How to fill a fountain pen with an ink converterUpdated 10 months ago

A converter is like a refillable cartridge. It has the same collar design that attaches to the pen section. The opening fits on the feed post. It utilizes a screw- or pull-action to move the piston inside the chamber.

1. Make sure the converter is properly attached to the pen's front section.
2. Move the piston head toward the section by screwing the knob.
3. Submerge the nib and feed fully into a bottle of fountain pen ink.
4. Turn the knob in the opposite direction to pull the piston head up.
5. The suction created by the piston moving from the front-end of the converter to the back will draw up the ink.
6. Pushing the piston from the back to the front of the converter will force ink, air, or water out of the converter.

The most common converter is the international-style pen converter, which is offered by several manufacturers. Other pen brands use their own, proprietary converter design that only fits their pens. Lamy, Parker, Sailor, and Pilot are examples of companies that use proprietary converters. To find a complete list of compatible fountain pen cartridges & converters, please check out our cartridge converter compatibility guide.