How long does the ink last?

[MNDZA]

I just started using a fountain pen this week(Lamy Al-Star) and it uses cartridges. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about how long a cartridge would last...maybe in terms of pages written. I'm using the fine nib. Thanks for any info you could offer. Also, what exactly is a converter and does it leak compared to using cartridges? Do all FPs have their own converter? What's better?

[maryannemoll]

A converter is something that you can attach to the fountain pen in place of a cartridge, so that you can fill from a bottle.

 

From Wikipedia: "A converter is a device which has the same fitting as the pen's cartridge, but has a filling mechanism and a reservoir attached to it. This enables a pen to either fill from cartridges, or from a bottle of ink."

 

Neither converters nor cartridges should leak unless they are defective or something is defective in the pen.

[JohnS-MI]

As to which is better, "it depends."

 

Cartridges are convenient if you are travelling or "on the go." Many pens (including Lamy) use a proprietary cartridge design so you are limited to a small choice of inks. Some use an "international" design that allows a larger choice. Ink in cartridges is relatively expensive per unit volume compared to bottled inks.

 

Converters allow you to use bottled ink, so you can use ANY brand of fountain pen ink, much wider choice of colors. Since you refill from the bottle, you need it there when you run out, or carry extra pen(s).

 

A converter has to fit in the same space as a cartridge, but has some mechanism, so it usually holds a little less ink than a cartridge, both will typically last several pages with a medium nib, quite a lot with a fine. Typically, a converter or cartridge will hold about 1 mL of ink, more or less. Typical ink bottles are 50 mL, so you get a lot of refills.

 

All my pens have converters (or are self-fillers, pistons, levers, etc.) but I have cartridges in a couple of colors that can fit any of my Parker pens for travel. I probably use 90% bottled ink or more.

Edited March 4, 2007 by JohnS-MI

[HDoug]

As far as how many pages-per-cartridge you can get, your mileage will vary according to your handwriting and nib width. But you will find that fountain pen mileage is much much less than the mileage on a ballpoint or rollerball pen. I used to feel a sense of accomplishment when I "finished" a ballpoint pen and could throw it in the trash can...

 

You can monitor the amount of ink you have in your cartridge or converter through the ink window in your Al-Star. That window is kind of small -- you can also unscrew the barrel and take a better look.

 

Fountain pens require a certain amount of care and monitoring. Maybe that's why we like them so much. And the Al-Star is a great pen. Enjoy!

 

Doug

[FrankB]

You have gotten good guidance from the others. How long a cartridge or a fill in a converter will last is really personal, and depends heavily on the size of the nib, the ink flow of your particular pen, and even the ink itself. The best thing to do is write and get a sense of your personal ink useage.

 

I use cartridges sometimes when I am traveling, especially by air. Otherwise, I like to use converters (or other bottle filling mechanisms). Leakage should not be a problem with either a converter or a cartridge if the pen is in good repair.

 

As you use your pen(s), you will develop your own preferences for cartridges or converters, or a mix. With time, you will become just as opinionated as the rest of us.

 

Good luck.

[Will]

I use a waterman carene and a fully loaded (with convertor) usually lasts me approx. 20 sides of A5 paper.

[ViolinWriter]

Welcome to the "obsession zone", a.k.a, FPN!!! You'll find fountain pens are wonderful to use and a much better obsession than most things you can find.

 

I've found with some of my fine points that I get from 6 to 10 pages, fairly closely spaced (closer than what you find on college ruled paper), using a pen that is a medium flow sort of writer. I've got pens that lay down a really wet line, and if my pen isn't moving fast, well, the ink flows and flows, and the cartridge or converter seems to empty in a heartbeat. Those pens yield 5 or 6 word packed pages before the flow slows and is irregular due to insufficient ink in the system.

 

Also, if you press too hard, you'll go through the ink faster and actually impede the capillary action that makes a fountain pen a fountain pen. The paper absorbancy can also affect the rate of flow and speed of cartridge/converter emptying in use.

 

I write almost exclusively with fountain pens. On a given writing day, I'll go through about 3 to 5 converter fills of ink, using different pens. (That's often 30+ pages of writing.) That way I fill the empty pens all at once, and only once a day. I keep at least 2 pens with identical nib size or similar line results on paper, filled with the same ink.

 

I also use converters as they seem to hold a bit more ink than most cartridges. Converters don't leave those little plastic containers littering landfills from here to eternity either. Fountain pens are for me a less expensive* (HA!) alternative to the ball point pen. I go through those around 2-3 per month, counting the "left them out all night to dry out to ink dust" forgetfulness.

 

When traveling, I use cartridges. If I'm going to be gone a long time, I may also carry a bottle of ink and a syringe in my checked luggage and refill the cartridges. Carrying ink is done if I want to use a certain color of ink, but don't have great faith bottles of my "then favorite" is easy to obtain on foreign soil.

 

I may forego really thorough pen cleaning, (less than a 3 week absense from home) which can, depending on inks, dust, etc., influence the flow of ink. I've never noticed a difference, but some maintain that pen maintenance should include rinsing the pen after every fill.

 

When traveling with ink, it is well packed in unbreakable vials, inside another padded container, etc., to prevent ink leakage. I use an insulin syringe with a needle that's been clipped so that if it is ever questioned by homeland security types or customs, I can show them that no idiot would ever use it for injecting anything into a real human body (especially one's own) due to the pain of such a raggedy pointed needle.

 

BTW, if you're into that sort of pain, bypass the syringe completely and use the converter hooked to a nib section and grind that fine tip into the nearest vein. Just don't complain to me that it hurts or is unsanitary.

 

In all, the results, as you can see from others, depends bit on how you write and the pen you use. And there's more.

 

It also makes a difference if the surroundings you are in are humid or desert dry. During winters with central heating, I find the pens dry out slightly more quitckly. Perhaps I'll lose less than 10 percent of word volume/fill due to arid conditions. Not much more than that.

 

Also, some pens just don't keep the nib sealed totally in the cap when closed. Not likely a problem with the Lamy, but I've noticed the difference on one Rotring Core, one of my Dukes, my Esterbrook and one of my Watermans.

 

I hope this helps. Enjoy your Lamy and the pens you'll be purchasing shortly. Don't try to hide from the urge to purchase. It happens and it's like your birthday with great gifts when a new pen is added to your collection.

 

Yes, face facts. There will be more. Many more. Many, many, many more.

 

Sorry about the long answer, but truth time: There are a lot of things that affect the outcome of "how much writing do you get from a cartridge" for me. You've got a great one to start out with. Please post with the results you obtain, questions you may have about pens and all matters pen connected. It's great to have you here.

 

_____________________________

*less expensive on ink only. Don't ask about expense of pens. It can be bad for the wallet regulation section of your brain.

[bootyshox]

I just started using a fountain pen this week(Lamy Al-Star) and it uses cartridges. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about how long a cartridge would last...maybe in terms of pages written. I'm using the fine nib. Thanks for any info you could offer. Also, what exactly is a converter and does it leak compared to using cartridges? Do all FPs have their own converter? What's better?

A "long" cartridge on your pen I predict will last 10-14 pages of paper front and back with all lines used up. Not all fountain pens have converters by the way.

 

~You're Welcome.

[myles]

Do all FPs have their own converter?

 

There is some cross-compatibility, but it is not universal.

 

Some pens use a different size or type of fitting - most converters just push in like a cartridge, but some pens have screw-in converters, and some converters are longer or wider than others and won't fit into the barrel or section of some pens.

 

If you are not buying in a store where you can test the fit, it is usually best to get a converter of the same brand as the pen.

There is not a lot of price variation, they are all usually fairly cheap.

 

I prefer converters and bottled ink for the range of ink colours and the volume convenience of bottled ink (not many cartridges available under an hour's drive from where I live).

 

Regards, Myles.

[Citizen]

I go through 1-2 large ink cartridges every school week, mainly because I write exclusively with my med. point FP, with the exception of math.

[KCat]

converter quality and size vary from brand to brand - for example, by far a Sailor cartridge or Pilot cartridge works far better than their converter. It isn't a matter of leaking, it is a matter of how much ink they hold. IME, most cartridges are actually a little better than the standard converters in how much ink they carry (exception being the small international carts - which I abhor.)

 

one is not limited to converters just because one wants to use bottled ink.

 

I do not use converters if I don't have to. I refill my carts using transfer pipets (cheap, easy to get). Some people use syringes - not quite as cheap and require care with the needles though syringes with long needles are great for cleaning a cartridge if you wish to change colors.

 

so - yes, obsession it is.

[Possum Hill]

I go through 1-2 large ink cartridges every school week, mainly because I write exclusively with my med. point FP, with the exception of math.

For math, you might like a Pilot 78G with F nib.

[ajcoleman]

The short answer to your question is "not very long" if you are used to ballpoints. But as you can see from the responses, your mileage will really vary. If you are using cartridges, I would get in the habit of carrying a spare or two. I generally use a converter and try to check the ink level every day or two, and refill when it is below 1/4 full. I generally also have an extra pen with me in case I run out.

[pkoko]

My Lamy Alstar fine nib wrote 20-25 or so Letter pages before running out

[Albus]

Personally, I do not like to use cartridge because I find them really restrictive on the type of ink and colour of ink available to me. I do enjoy filling up a pen with converter or otherwise, it is like, giving the pen water of life.

 

A note: pelikan offers lamy usable cartridge! More options!

[Parse Error]

My Visconti Homo Sapiens is constantly begging for ink, while my Lamy Safari could go two days before it's too dry to write with anymore.

[Phormula]

I usually turn out about 20 lined A4 pages (written one side) with a Lamy standard cartridge, Vista FP, fine nib.

 

I use cartridges because for my amount and kind of writing they are more practical and I don't have headaches when commuting or when travelling by plane. I also do most of my writing in standard blue, no need for special colors. Sometimes IO buy cheap ones, costing less than a bottle of ink, but I am quite a "cheap" guy. :roflmho:

For my pens using international cartridges, I then carry some spare cartridges in the Visconti bakelite holder.

I agree on the fact that a converter will save money on the long run, if for you it is not a problem to manage the ink reservoir.

Edited November 18, 2010 by Phormula

[bemon]

So far what it's worth I had 7 pens inked. A Conklin Duragraph, Waterman Carene, Sailor Pro Gear Realo, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Pilot Vanishing Point, Lamy 2000, and Pelikan M600.

 

It took me 16 pages of regular 8.5x11" copier paper (random gibberish for the sake of my experiment) and 49 pages of work notes in my Rhodia Web notebook. Which I believe is 5x8". Or rather 8 and 25 pages respectively, double sided.

 

All pens are medium nib except for the Duragraph which is a broad.

[inkstainedruth]

In addition to what everyone else has said, the absorbency of the paper you're using is also going to be a factor.

As to the cartridge vs. converter argument? I'm firmly on the side of "converter". Not only do you get a much vaster choice of inks (and no, you DON'T have to stick with the same brand as the pen) but you're using a lot less plastic (so more environmentally friendly. Yes, you *can* refill cartridges, but unless you're refilling with the same brand/color of ink, they're a PITA to flush out, even with a syringe. And then you have to reseal them (if you go that route, though, I recommend getting 100% silicone caulk over glue guns, because it's easier to remove when you're about to insert the cartridge, and is not going to add some weird chemical that might not react well with the pen's nib or feed, or with the ink itself. Mind you, this is NOT the same as silicone grease (used to lubricate pens with).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Karmachanic]

Too many variables. Get a converter. Fill it. Check it four days later. Adjust as required. After a few weeks you'll know what works for you.

Edited March 16, 2018 by kd3