What Is A Fountain Pen Converter?

Many fountain pens say that they take either ink cartridges or a converter, but what is a fountain pen converter and why would you want to use one? Which pens can you even use a converter with? Read on to find out these answers and many more.

A fountain pen converter offers the most flexibility and ease of use if you decide you want to use bottled ink in a cartridge pen.

What Is A Fountain Pen Converter?

A fountain pen converter (or converter) is simply something that holds ink inside of a pen. It takes the place of an ink cartridge, but it allows you to fill your pen from a bottle of ink. In order to do this, the cartridge has a mechanism that sucks ink into it. Most converters have a twist-fill plunger mechanism that works like a syringe, but you can find a few that have a squeeze-fill mechanism that works via vacuum.

Two different converters – Cross (left) and Platinum (right)

Why Should You Use A Converter?

One advantage to using a converter instead of an ink cartridge is that you can use any ink you want in your fountain pen. If you’ve already invested in many different bottles of ink, a converter will allow you to use all of them in your pen. With a cartridge, you’re limited to the inks that are available in cartridges (unless you decide to refill your ink cartridges). A converter offers the most flexibility and ease of use if you decide you want to use bottled ink in a cartridge pen.

Which Fountain Pens Take A Converter?

Almost any fountain pen that takes cartridges has a corresponding converter. Even the most basic fountain pen that many people consider to be disposable, the Platinum Preppy, has an available converter. This means that regardless of which pen you have, you should be able to find a converter that fits. Keep in mind that converters are not universal. Just as there are different sizes of ink cartridges, there are different sizes of converters and they are made for specific pens. To determine which converter you need, check the pen manufacturers web site or other online resources such as Fountain Pen Network.

How To Use A Converter

If you’ve only ever used a cartridge in your fountain pen, filling it for the first time with a converter might be a little intimidating. Don’t worry, it’s easy! To use a converter in a fountain pen, simply insert it into the pen like you would an ink cartridge. Dip the nib of the pen into a bottle of ink. Make sure the entire nib is submerged (up to the section of the pen). Twist or squeeze the converter to suck ink into it. Once it’s full, remove the pen, wipe off the nib and section and start writing!

Simply insert the converter and nib into ink…

and twist the top of the converter to draw ink into it.