Pilot Metropolitan + Pelikan 4001 Ink Saturation

[Mihir2607]

so I just bought a new metro my first pen above 10$ and I wanted a Ink that is somewhat water resistant since noodler's cost about twice the pen here where I live

I used cheap Indian fountain pens couple of wality 69T and camlin 47 series the nib on pilot was perfect it was sharp and hint of feedback like pencil

but here's what my bad luck did for me

pen doesn't hold much Ink maybe I don't know how to fill it but it only writes about 3 pages ( A4 size simple copy paper )

 

and I put the pen away for 3 days after I start to write it has such a saturated line almost seems black on paper but after half a page it gets significantly lighter in color more of pastle blue with a hint of black

 

TL,DR - help me with Ink saturation problem , I want consistent Ink saturation , and refilling pilot cartridges with Ink via syringe is a good idea or not ? wouldn't barrle get loose where it attaches with cartridge get loose after long usage ?

[Mihir2607]

I forgot to mention in post ( pelikan 4001 blue black ) is the Ink I'm talking about

[hinky]

When using the converter that came with the pen, squeeze the metal bars and SLOWLY release while the nib and section is submerged in ink. Also, wait a couple of seconds before removing the nib (and section) from the ink bottle. This allows the ink to fill the converter more fully and avoids too many ink bubbles. You can repeat this process a couple of times to ensure a fuller fill.

 

I've been refilling my Pilot cartridges for a long time. They are more durable than standard international cartridges, and easier to fill because of the wide opening. I don't even use a syringe; I just use an eyedropper. For me, refilled cartridges have a bigger ink capacity, and I can also see the ink level. Just make sure you attach the cartridge properly to avoid leaks and bad ink flow.

 

I've never had an issue regarding the ink evaporating and becoming more saturated. Maybe your converter wasn't seated properly, allowing air to enter and causing the ink to evaporate. Personally, I'd stick with the cartridges though 😅

 

Hope that helps 😊

 

*Edited for typo 😂

Edited May 22, 2018 by hinky

[ENewton]

I have a pen that, on the first fill, had a problem similar to the one described: it would start out very saturated and fade out as I proceeded down the page. On subsequent fills it has behaved normally, so at this point I assume it had to do with residual this-or-that from manufacturing.

 

As for refilling a cartridge with a syringe, you will eventually need a new cartridge, but probably not for quite a while.

[Noihvo]

 

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

This is very common with any pen that doesn't have a perfectly air-tight cap, as Noihvo also said.

The cap on your pen is good enough not to let the pen dry out overnight, but the seal is not perfect so the ink dries up a bit in the nib and feed assembly and comes out more saturated at first.

 

Happens to me all the time with my cheap pens. I actually enjoy the color variation.

 

Moreover, Pelikan 4001 blue-black is part iron gall, which is more chemically active and reacts more promptly and markedly with the air, changing the color.

We have a wealth of long, instructive threads on iron gall inks if you wish to know more.

[senzen]

Odd, this is exactly the opposite of my experience with my one Metro... Ama Iro consistently comes out as a light colour, when other pens that evaporate more quickly make it look much darker. So much so it would be a good choice for Kon Peki. I am using a con-50 converter instead of the squeeze converter that came supplied with it, if that makes a difference. Depending on your local atmospheric conditions, all pens will evaporate.

 

With pens that will evaporate no matter what, like Parker Sonnets and Lamy Vistas, I ended up getting single pen velvet pouches from China: cheap, works, saves me from banging my head against the wall. You could probably have them made locally or make them yourself for not much, I'm just useless with DIY.

 

My few pens with screw on caps do seem to evaporate much less, maybe even the Pilot 78G would work better.