There is nothing like using bottled ink with your fountain pen! Cartridges are easy and convenient but at the end of the day you should still clean and maintain your pen to give you a great writing experience.
Using cartridges won’t guarantee ink free hands so don’t be afraid to try bottles. It doesn’t have to be messy and it can lead to a world of inks that are not available in cartridges.
But if you own a Kaweco Sport and want to use bottled ink, you are limited to the new piston converter or the classic squeeze converter as a filling system.
Do you hate the Kaweco squeeze converter with a passion? Do you find it impossible to use? Don’t own a syringe? Fear not! Once you have mastered the skill of filling it, using your favourite bottled ink will be a breeze!
1. Grab your pen by the squeeze converter, squeeze to expel air and then submerge the nib and section into the ink as you would when filling with a regular converter.
2. Let go and suck up a pathetic amount of ink!
3. Remove the pen from the bottle and turn it so the nib is facing upwards. Carefully tap the pen and work the pathetic amount of ink to the bottom of the converter. You should now have a bubble of air between the nib section and the ink.
4. Carefully squeeze the converter - without injecting ink over your favourite shirt - to expel the air bubble. Again submerge the nib and section into the ink bottle.
5. Repeat from step 2 until your converter is near full! Don’t get frustrated and don’t frantically squeeze and suck. Squeezing hard and fast won’t get ink into your pen.
Once full, clean your pen of excess ink and enjoy! It does take some dexterity and kitchen towel to perfect this technique, but it’s the best way that I have found to fill up a Kaweco squeeze converter. It literally takes me two or three squeezes to fill.
The new piston converter for Sport pens won’t fit Liliputs. Owners of these pens will be stuck with the squeeze converter. However with a little practice you should quickly and easily be able to fill your pen to the brim. Of course you’ll need an ink well or syringe when levels run low - short pen - but that’s for another article.
Do you have another method of filling your Kaweco squeeze converter?