Anyone Out There Using Cross Cartridges

[vinper]

I realize that using bottled ink gives the user vastly more choices in terms of color, but, as a newcomer to FPs (as an adult) I find I can't get away from the convenience and cleanliness of using cartridges. I remember as a kid in school in the 1950's we all used FPs with the constant mess of refilling the little bladders with bottled ink--when cartridges appeared on the scene they were a godsend. Currently I have Townsend, Century II, Radiance, and a generic type Staples Cross FPs and all perform superbly on plain old Cross blue cartridges, Am I missing something other than wider color choices with bottled ink-or is it a question of tradition? vinper

Edited February 24, 2012 by vinper

[brownargus]

I have used Cross cartridges and their converter which has the advantage of screwing into the section. Cartridges do have the advantage of convenience particularly the back-to-back arrangement used by Cross. But in general I prefer to use a converter (or fill up empty cartridges) because the range of inks is much wider and when you have a favourite ink it can be used across all pens. Unfortunately, the standard international cartridges don't fit Cross pens! There is also a cost issue - ink in bottles is much cheaper than cartridges.

John

[Easterner]

There is, I think, a touch of snobbery involved in that some people do not like cartridges.

I use Cross cartridges and I agree that they are handy and convenient. Their major limitation is, of course, the lack of more than a few ink colors. If one can live with that, there is no problem. But the average FPN person, I believe, cannot.

Neither can I. I refill my Cross cartridges with bottled inks and use Cross converters.

That said, when I am out, I do take a cartridge, Cross pen with a spare cartridge with me as a backup.

[sriramoman]

Cartridges have the convenience factor, but they have a few drawbacks as well.

Firstly, they hold less ink- a cartridge of Cross size holds just enough ink to span five pages of writing. Depending on your profession, you may require more or just less. If you use your instrument as a signature pen, for instance, it may be fine, but if you are a student like me, who has to write 45 sides of examinations in a sprint, it may not serve well.

Secondly, I've read in the instruction manuals of some cartridge/convertor fountain pens (I cannot recall the brand) that the pumping action of converter flushes the pen well, thus it naturally cleans dry feeds and regulates ink flow. However, if you wish to use cartridges forbearing this, you may need to wash up the pen overnight, which I don't feel convenient.

Now, personal preference: I feel that Cross cartridge ink makes the pen skip occasionally, may be my Century II Medium Fountain pen nib doesn't like it much. Moreover I feel its priced too high. I prefer to use other brand inks (Camlin, Bril, Quink) which offer good colors and also at competitive price, and thus I find myself using the converter more often .

[vinper]

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies. I use Cross ballpoints as workhorses and the fountain pens for signatures, brief notes etc. so ink supply and cost are not factors, but if I wanted to use the converters is there a transition process or just replace one with the other? ...any suggestions? vinper

[jslallar]

1. No transition required. Whjen your cartridge finishes just replaceit witrh a converter and fill up.
2. Ink colour choices and drng up of the nk in little used pens are the drawbacks of the cartridges. That is why sriramoman may be having the skipping problem. A good flush is tyhe answer. Filling up with ink automatically flushes to some extent. But with most ink sother than royal blues it is recommded that you flush your pens once a month even if in regular use.
3. Cartridges can be filled by a syringe and sealed with wax (has been explained elsewhere by a member but I do not remember the link right now) so the cost issue and even the colour issue can be circumvented as the ink dosent have to be Cross or even of the same colour if the cartridge has been washed clean.
4. Some cartridges hold more ink than the convertres eg Pilot, Sailor and the small sized Internationlal converter as compared to the Watermen large cartridghes.
5. Lastly there are environmental issues with disposable plastic cartridges.

All in all. Cartridges are best for travel but I would suggest converters for daly use, for economy and for healthier environs.

 

 

[CountryDoc]

I use both cartridges & converters. Cross ink is manufactured by Pelikan, and I like the blue very much. Even when I use a convertor, I find it less messy to refill it with a syringe rather than dipping the nib into the bottled ink.

[professionaldilettante]

I'll use what I can, but I have a preferance with converters since most if not all my ink is in bottles, and I need to go out of my way to get cartridges. I finally saw my first Cross cartridge, and I chuckled, cause there can't be more than 2 ml of ink in that thing. Also, I feel compelled to recycle the plastic, but I don't have to do that with bottled ink.

[Mike Schutz]

I've been using Cross fountain pens for 30 years. I can't recall using a Cross cart. for the last 25 years. They are not convenient compared to the converters, and their capacity and ink selection leaves alot to be desired. I love my Cross fountain pens, but only with the converters.

[Arklawboy]

Good evening. I am a big fan of Townsends (and have several), but only use them with cartridges. While I agree with the other posts that the ink capacity of a cartridge can be troublesome, I do like the convenience of the cartridges (especially when going to court or any other task outside the office) and I like the Cross blue ink color. For me, that is enough. I also tend to rotate the pens that I use. As a result, I may use Townsends for a few days, then move over to a Pelikan or two, then to a Parker, etc. If I used them all day every day, I might feel differently.

 

Moreover, I recently tried to use a converter in one of my Townsends. It was somewhat clumsy (of course, I could have been the clumsy one...) and a bit on the messy side. I also found this to be true with my Parker fountain pens. So, I tend toward the cartridges from having attempted the converter.

 

At the end of the day, I think there is room for both systems and you should use whichever suits your needs most. If there be any snobbery for one over the other, there shouldn't be. The manner of use should be whatever is most functional to you - and isn't that consistent with the simple beauty and functionality of the Townsend?

 

All the best!

 

Chad

[el.Fakir]

I use my Townsends with converter but even when I use a cartridge-only pen (like Montblanc Bohème) I fill the cartridge with a syringe. (I sometimes find it more convenient to fill a converter itself with syringe rather than dipping the pen in ink bottle.)

In any case, whether the pen is cartridge/converter, cartridge-only or piston filler, I can use any ink from bottle and I don't think filling a cartridge with syringe is more cumbersome than filling a piston filler pen. In fact, it's a much more clean method.

[hazcat]

I've reused the same cartridge for several years now in my Solo without which I never leave the house. It is so neat and quick to pop in the extra cartridge that is stored in the barrel when I'm away from home, but I haven't used the spare in years. I refill that same cartridge but flush the pen with a converter once in a while. Right now it has Pelikan 4001 Purple in it.

 

I do prefer to use the converter in my other Cross pens whether they are at home or out with me, but I have the Solo along in case the other pens run out of ink.

[Pierce]

Like any tool the first few times you use it, feels awkward.

 

I cant imagine using a syringe to fill carts because its awkward.

 

In my cross which is a century I think, at school I had to fill every 1.5 days but I got used to filling up every night. But I do remeber going to my locker during class changes to refill a few times.

 

I can understand that dipping the pen to fill and having to clean the nib every time is messy and you have a high chance of getting messy fingers but as they say thats the price of admission.

 

As a recycling europeaner I dont like carts because of the plastic. But I sure can see the reasoning for them.

 

Pierce

[wttlford]

Cross ink in bottles is made by Pelikan, and in cartridges it is made by Chad Labs.

 

 

I use both cartridges & converters. Cross ink is manufactured by Pelikan, and I like the blue very much. Even when I use a convertor, I find it less messy to refill it with a syringe rather than dipping the nib into the bottled ink.

[bicfan]

I realize that using bottled ink gives the user vastly more choices in terms of color, but, as a newcomer to FPs (as an adult) I find I can't get away from the convenience and cleanliness of using cartridges. I remember as a kid in school in the 1950's we all used FPs with the constant mess of refilling the little bladders with bottled ink--when cartridges appeared on the scene they were a godsend. Currently I have Townsend, Century II, Radiance, and a generic type Staples Cross FPs and all perform superbly on plain old Cross blue cartridges, Am I missing something other than wider color choices with bottled ink-or is it a question of tradition? vinper

 

Yeah, my flow was WAY better with the Cross converter vs. Cross cartridges (both tested with Waterman Florida Blue).

 

Spring for the converter.

[ThirdeYe]

I use their cartridges, as their blue-black is a very nice color IMO. In my fine-nibbed Solo, it lasts quite a long time for being such a small cartridge. I also used one of their black cartridges in my Aventura and it worked perfectly fine in that as well. I haven't used a converter in my Cross pens, though I do have a few of them on hand for when I run out of cartridges.

[HeartMan]

I used to rely on the cartridges in grad school; having a secure spare in the barrel was fabulous. A few months ago I got a great deal on six packs, but I don't know if I'll ever use them.

[vsc]

I tend to use cartridges in my Solo and old fashioned ink in my Century, I personally prefer the brown ink cartridges for everyday use but as someone has said previously, if it isnt used everyday the ink flow can dry up. I buy most of my cartridges off ebay uk, as they seem to have a lot of cartridges on there in all colours. I've noticed there seems to be converters appearing on there as well.

[Mountolive]

As someone who owns around ten piston-fillers and only two C/C fountain pens, I have to say I am slowly getting fonder of cartridges for their convenience. I am using my Cross pen more and more at work for just this reason.

 

About 99% of the time I use blue or blue-black ink anyway, so the ink in the standard Cross cartridges works quite well for me. The small size of the cartridges doesn't bother me at all because it takes me approximately 10 seconds to replace a cartridge with zero spillage.

 

The only issue I have with cartridges right now is the price, but so far this has not proven a deal-killer given the other advantages. Does anyone know a good place to get Cross cartridges cheap?

[Vitino]

I have used the cartridge in the past, but they are too smaller... If you need to write more pages (like me).

 

With converter, the situation is better, is cheaper write and you can choice the ink.

Now I only use converter, I honly have to take care when "refuel" my Aventura.

 

 

Sorry for my english, it's not so good, I hope you understand... :embarrassed_smile:

 

Ciao

 

Vito