Does anyone prefer cartridges over bottled ink?

[WhippingPost]

I've been using cartridge/converter pens for my entire FP life, and have been filling from various bottles as long as it's been prudent to do so, but yesterday I snapped a cartridge into my Parker Urban and it left me wondering if it was anyone's preferred method of inking a pen.

Don't get me wrong: I prefer my few bottles of ink for the way they write, but one cannot deny the ease, portability, and general cleanliness of a cartridge! Anyone else use them, if even on occasion?

 

[Pebcak]

At work it would have to be piston type fillers and then cartridges for the very reason you mentioned, ease and general cleanliness. At home though I don't care so much and prefer bottled ink hands down.

 

[RichieRich3902]

I really liked Parker quink black carts in my former Parker 45 fine nib pen. They just seemed to work right and held a ton of ink. I would refill my empty carts with quink black and keep a spare in my bag in case it or the other two pens I carry ran dry.

 

[Jut]

no

 

[Rockminer]

I look at cartridges as an emergency measure. Part of the fun of fountain pens, for me, Is filling the pen. Sure I can syringe a cartridge but if I'm going to do that, I'd rather dip a Nib or a converter instead.

Cartridges are very easy and simple to use, I guess I just like the "old way" better. I may be on a very small island with my thinking.........I've often been called "different". ( which i'm proud of )

 

[cursethis]

I like being able to switch a color up depending on my mood (or how bad my ADD is). Cartridges just don't satiate my boredom as well as converters. I have like 15 ink samples from Goulet that I still haven't finished off, not to mention bottles of ink that I'll never finish within the next decade.

 

[Snargle]

Some do, but I don't!

 

[strop]

I throw them into my briefcase when I go to a conference, for emergency use only.

Except for my Kaweco ALSport. Only option there, and I include the nemo hack with cartridge.

 

[Boro62]

I use bottle ink, but I am tempted to start refilling carts with a syringe. It just seems easier for me. I don't ever find the need to empty and refill if I want to use different inks, I just buy a new pen for every color I have so I have dedicated pens for each ink...what can i say...im a self-enabler llike that.

 

[andrew98]

I've carried cartridges for backup use while traveling. I use them in my Kaweco Sport as well. I need to make a couple of those bulb carts. One for the Sport and another for a Mazzuoli Micrometer. However, I can't be bothered ordering the materials just to make two of them.

I prefer converter and piston pens.

-Andy

 

[celestino]

Haven't had any need for them, but they are convenient when traveling, i would imagine.

 

[WhippingPost]

So we have some that use them, and some that don't. Different strokes and all that jazz, eh?

I could definitely see using them for travel. I popped this one in on a whim and don't think it's all that bad. I've written a couple of notes to the girlfriend, and they don't write badly, either. Of course, maybe I'm more accepting than some because my first experiences with FP's were fueled by cartridges.

 

[ShinyRex]

Nope,
I even brought an eyedropper bottle of ink last time I traveled incase I needed more but as long as the pen is full I am good for over a week. These days I only use cartridges in a Japanese brush pen I have and I only do it for a few reasons a: I brought back 80 ish cartridges when I moved an b: they don't offer it by the bottle and c: I'm not going to risk trying anything else.

I usually have two pens on my at all time so I am not worried about refilling at work.

 

[cursethis]

I keep my ink sample containers, so I'll just throw some extra ink into an empty one if I think I'll run out of ink while traveling.

 

[quantumcloud509]

no

+1 lol

 

[oc_in_fw]

+1 lol

+2.

 

[Mr5x5]

I don't prefer them, but they have a place when they can be more convenient or "safer". i'm using a cartridge for my daughter's pen. If she keeps up with it, I will get her a better pen with a converter.

 

[Myosin]

In the roughly half a year I've been using fountain pens, I have never even put one in any of my pens.

I check my ink levels almost every time before I go to class, but if I ever do forget and happen to run out of ink, I keep a full pack of Bic pens and mechanical pencils in the console of my car for emergencies.

My problem with cartridges is you have to buy several different kinds if some of the pens you carry use proprietary cartridges.

I have never really looked at the prices of carts, but I would assume the price per fill is substantially higher than bottled.

 

[babydials]

For office use, definitely.