Is The Cf Converter Rare/collectible?

[miket_nyc]

I have a Waterman CF for which I bought the converter a couple of years ago. I didn't use it very much, but the pressure bar has slipped sideways and the sac is already falling apart -- it's hard to believe, but they may have made this thing out of a rubber that's damaged by ink (And I use Skrip, so it's not the ink's fault). Finally, the ink capacity of this converter is very small, which is why I stopped using it in the first place.

 

I thought of a solution to all this: I could chop off the rear of the converter and glue a regular sac on there, which I would fill by manually squeezing it. This would get rid of the defective pressure bar and rubber, and it would hold almost as much ink as a cartridge.

 

But I don't want to mutilate the converter if CF converters are rare and collectible. If so, I'd try to repair it (although that would be tricky because it's held together by crimping). Can someone confirm for me that these converters are fairly easy to find so I won't feel guilty about my plans for this one?

[Left FPN]

CF converters do appear on the bay.

 

Cutting and bonding a sac on has been done to similar US converters.

 

[ac12]

Yes, it is difficult and expensive to find the CF converters.

 

Send it to Peyton Street Pens.

The tech there has replaced the sac in CF converters.

[Parker51]

If current trends hold, your convertor will be more valuable than some of the Waterman's C/F pens in a year or two. A working convertor today is more valuable than some now.

[Chrissy]

In the pen repair book I have it describes how to remove the old sac by carefully cutting the top off the converter, replacing the sac, then using a plastic plug in the top of the converter

[ink-syringe]

I just refill the cartridge with a syringe now that I have seen the prices for the converters. My C/F is the 1500, top of the line, with gold trim and still has the chalk marks on it. USA Fine Flex. Fun pen and pretty but I find the section too small and have been tempted to let mine go, even though as an object it is lovely and does have some nice flex.

 

I have 6 or 7 cartridges and so far have just been filling the one which was a bear to clean out with a syringe.

[terim]

Yes, it is difficult and expensive to find the CF converters.

 

Send it to Peyton Street Pens.

The tech there has replaced the sac in CF converters.

We don't do repairs .... Sorry .... No bandwidth on Nivardo's workbench!

 

Teri

[RMN]

Using the old cartridges is a good idea, but remember they too will deteriorate.

And those converters will become more rare by the second. (As Parker51 already indicated)

 

So hunting for some converters now might just be a good idea so you have one when your carts are goners.

 

 

D.ick

[ac12]

The other alternative is to cut a CF cartridge in half, and cement an ink sac on it, to make it a bulb filler. To load, you just squeeze the ink sac and release. That is on my to-do list for one of my other pens, that does not have a converter.

Edited June 2, 2015 by ac12

[ink-syringe]

I guess I should start looking for a converter again. I keep thinking I am going to sell the pen but it is so full of charm and in excellent condition (C/Fs don't always survive the years well). I got mine NOS with chalk marks still on it, top of the line and flex and matching pencil (still has all the leads).

 

But it is a tad slender for me.

 

 

 

 

Using the old cartridges is a good idea, but remember they too will deteriorate.

And those converters will become more rare by the second. (As Parker51 already indicated)

 

So hunting for some converters now might just be a good idea so you have one when your carts are goners.

 

 

D.ick

[ink-syringe]

w00t

[ink-syringe]

You can always write better with a Waterman.

[RMN]

Nice pen. I always hope to find a good one, with a hoard of old carts and/or converters...

 

It is all academic these days as I have no real pen-money for some time to go.

 

 

 

D.ick

[ink-syringe]

I have five or six carts but i just refill the one since they have old dried out Waterman Blue-black in them and just rinsing out the one with a syringe was a chore. Super fun pen

[Dutchpen]

I still have some black CF cartridges available (about 200).

I just listed them in the classifieds because I don't even have a CF pen anymore.

 

Refilling a cartridge with a injection needle is a good option. I do this with my sailor pens too because the converters are very small.

 

 

[ink-syringe]

odd my carts don't look anything like that.

 

 

 

 

[Left FPN]

 

odd my carts don't look anything like that.

 

 

 

 

 

They do at the business end. I suspect Dutchpen's are a later version. If you Google 'Waterman C/F Cartridges' them view Images you will find both versions shown with C/F pens.

[ink-syringe]

I wonder what is the purpose of those metal doodads. Mine is likely earlier as this was an earlier USA made pen and these are the original Cartridges.

[Left FPN]

I wonder what is the purpose of those metal doodads. Mine is likely earlier as this was an earlier USA made pen and these are the original Cartridges.

These were Watermans entry into cartridges so I suspect it is most probably the sealing cap after filling.

[ink-syringe]

These were Watermans entry into cartridges so I suspect it is most probably the sealing cap after filling.

 

They might have originally had a purpose in manufacturing but as a part of a finished product they do nothing at all. You could pull them off with zero effect on the cartridge.