Re:Pen Refills Guide
by throwanem on Tuesday July 23, 2019 @10:54AM
(#20507201)
Pilot cartridges are very easy to refill with a dropper, or a syringe with a dispensing needle; you can pull out the little plastic seal with tweezers, fill the cartridge, and then push the seal back in with the back of a chopstick or similar.
That way, you avoid the wastage of throwing out empty cartridges, which are effectively unrecyclable because of the leftover ink inside and also because they don't carry material markings. They also hold considerably more than a converter, and not all Pilot pens (such as my Decimo) can even take a converter in the first place; worse, even if your pen can take a converter, refilling one at work or similar is a messy, time-consuming pain in the neck, where cartridges are easy to carry and quick to swap.
Whether you use a cartridge or a converter, it's also worth noting that inks formulated for Western pens often have trouble flowing in the narrower feeds and finer nibs of Japanese pens; I've had considerable trouble with Herbin and Monteverde inks in my Pilots, while they flow perfectly well in Western pens with broader nibs. Something to keep in mind to avoid the frustration of constant hard starts and other flow problems. Pilot's Iroshizuku line is well matched to their pens, and offers an extensive range of colors; for a Metropolitan, especially one with a nib narrower than M, I'd recommend starting there.
That way, you avoid the wastage of throwing out empty cartridges, which are effectively unrecyclable because of the leftover ink inside and also because they don't carry material markings. They also hold considerably more than a converter, and not all Pilot pens (such as my Decimo) can even take a converter in the first place; worse, even if your pen can take a converter, refilling one at work or similar is a messy, time-consuming pain in the neck, where cartridges are easy to carry and quick to swap.
Whether you use a cartridge or a converter, it's also worth noting that inks formulated for Western pens often have trouble flowing in the narrower feeds and finer nibs of Japanese pens; I've had considerable trouble with Herbin and Monteverde inks in my Pilots, while they flow perfectly well in Western pens with broader nibs. Something to keep in mind to avoid the frustration of constant hard starts and other flow problems. Pilot's Iroshizuku line is well matched to their pens, and offers an extensive range of colors; for a Metropolitan, especially one with a nib narrower than M, I'd recommend starting there.