my pens really suck

[I like mango pudding]

I've recently filled up all my pens, yes, all 9 of them. Some are piston filled, but I want to talk about the converter filled pens. Recently I've found that my converter filled pens suck up a lot of ink. I'd fill it up to the fullest with the converter dunked into the ink bottle, suck up the ink and then plug it in, prime the feed, start writing, and then refill the amount of ink that was taken up by priming. Why do I do this? Because every time I suck up the ink with the nib, I never get a good fill. It gets really messy for me too.

Normally my pens should last several pages of writing. But lately I've noticed that if I leave my pens sitting for some time (ie a week, maybe two), the ink in the converter is half gone. I'd twist the converter and find out I'm more than 50%, almost 75% used up. I swear I've never used up that much ink before in that pen.

Mind you I used to use cartridges for a while and they'd last several pages before even making a dent in them. Even if I leave them for a couple of weeks. Now, when I switched over to converters, they seem to suck the ink right out. I have no idea where the ink went. It's not leaking and not pooling in the cap, so I don't know what gives.

Now, I have done it with the nib in the bottle and filled it up with the converter in place, but the same thing happens.

I must have filled up 4 times in a converter and I barely wrote 2 pages in total over the extended time I've inked up this pen.

[tandaina]

Evaporation does happen with fountain pens. It may be the converters don't seal as well as the carts and so get more evaporation? Leave them long enough and it'll all evaporate out, leaving behind just the color.

[KrazyIvan]

Yup. It happens more in the summer months here. A pen that does not seal well, especially vintage because they have those breather holes in the cap, will evaporate rather quickly. The only pens that I have where that does not happen is my Platinum, Sailor and recently I discovered my Zebra pens. They have that spring loaded inner cap that seals in the nib. It reduces the evaporation greatly.

[cwent2]

Twsbi 580 has a seal on the cap - I think this helps reduce evap also

Cw

[KrazyIvan]

Twsbi 580 has a seal on the cap - I think this helps reduce evap also

Cw

It does but it is not as good as the spring loaded caps. If you have a Platinum Preppy, you can see what I mean.

[everybodylovesbacon]

I know that might get annoying, but I always look forward to the time when I run empty and get to ink up. It brings a wonderful type of variety to the whole experience. (Sorry I have no advice for you other than to enjoy the write.)

[dduran]

Just got my Platinum Preppy yesterday, which is also my first Platinum pen. Man, if they can put a spring loaded cap on a $4 "disposable" pen, what's stopping them from putting these on $400-x,xxx pens (the other brands, I mean)! :(

[jacksterp]

Haven't experienced something like that - even with pens inked and not used for months. Maybe the caps just happen to seal well?

BTW - I always keep my inked pens lying down (if that helps?).