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Thread: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

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    Default Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    When it comes to pens, it is pointless if one cannot refill from a bottle. Just my personal opinion of course

    I have a set of cartridges but hardly use them. I feel they have their advantages, but they aren't good for the environment if you don't reuse them.


    What's your favourite refilling mechanism?

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Cartridges. Cartridges preferred over any other fill method but I will even use pens that must be filled from a bottle sometimes. And I find refilling cartridges just silly so don't even bother with that. Most any filling method is okay with me though except eye droppers. They were rightly abandoned a century ago and return only as zombies.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    In general whatever the pen comes with, whatever gets ink on the page.

    Sentimental attachment to the directness of a squeeze converter — feeling the inward rush of ink past one's fingertips, adding that extra gram or so of heft.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    When I'm on business travel, usually 4-5 days, or a road trip, I bring cartridges so I don't have to travel with a bottle of ink.

    Almost all of the rest of the time I fill from bottles.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Any functioning filling system is fine with me.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by guyy View Post
    Any functioning filling system is fine with me.
    ^^^This.
    In my mug: Sailor 21 P-P M, Cross Solo M, Online Calligraphy, Monteverde Invincia F, Hero 359 M, Jinhao X450 M, Levenger T-W M, Jinhao 159 , Platinum Balance F, TWSBI Classic 1.1, Platinum Preppy 0.3 F, 7 Pilot Varsities, Speedball penholder, TWSBI 580 USA EF, Pilot MR, Ahab 1.1, another Preppy 0.3, Preppy EF 0.2, ASA Sniper F, Click Majestic F, Kaweco Sport M, Pilot Prera F, Baoer 79 M, Hero 616 M, Jinhao X750

    31 and counting

    DaveBj

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    When I'm on business travel, usually 4-5 days, or a road trip, I bring cartridges so I don't have to travel with a bottle of ink.

    Almost all of the rest of the time I fill from bottles.
    That's a good point. I don't use fountain pens at all while travelling. They are particularly inconvenient on board airplanes where they can leak due to the slightly reduced pressure sometimes. So for me it is gel pens when travelling and bottle-filled FPs at home.

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    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by gnat9 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    When I'm on business travel, usually 4-5 days, or a road trip, I bring cartridges so I don't have to travel with a bottle of ink.

    Almost all of the rest of the time I fill from bottles.
    That's a good point. I don't use fountain pens at all while travelling. They are particularly inconvenient on board airplanes where they can leak due to the slightly reduced pressure sometimes. So for me it is gel pens when travelling and bottle-filled FPs at home.
    I see a lot of comments about airplanes and leaking and yet in a couple dozen trips since I've started this, I've not had a single drop leaked. I've even used a couple of pens while flying.

    Now, I wouldn't trust certain pens for air travel* --- or for road trips up and over Colorado mountain passes. The pressure differentials are about the same for both kinds of travel, incidentally.

    I almost always bring a Parker 51 Aerometric as well as a cartridge pen, usually either a Parker 45, Montblanc 221, or something newish like a Pilot Stargazer or Waterman Hemisphere. Each of these pens I trust implicitly in all conditions. Last trip in Feb I didn't even bother putting them in sandwich bags. I don't keep them nib up or anything. I usually try to keep them near full but I don't even do that all the time.

    * I have some drippy, older pens that I don't even trust on the ground in my office. For example, both of my Vacumatics burp blobs of ink on the page when they get low, a couple of my early Parker 21s have been extremely drippy, and my 1st generation Sheaffer Balance drips if you look at it funny. The 21s and Balance may have issues with air leaks or something.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Bottle while at home and during road trips.

    Cartridges when traveling by air, so I don't have to bring a bottle of ink.
    Bob

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    Paper cuts through the noise – Richard Moross, MOO CEO

    Indiana Jones used a notebook in the map room, not an app.

    www.bobsoltys.net/fountainpens

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    I prefer the variety bottles allowed, but like many said, if I'm on the road, some extra cartridges for easy refilling.

    As to eye-droppers, I've never gotten into it since I find the chance of a mess with my clumsy self too risky, plus the likelihood of staining the pen in areas I can't clean up seems to be higher.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    I use both. I fill cartridges sometimes (usually with something I can't get in cartridges).
    Lady Onogaro

    "Be yourself--everybody else is already taken." --Oscar Wilde

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    I prefer bottles for most of my pens, but also have some cartridge only pens so like Lady Onogaro I often refill cartridges with something I can't get in cartridges.

    I also have two Moonman C2 pens that are eye-dropper fill only. They are absolutely great and I use them a lot. I selected M nibs so the original Moonman F nibs were switched out by the ebay seller to Jinhao M nibs. These are lovely smooth nibs. Great pens.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    I refill empty cleaned cartridges with ink from bottles using a syringe.
    Easy, affordable, and environmentally sound.
    Kind regards.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    I respectfully disagree.
    Nothing "silly" about refilling cartridges unless you enjoy greater expense and environmental waste.
    Kind regards.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by resipsa View Post
    I respectfully disagree.
    Nothing "silly" about refilling cartridges unless you enjoy greater expense and environmental waste.
    Kind regards.
    Welcome.

    If you want to reply to a particular person's post, then you should select "Reply with Quote" on the post you want to reply to and your reply will be associated with it. Like this reply of mine embeds your post that I'm replying to.

    No problem in disagreeing with a person's comment but we currently don't know exactly which one you're disagreeing with.
    Last edited by Chrissy; June 25th, 2020 at 11:56 PM.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Definitely bottles. More colour choices, more ink choices (no iron gall or archival cartridges that I am aware of), much less plastic. Better for me, better for the planet.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by resipsa View Post
    I respectfully disagree.
    Nothing "silly" about refilling cartridges unless you enjoy greater expense and environmental waste.
    Kind regards.
    Welcome.

    If you want to reply to a particular person's post, then you should select "Reply with Quote" on the post you want to reply to and your reply will be associated with it. Like this reply of mine embeds your post that I'm replying to.

    No problem in disagreeing with a person's comment but we currently don't know exactly which one you're disagreeing with.
    jar in post #3?

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by catbert View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by resipsa View Post
    I respectfully disagree.
    Nothing "silly" about refilling cartridges unless you enjoy greater expense and environmental waste.
    Kind regards.
    Welcome.

    If you want to reply to a particular person's post, then you should select "Reply with Quote" on the post you want to reply to and your reply will be associated with it. Like this reply of mine embeds your post that I'm replying to.

    No problem in disagreeing with a person's comment but we currently don't know exactly which one you're disagreeing with.
    jar in post #3?
    Ahh thanks. Got it now. On my screen jar's post is #2
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by resipsa View Post
    I respectfully disagree.
    Nothing "silly" about refilling cartridges unless you enjoy greater expense and environmental waste.
    Kind regards.
    Back around 1974, I used a Sheaffer Scripto cartridge fountain pen. I concluded that per ounce of ink, cartridges cost 10x as much as bottled ink. In Massachusetts then, it was legal to have syringes with needles. (Although the pharmacist said "Dan, I didn't know you were diabetic.") So I refilled the cartridges using a syringe and needle.

    At the sink in the bathroom at work, I was flushing the syringe when the CEO walked in. Some of my colleagues were also there and they wanted to see the CEO's response. He finally said "I don't care what you do as long as you get the work done."
    Dan Kalish

    Fountain Pens: Pelikan Souveran M805, Pelikan Petrol-Marbled M205, Santini Libra Cumberland Gold ebonite, Waterman Expert II, Waterman Phileas, Waterman Kultur, Stipula Splash, Sheaffer Sagaris, Sheaffer Prelude, Osmiroid 65

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    Default Re: Cartridge vs Bottle - Which one do you prefer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by catbert View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by resipsa View Post
    I respectfully disagree.
    Nothing "silly" about refilling cartridges unless you enjoy greater expense and environmental waste.
    Kind regards.
    Welcome.

    If you want to reply to a particular person's post, then you should select "Reply with Quote" on the post you want to reply to and your reply will be associated with it. Like this reply of mine embeds your post that I'm replying to.

    No problem in disagreeing with a person's comment but we currently don't know exactly which one you're disagreeing with.
    jar in post #3?
    Ahh thanks. Got it now. On my screen jar's post is #2
    Mine too now. Could have sworn it was 3 earlier. Weird.

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