The parts of your fountain pen
Your fountain pen consists of four parts when assembled—the cap, the nib, the barrel, and the ink reservoir. Most reservoirs are a piston converter, ink cartridge or a built in piston The converter and the inbuilt piston require fountain pen bottled ink. The cartridge is a self-contained, disposable unit filled with ink.
Common filling system
Preparing and Using a New Fountain Pen
Removing the barrel
First remove the cap. Then remove the barrel by turning it counter clockwise.
Whether you are using an ink cartridge or the converter pump the fountain pen must first be primed with ink. Ink must be in the feed groove, in the feed wings, and under the nib before the fountain pen will write properly and continuously.
1. Filling with a fountain pen converter
Place the fountain pen, nib first, into the bottle of ink until the nib is entirely covered (Figure A). Twist the piston converter counterclockwise at the top. This forces the air out of the converter. Then twist the top of the piston converter clockwise to draw the ink up into the converter. While holding the nib above the bottle of ink, slowly twist the piston converter counterclockwise until a bead of ink flows from the tip of the nib (Figure B). Gently blot excess ink from the nib with a lint-free cloth or blotter paper.
2. Inserting a fountain pen cartridge
Check if the converter is snug fit or if it is threaded. If it’s a simple snug fit, then remove the piston converter by gently pulling it away from the nib section. If it is threaded, then insert a fountain pen cartridge into the nib and push firmly until the cartridge seats itself (Note : Be gentle! Not rough) you will hear /sense a small click.
Now you must prime the pen – Squeeze the cartridge so ink comes out of the tip of the nib. Clean the nib and under the feed with a tissue; write a few words to test the pen. It should write but if not, squeeze again but harder. Clean the ink from the nib and under the feed with a tissue. Test and repeat if the pen does not write.
