Twist Vs. Slide Converter

[william2001]

Hi, I have few questions for you.

 

A converter is what allows a fountain pen to use a bottled ink. Right?

My Parker Sonnet came with a slide converter with a ball inside. But I saw other kinds of converters in YouTube.

What is the difference between a twist and a slide converter?

What are pros and cons of each?

Which one do you prefer for my Sonnet?

 

Thank you very much in advance.

-William S. Park

[framebaer]

Slide converters allow faster cleaning, other than that I don't find much difference.

[The Blue Knight]

I prefer the old Aeromatic converters as they have a better ink capacity and there is something nostalgic about filling up a pen by squeezing a bar several tines over a slide or piston converters. But saying that I only own one aeromatic converter and 4 slide and 1 piston Parker converter you will find the aeromatic converters are more expensive as they aren't made any more.

 

There isn't really a big differance between the slide and piston converters I find the only benfit the slide one has is ink is less likely to hang in the converter due to surface tension as the slide converter has a ball agitator. It's up to you which you use as it makes not real differance. My Sonnet came with a Piston converter which had chrome band on it and I ended up paying £4 for a gold plated one to go with the gold trim.

 

Unless you want to I wouldn't bother buying the piston converter over the slide as it is isn't any better as such, it just looks a bit more high end.

Edited June 8, 2014 by top pen

[perth]

A piston converter, from Parker at least, feels much higher quality than the slide, which is included with the cheaper pens unlike the piston which is given with anything above a Sonnet.

[william2001]

I prefer the old Aeromatic converters as they have a better ink capacity and there is something nostalgic about filling up a pen by squeezing a bar several tines over a slide or piston converters. But saying that I only own one aeromatic converter and 4 slide and 1 piston Parker converter you will find the aeromatic converters are more expensive as they aren't made any more.

 

There isn't really a big differance between the slide and piston converters I find the only benfit the slide one has is ink is less likely to hang in the converter due to surface tension as the slide converter has a ball agitator. It's up to you which you use as it makes not real differance. My Sonnet came with a Piston converter which had chrome band on it and I ended up paying £4 for a gold plated one to go with the gold trim.

 

Unless you want to I wouldn't bother buying the piston converter over the slide as it is isn't any better as such it just looks a bit more high end.

 

 

A piston converter, from Parker at least, feels much higher quality than the slide, which is included with the cheaper pens unlike the piston which is given with anything above a Sonnet.

Is piston converter the twisting one?

[The Blue Knight]

 

 

Is piston converter the twisting one?

 

Yeah

[owend]

I've found one slide converter got very stiff, and needed a thumbnail and nail-removing force to move it, although I couldn't see any reason; I've never had trouble with a screw converter, so I would say the screw-type is more mechanically reliable. Both types hold about the same amount of ink.

[Gloucesterman]

Much more control w/ the twist converters.

That's my choice!

[Runnin_Ute]

Of the ones I have tried I prefer the piston style (twist) converter over the others.

[VivienR]

Twist converter for sure! First of all, the price difference isn't much, and twist converter are way better and reliable than slide converters. not mention that annoying ball inside... Not mention I just trashed two side converters, they was in use around half a year... My twist converter, which I use even more, is working perfectly.

[amberleadavis]

Have I said this before...

 

I hate slide converters.

 

I have other things that irritate me too, but I'm going to stop now.

[Renfield]

Slide converters make cleaning so easy, so they get my vote

[inkstainedruth]

I'm with Amber -- I hate slide converters too. But some Parkers don't take the twist converters. I had problems with putting a twist converter in my Parker Urban and it broke inside the barrel.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Ted A]

Especially if they are low priced, the slide converter runs a much higher risk of sticking and then suddenly moving with ink being squirted everywhere. A lot of that has to do with the quality of the work. I have a Gate City Belmont which is Like a slide and it is problem free and works like a charm. But I have a couple of slide converters and the one that came on the really cheap pen is more likely to make an inky mess than to work as it should.

[Renfield]

I'm with Amber -- I hate slide converters too. But some Parkers don't take the twist converters. I had problems with putting a twist converter in my Parker Urban and it broke inside the barrel.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I use a Lamy converter in my IM, works a treat.

 

Especially if they are low priced, the slide converter runs a much higher risk of sticking and then suddenly moving with ink being squirted everywhere. A lot of that has to do with the quality of the work. I have a Gate City Belmont which is Like a slide and it is problem free and works like a charm. But I have a couple of slide converters and the one that came on the really cheap pen is more likely to make an inky mess than to work as it should.

 

 

A bit of silicon grease will make it smooth. I dont find the need to move the slider inked very often, so not much of an issue

[amberleadavis]

Especially if they are low priced, the slide converter runs a much higher risk of sticking and then suddenly moving with ink being squirted everywhere. A lot of that has to do with the quality of the work. I have a Gate City Belmont which is Like a slide and it is problem free and works like a charm. But I have a couple of slide converters and the one that came on the really cheap pen is more likely to make an inky mess than to work as it should.

 

 

Okay, I admit, I only bought the cheap ones.

[Sasha Royale]

I think the slide converter is cheaper to produce. It fills faster than the twist model. However, the part of the converter that slides

takes up more length of the converter. So, there is slightly less. Ink capacity.

 

In the twist converter, the mechanism is a "screw", and takes less space. Hence, more ink capacity.

 

My point of view ? They are equal. Both hold enough ink for a week of everyday writing. I enjoy the ritual of filling my fountain pen.

If I want higher capacity, a Parker cartridge holds more than double the ink. I don't obsess about capacity, since college days..

I don't use the converter to flush the pen. A rubber earbulb works better.

 

The Sonnet is a nice pen. Which ink do you feed it ?

[Bo Bo Olson]

Use your needle syringe to clan your converters, is very fast.

And your rubber ear syringe for the feed/nib section.

[Renfield]

Use your needle syringe to clan your converters, is very fast.

And your rubber ear syringe for the feed/nib section.

 

I normally do, but I find myself "inbetween" bulb syringes.

 

I noticed after moving house, and not using it for a few weeks, that it seemed to have some black on it. worried that it could be some kind of mould, I threw it out, and have not picked up another yet, The ones I like are not easily available

 

So I am cleaning old school at the minute, so the slider makes a big help.

 

I cleaned out 4 chinese pens the other day, and I got 3 cleaned with the slide converter in less time that 1 with the twist one.

 

Ren