Measured Ink Capacity

[Cepasaccus]

For measurement I use a digital scale with a resolution of 0.01g. I weigh the pen empty, then fill in water and weigh it again. The difference in g is the same in cc with reasonable accuracy.

 

Cepasaccus

[Mishka5050]

Awesome!

Thanks for your hard work

[Cepasaccus]

Small update.

1.8 cc - Waterman's Ideal 24 (Eyedropper)
2.1 cc - Mabie-Todd The Swan 1500? (Eyedropper)
2.4 cc - Waterman's Ideal 12S (Safety)
2.7 cc - Waterman's Ideal 12S 1st Generation (Safety)

[Rocket1]

Does anyone know how much lamy z24s hold?

[Oldane]

Also, more ink is not always better. Whenever go you above 2 cc, then you need to start worrying about ink surges which may overwhelm the feed, then your pen may burp up drops of ink onto the page. I never saw that happen with my New Postal Jr, but I have seen it a couple of times with the Edison Glenmont.

 

It regularly happens with eyedroppers (and other pens with the ink floating around in the pen shaft) when the ink reservoir is near empty. It happens more easily with eyedroppers with "simple" feeds (like the Indian Wallity feed which goes into many stock Indian pens). Pens with more moderne feeds with lots of fins in the section like Jowo feeds are less prone to this blurping. I use to fill my eyedroppers when the ink level goes below ½ full. Luckily, eyedropper holds a lot of ink, so that's no problem. My Indian Gama Hawk and other Gama "Jumbo" sized pens takes around 4ml of ink (pretty accurately measured because I fill it with an injection syringe).

[Mishka5050]

Does anyone know how much lamy z24s hold?

Around 0.8ml

[Rocket1]

Around 0.8ml

Thank you!

[glittertinden]

I also had some measurements:

 

Ink capacity in ml

Kaweco Converter (for KW Sport) 0,5

Montblanc Heritage R&N Coral 0,6

Montblanc Heritage R&N Tropic Brown 0,6

Platinum President Converter 0,6

Sailor 1911 Large Converter 0,6

Lamy Converter (Al-Star, Lx, Safari) 0,8

Cleo Skribent Ebonite 0,8

Montblanc 3-44 G 0,8

Pelikan Converter (threads) 0,8

No Name Converter (“SI”) 0,8

MB Converter (looks “SI”, for Slim Line and Noblesse) 0,8

MB Converter black-gold (threads and spiral) 0,9

Graf von Faber-Castell Converter (for all FvF-C) 0,9

Visconti HS Lava (oversized, Bronce) 0,9

Visconti Wall Street Converter 1,0

Lamy 2000 Macrolon 1,1

Montblanc 32 1,1

Lamy 2000 Metal 1,2

Pelikan Souverän M1000 Black 1,2

Montblanc Meisterstück 149G 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück 146 Ultra Black 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück WE Daniel Defoe 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück WE Agatha Christie 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück WE William Faulkner 1,3

Pleikan M800 Tortoise Shell 1,3

Pelikan Souverän M600 1,3

Pelikan Souverän M200 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück 149P 1,4

Montblanc Donation Pen Johannes Brahms 1,4

Montblanc Writers Edition Alexandra Dumas 1,4

Montblanc Meisterstück 146 Burgundy 1,4

Pelikan Souverän M400 1,4

Pelikan M1000 Demonstrator 1,5

Noodler Flex Pen 1,5

Montblanc 24 1,5

Montblanc Meisterstück 14 1,6

 

See also here (my website): https://nibbinibnibb.com/2017/09/27/ink-capacities/

[Tasmith]

I also had some measurements:

 

Ink capacity in ml

Kaweco Converter (for KW Sport) 0,5

Montblanc Heritage R&N Coral 0,6

Montblanc Heritage R&N Tropic Brown 0,6

Platinum President Converter 0,6

Sailor 1911 Large Converter 0,6

Lamy Converter (Al-Star, Lx, Safari) 0,8

Cleo Skribent Ebonite 0,8

Montblanc 3-44 G 0,8

Pelikan Converter (threads) 0,8

No Name Converter (“SI”) 0,8

MB Converter (looks “SI”, for Slim Line and Noblesse) 0,8

MB Converter black-gold (threads and spiral) 0,9

Graf von Faber-Castell Converter (for all FvF-C) 0,9

Visconti HS Lava (oversized, Bronce) 0,9

Visconti Wall Street Converter 1,0

Lamy 2000 Macrolon 1,1

Montblanc 32 1,1

Lamy 2000 Metal 1,2

Pelikan Souverän M1000 Black 1,2

Montblanc Meisterstück 149G 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück 146 Ultra Black 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück WE Daniel Defoe 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück WE Agatha Christie 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück WE William Faulkner 1,3

Pleikan M800 Tortoise Shell 1,3

Pelikan Souverän M600 1,3

Pelikan Souverän M200 1,3

Montblanc Meisterstück 149P 1,4

Montblanc Donation Pen Johannes Brahms 1,4

Montblanc Writers Edition Alexandra Dumas 1,4

Montblanc Meisterstück 146 Burgundy 1,4

Pelikan Souverän M400 1,4

Pelikan M1000 Demonstrator 1,5

Noodler Flex Pen 1,5

Montblanc 24 1,5

Montblanc Meisterstück 14 1,6

 

See also here (my website): https://nibbinibnibb.com/2017/09/27/ink-capacities/

 

Thank you!

[Precise]

I also use a digital scale. Excellent scales can be found for less than $10.

 

I weigh ink, which is very close to the weight of water. So when I fill a pen, I weigh how much ink it drank.

 

With converters, you can see the level of the ink, which is often less than full on the first pass. But with pistons, weight is all you have. They respond like converters and often drink more ink on the second or third pass.

 

I also use weight to determine how much ink remains in my piston pens, before taking a pen out for a meeting or work. I keep a record of the empty weight of each pen in order to determine how much ink is left when I weigh the pen.

 

Alan

[robert1962]

I also use a digital scale. Excellent scales can be found for less than $10.

 

I weigh ink, which is very close to the weight of water. So when I fill a pen, I weigh how much ink it drank.

 

With converters, you can see the level of the ink, which is often less than full on the first pass. But with pistons, weight is all you have. They respond like converters and often drink more ink on the second or third pass.

 

I also use weight to determine how much ink remains in my piston pens, before taking a pen out for a meeting or work. I keep a record of the empty weight of each pen in order to determine how much ink is left when I weigh the pen.

 

Alan

I am fascinated with this topic. Is all of this concern with capacity so that one doesn't run out unexpectedly? I just carry 2 pens, but they are usually filled with something cheap and boring.

 

Here are some vintage fat boys.

 

Carey slip cap eyedropper 9.2 ml

Waterman 48s 5.6

Moore #12 Jumbo Safety 4.8

 

Had to dust off an old graduated cylinder for this one. Assume a fairly wide margin of error.

 

Bob

[Namo]

Not a measurment but as they say, one pic is sometimes worth two or three words: a vintage tortoise 400nn vs a year 2000 demo m250. Note where the pistona are when fully retracted...

 

 

 

Edit to add: quotation from Francis, aka Fountainbel, from the French forum Stylo-plume.org

 

"

Modern 200/400 : piston bore 8.2mm, piston stroke 24.5mm, potential ink volume:1.29 ml

Modern 600 : piston bore 8.2mm, piston stroke 26 mm, potential ink volume:. 1.37 ml

Modern 800 : piston bore 8.2mm, piston stroke 26 mm , potential ink volume: 1.37 ml

Modern1000: piston bore 8.2mm, piston stroke 28 mm , potential ink volume: 1.47 ml

Vintage 400 : piston bore 9.0 mm, piston stroke 31 mm , potential ink volume: 1.97 "

Edited January 3, 2018 by Namo

[tonybelding]

I am fascinated with this topic. Is all of this concern with capacity so that one doesn't run out unexpectedly? I just carry 2 pens, but they are usually filled with something cheap and boring.

 

I suspect a lot of people feel like "more is better" and are proud of getting a pen with as much ink capacity as possible. As I studied this subject, however, I've come to believe that more is not better, and that the ideal ink capacity is actually about 1 ml. If the amount is much less, then you'll just have to refill needlessly. If it's much more, then the ink flow becomes more difficult for the feed and ink collector to regulate, less consistent and less efficient. When you get up to very large capacities (say above 2 ml) "burping" ink onto the page is a real danger.

 

As I noted way back at the beginning of this thread, it's interesting how many of the most famous and successful designs clustered around the 1.0-1.1 ml mark. I don't think it's an accident.

[Namo]

 

I suspect a lot of people feel like "more is better" and are proud of getting a pen with as much ink capacity as possible. As I studied this subject, however, I've come to believe that more is not better, and that the ideal ink capacity is actually about 1 ml. If the amount is much less, then you'll just have to refill needlessly. If it's much more, then the ink flow becomes more difficult for the feed and ink collector to regulate, less consistent and less efficient. When you get up to very large capacities (say above 2 ml) "burping" ink onto the page is a real danger.

 

As I noted way back at the beginning of this thread, it's interesting how many of the most famous and successful designs clustered around the 1.0-1.1 ml mark. I don't think it's an accident.

I guess it depends of what you use your pen for. When writing outside my home, ink capacity is a factor. It's not unusual that I will empty two "regular" piston fillers (say, Lamy 2K or Pelikan m2xx), esp. when writing with B or BB nibs.

 

My beloved Densho with a B nib will drive me through a good day of writing and I do have a backup just in case, ED filler too.

 

Of course if you are taking a few notes or using the pen for other writing tasks (planning, journaling...), capacity may not be a factor.

 

Edit to add: also, it's a commonplace that piston fillers or vac fillers per se "hold a ton of ink" - we can see here it's not the case.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Namo

[Bo Bo Olson]

This is the 400nn..........."""Vintage 400 : piston bore 9.0 mm, piston stroke 31 mm , potential ink volume: 1.97 """"

Well, I'm pretty sure....I always forget to weigh my 400nn....and it is a smidgen longer at medium large vs a standard 400.

[dcwaites]

I thought I would add three of the new Chinese piston-filler pens

 

Wing Sung 3008 - 1.2 ml

Wing Sung 698 - 1.6 ml (someone else's measurement, not mine)

Caliarts Ego - 2 ml.

[Tasmith]

I thought I would add three of the new Chinese piston-filler pens

 

Wing Sung 3008 - 1.2 ml

Wing Sung 698 - 1.6 ml (someone else's measurement, not mine)

Caliarts Ego - 2 ml.

 

Thanks!

[by_a_Lady]

I just filled my Wing Sung 601 (piston version) from a 2ml sample vial of J. Herbin Lie de Thé - it sucked it all right up, and there's still an airbubble of about 0,1ml in the barrel.

 

In the discussion about how much capacity is enough, I'm firmly in the "more is more" camp. I love stubs and B nibs and a generous ink flow in general, so a big capacity is a must. I also love variety in ink colours, but I have my Lamy Safaris with their tiny converters for that.

 

 

Dominique

[Bo Bo Olson]

Assumptions and lazyness.

For Pelikan Dominic's site:

http://www.pelikan-c...ikan/index.html

 

Ink capacity of the M&K sucks......0.75 instead of 2.0 ml.??? Wonder if that is true....

 

Odd, he lists the old 400/400nn as 2.0 also....but later 400's were listed by someone else at 1.27 or so.,,Ah Ha....different eras different volume even if it doesn't' look different....in the three 400's; 50-80-2000 eras. .

Modern post '97 400's are 1.30 ...the older 400's with out the gold ring, 140ml/like the old 600.

 

So it is good to finally have better info, in I'd taken someones modern @ measurement as across the board of 1.27 for 400's.....1.37 for 600/800's, 147 for the 1000. I didn't measure, I believed and passed it on .........had wondered about the 1.95 which turns out to be 2.0 ml....in the width of the 400 never changed and the 400nn medium-long is not all that much longer than the standard 400. Both the '50's 400/400nn measures on Dominic's site at 2.0.

 

The 800 & 1000 is 1.35. The old small 600 is 1.40 and the new one is 1.30.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[Bibliophage]

It's definitely interesting seeing the differences in capacity of the various pens, but I think the main thing that many of us forget is this.

 

They all hold more ink than what they replaced, so they can write for pages at a time.

 

As for me - I don't bother measuring capacity, I fill, write, and when they run out, I refill. I carry a second pen for when the first runs out, then alternate