How To Fill A Fountain Pen in 2 Mins

Are you a person who cherishes the things we have forgotten over the years? If so, one of the most essential and best things that we have forgotten is writing. Isn't it?


The short texts you send on your smartphones have easily taken over the writing on paper with a pen. However, people call it technological advancement; we all know that texting is so overrated and has killed the purity and feel that writing a letter would give us!


So going back or instead just taking a look at the art of writing we have forgotten. The essence of writing lies in the pen you use too. You have gel pens, ballpoint pens, and a lot more varieties.


fill a fountain pen

However, the one pen that is and will be the best to use will be the fountain pen. With a fountain pen, as I said, the essence of writing lies in it. Then why would people go behind the other ones?

The major reason that people would say is that it is difficult to fill ink in a fountain pen. What if there are easier ways to do it? Keep reading to know more.

How to fill ink in a fountain pen?

Filling a fountain pen can be a bit troublesome if you don't get the system's exact idea. There can be many types of fountain pens based on their ink cartridge system.

The first step to fill ink in your fountain pen is always to determine the type of filling mechanism your pen has. The method to fill your fountain pen varies according to the filling mechanism that your pen has.


The most commonly used filling mechanisms are:

  • Piston filled
  • Cartridge filled
  • Vacuum filled
  • Crescent filled
  • Piston converter filled
  • Squeeze converter filled

Find out what is yours by just removing or unscrewing the barrel below and looking at the filling mechanism inside. And then do the required as mentioned below.

How to fill using a piston filler?

A piston filler is one with a piston that can be accessed by twisting the piston knob, usually at the back of the pen. If this is the kind of filling mechanism in your pen:

  • Untwist the piston knob until the resistance level.
  • Place/insert the nib into the bottle of ink.
  • Now twist the piston knob in the opposite direction while the nib is in the ink bottle.
  • And that's it! The piston retracts and fills your pen.

HOW TO FILL using a VACUUM FILLERS?

The vacuum fillers are similar to piston fillers in many ways, but just as the name itself suggests, it uses a lot of vacuum in the process of filling ink in your favorite fountain pen.

  • Twist the knob at the end of the pen to loosen it.
  • Once you feel it is completely loose, pull the knob towards you from the barrel.
  • Now insert the nib in an ink bottle.
  • Push the knob slowly down back into the barrel.
  • Now, twist the knob back into place, and your pen is ready to write.
NOTE:  Make sure you give it at least 5-10 minutes while you push it back in.

How to fill a crescent filler?

This one might seem a bit odd but is easy and fun to use. They have a crescent-shaped metal piece that should be pushed back into the barrel.

  • Twist the plastic piece underneath the crescent metal piece until it opens in line with it.
  • Once the path is open, you will push the metal piece in to create a depression in the ink filling mechanism.
  • Now hold the pen such that the nib is in the ink bottle.
  • Now press the crescent ring in and hold it for a few seconds, allowing the ink to flow in.
  • Release the crescent piece and close the plastic piece underneath it.
  • Now your pen is ready to write.
fill a fountain pen

​How to fill an ink cartridge?

Suppose your pen has a separate cartridge to fill ink attached to your fountain pen's front part, then your work is probably the easiest. However, you have two ways of doing this, the easier way and the difficult way.

​method 1

You can remove your cartridge, and fill in the ink into the cartridge manually.

  • Remove the cartridge from the pen.
  • Take an eyedropper and use it to take some ink from the ink bottle. 
  • Now drop the ink back into the cartridge slowly. Make sure you do not waste a lot of it.

​method 2

When you use this way to fill in ink in your fountain pen with a cartridge, you can use a converter on your cartridge. There are many different converters you can use, out if which the piston converter is preferably the best.

How to fill using a piston converter?

This one is a combination of a cartridge, and the piston filling mechanism clubbed in together. You have a cartridge that can be filled using a piston mechanism.

  • Unscrew the barrel out to get the cartridge out and pull it towards you.
  • Place/insert the nib into the bottle of ink.
  • Now twist the piston knob in the opposite direction while the nib is in the ink bottle.
  • And that's it! The piston retracts and fills your pen.

HOW TO FILL VACUUM FILLERS?

The vacuum fillers are similar to piston fillers in many ways, but just as the name itself suggests, it uses a lot of vacuum in the process of filling ink in your favorite fountain pen.

  • Twist the knob at the end of the pen to loosen it.
  • Hold the nib of the pen into the ink bottle. 
  • Now using the piston mechanism on your cartridge, push it downwards slowly. Make sure you give it enough time (at least 5 to 10 mins) while you push it down.
  • Take the nib out and screw back the barrel.
  • Now your fountain pen is ready to write.

How to fill using a squeeze converter?

In this way of filling ink in your dearest fountain pens, you have a cartridge that uses the concept of crescent fillers, but is a lot of fun to use and less confusing than the crescent ink filling mechanism.

  • Open the barrel and place your nib in the ink bottle.
  • Press and squeeze the cartridge letting the ink flow in.
  • Hold it for a few seconds until the cartridge is full.
  • Now your favorite fountain pen is ready to write. 

​The manual way

Manually, you need to open the barrel to find no separate mechanism for filling ink and that the barrel itself is where you fill the ink. 

  • Take ink in your eyedropper. 
  • Drop the ink inside the barrel of your Fountain pen.
  • Screw your barrel back into the pen.
  • Now your pen is ready to write.
fill a fountain pen

Conclusion

So these are how you fill your fountain pens with ink. These are existing and most commonly used ink filling mechanisms in any fountain pen. I hope this was of some help. Now go fill in inks in your fountain pens and write your heart out!!

Also, share this post with your buddies who struggle to fill a fountain pen. If you know any creative way to fill a fountain pen, then share it in the comment section.

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