it's drier than the Black, I may finish the carts. The Blue looked light and purple for a while and then darkened up. Not my favorite. Some of the other Kaweco inks are reviewed here and they only market ink in cartridges so that might help you.

[celesul]

If you can use an international cartridge, you can use an international converter unless the barrel is just too small. If you're worried about the converter fitting, the Monteverde mini converter and the Tryphon Bantam converter are both very tiny.

 

Actually answering your question, I like the Diamine inks I've used! They're super pretty, and behave fairly nicely.

[Surnia]

Aren't the AG Spalding ones from Sailor, or am I thinking about the little cat version? if it is, then it'll only take the sailor carts and converters...

[Randal6393]

Best bet: buy a syringe or two and refill your cartridges with ink you know you like already. Easy to do and quick. If you use Gummy-tack to seal the cartridge, you can take an extra one or two along as well.

 

Enjoy,

[swanjun]

Best bet: buy a syringe or two and refill your cartridges with ink you know you like already. Easy to do and quick.

 

I have a Sheaffer school pen that takes international-sized cartridges but has a barrel too small for a converter (though I'm going to check on the ones mentioned above!) and have used the syringe-fill method without any problems at all. You can get ink syringes at Goulet Pens for just a couple of dollars.

 

That said, I do have a lot of cartridges of J. Herbin and Private Reserve ink, and in some fun hues, as well. I got the former from Writer's Bloc and the latter from Pen Boutique.

[Chrontius]

http://www.vivapen.com/viewpro.html?id=164

 

Vivapen cartridges may be rebranded Sheaffer Skrip, and may be the bulk cartridges sold on eBay for a few fourteen cents a pop in heat sealed baggies of 100 or so.

 

If that's the turquoise I think it is, I highly recommend it.

 

Aha, link!