Fastest pen out of the ink bottle?

[mjh]

What filler type would you say is the fastest in and out of the bottle? Not including steps before and after. For me the time it spends in the bottle is 'the danger zone'. Where I feel prone to tipping, spilling, splashing, breaking, etc. I like filling from the bottle, but would like the least time wasted at the stage.

-MJ

[Kelly G]

Without giving it too much thought; The Sheaffer Touchdown, Snorkel (or vac-fill for that matter). Everything takes place outside the bottle except the one down stroke of the touchdown (or wire filler) tube - like practically all bottle fillers you have to leave the nib in the ink for 10 seconds or so to get a full fill - but that is just a matter of holding the pen relatively still.

[penspouse]

Of my pens, it would be my Pelikan piston fills.

[Wile E Coyote]

Pilot Custom 823 plunger/vacuum filler, Visconti with a power filler or Sheaffer with touchdown filler. Outside the ink bottle you extend the piston rod at the back of the pen, place the nib in the ink then push the rod into the pen. That's it, you wipe off the extra ink and you're done. Time in ink bottle a couiple seconds max. The way I hold the section I can also grip the top of the ink bottle to stabilize it for extra security.

With an eyedropper filler the pen never enters the ink bottle but the whole process can be a bit messy. You can put the open pen in a test tube rack or similar device to hold the pen while you are filling it and rinsing the eyedropper or syringe. Not as quick but safe from an ink bottle tipping persepctive.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I don't use it a lot, but I'd offer the Parker 61. It's not such a short window of disaster, but the part of the pen not in the ink is short, and you don't have to do ANYTHING with it apart from hold on. That aside, it's either the various Sheaffers mentioned above or button-fillers.

Eyedroppers are a constant source of spillage terror for me, although I've so far managed to not make a mess loading one.

[JMX]

The fastest and safest are my Level 65s, but then again it's payback time when you try to empty/clean them...

[nikjem]

Well, If this is the first time you pen has been filled with ink, the surface tension of the ink might make it take a few minutes until ink starts flowing. You can scribble with the pen so that you know when the flow commences. If you find the ink taking its time to saturate the nib of your fountain pen, try leaving the pen stand upright for 15 or 20 minutes.

[fountainpenkid]

I think its important that you say pelikan piston fillers--as a sticky piston equates to a longer fill time, and pelikans (my 400 being a good example) almost always have smooth running pistons.
I think a lever filler would be the fastest--as long as it is not a big sac--a small lever pen (maybe an SJ) would probably be the fastest (my great grandma's SJ (RIP to my great grandma and her broken pen filled very fast). Though the lever's funky motion may be more "dangerous".

Best,

Will