LTN Phobia

I have been told by a Montblanc dealer that using bottle ink with a plunger and dropping 6 drops before a flight would prevent it from leaking.

However, mine is a small Montblanc that does not come with a plunger.

Does anyone have a tip for preventing leaks when using cartridges?

tfar

There are two types of devices that can be inserted into the small Montblanc pens. Both are so to say refillable cartridges that you can refill from an ink bottle. One has a screw/piston to suck the ink in. The other is basically a bladder inside a metal cartridge. There is an opening in the metal hull and you can pump the ink in. I prefer the screw type but the pump type holds more ink.

Since you are using already cartridges you might just squeeze some ink out of the cartridge. Additionally you could try to squeeze some ink out, maintain pressure on the cartridge and re-insert it into the pen. A similar procedure is recommended for shampoo bottles and the like. It works for those.

Or you simply put no cartridge in the pen while flying and only put it in when you are at the destination.

All of that said, I have several fountain pens by Montblanc, Waterman, Pelikan, Lamy etc and have never had the leak problem in flight. The Waterman Edson is supposed to have some leak prevention built in. An expensive proposition, though. Plus, my mother has one and it doesn't write very well and has a tendency to be messy even if just on her desk.

Would a nice rollerball perhaps be the answer to your troubles?

LTN Phobia

Thank you for your reply, tfar. I'll try those squeezing method. There was no refillable cartridge that came with mine (it's the smallest model) but I will squeeze a bit of the ink out of a cartridge prior to flight next time.

My Waterman rollerball leaked in flight, so I thought, what the heck, let's carry a fountain pen since even a rollerball dares to leak!

It's just not the same writing with a ball point, although it's a nice ball point...

cordelli

There is no guarantee any fountain pen won't leak in a flight, but I have found that keeping it point up and only about half way filled makes a huge difference if possible.

I usually keep them in a ziplock bag just in case if there both in the suitcase and carryon.

tfar

You are welcome! I bet you can get the little cartridge screw-pump adapters separately. I know I have already seen them but don't remember where. It's surprising the rollerball leaked. Did that happen with several cartridges or just one? Perhaps it was just a defect one. And, you are right, it is a totally different things to write with a nice fountain pen.

Obviously, keeping it upright will help. Good idea. It seems so self-evident one might not even think of doing it.

Cheers,

Till

LTN Phobia

I shall definitely look into that next time I'm in civilisation. Thank you!

Incidentally, I've just bought a new cartridge just in case I had a dodgy cartridge, to try it out on my next flight (although maybe I shouldn't test it on a 14-hour flight first ). I was a bit surprised that it leaked too. It didn't leak too badly, but was still a leak.

jeffrocowboy

I'm not sure I even know how to handwrite anymore, let alone with a fountain pen.

tfar

Here is a link with a bunch of so-called converters all on one side
http://www.PearTreePens.com/Fountain...rters-s/56.htm

I hear that the G2 rollerball and Sailor rollerball both write wonderfully. I actually tried the G2 and also the Impact RT and it is true, they write VERY nicely. The broader the tip the more like a fountain pen it will look. I have not tried the Sailor Innovation yet.

Fisher Spacepen also makes cartridges (ballpoint) that are pressurized. They will not leak and write under almost any condition. However, because their ink is more viscous (read: stiffer) they will also not write quite as smoothly.

Once you use the converters you will be able to try different inks with different flow properties. Google ink review and you will find that there are a bunch of neato peeps who really care about that kind of stuff.

Using the converter and an ink bottle is cheaper than cartridges. It also gives you the possibility to carry the ink in a bulletproof nalgene bottle. A 1oz bottle should be sufficient for a book. When you fly, you simply empty the left-over ink from the converter into the bottle. Voila! No waste and no leakage, all for the low cost of $5 (converter) + $2 nalgene bottle. I don't count the ink itself because that varies wildly but almost any bottle is cheaper than cartridges and more environmentally conscious.

tfar

I also wanted to mention that I use to travel with both a Faber Castell rollerball and Lamy M21 ball pen refills. None EVER leaked the tiniest bit. My Montblanc fountain pen with MB ink did not leak, either in the rare trips I took it on. I did not consciously do anything to the ink level in the converter nor do I remember whether I carried it upright. It is also the small MB size. I never tried the big one with the piston filler on an airplane.

cordelli

I get nothing from either company, but either of these places would be able to get you a converter if one exists for your pen and will probably do the entire transaction over the phone.

Artlite in Atlanta
http://www.artlite.net/

or

Fountain Pen Hospital in New York
http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/

Always visit Atrlite when down in Atlanta, they offer an incredible selection of fine pens at very good prices for open stock (unboxed) stuff. Most of my fountain pens come from there.

LTN Phobia

Thank you very much Cordelli and tfar.

Cordelli - ziplock bag is a very good idea - I shall definitely put my pens in there next time. Thank you also for the links. Artlite sounds like a very interesting place, and the Pen Hospital sounds like a pen addict's heaven (I've had a bit of a thing about nice pens since I was a child).

Tfar - thank you for all the tips once again! How is Lamy to write with? I have never owned one, but have always been quite curious about how it would write.

tfar

Lamy is quite nice to write with. I have tried their Safari models in Alu and plastic. The plastic safari is one of the standard student (i.e. grade 3-13, we got 12 to 13 years depending on the state of Germany you are in) fountain pen in my country. The other choices are Geha and Pelikan. I should get another Geha, don't know if they still exist. Pelikan, like in the M series, is already an upgrade, of course. An M400 or M600, not sure, started me on fountain pens when I was 14.

For the price it is hard to beat the Safari and they are almost indestructible. Plus they take virtually any cartridge you can throw at them, short or long or thin or thick; doesn't matter. I would like to buy the set of Lamy 2000 fountain pen and 4-color ball pen. It is one of the view Lamys with a gold nib. The multi-pen system works great. I have the 4-pen Accent by Lamy and it is my go to travel pen. Very sturdy and very reliable.

Rotring is quite special, too. I have a Rotring 600 back in Germany somewhere. Hm, wonder where that might be. Anyways, that thing is REALLY indestructible but also crazy heavy. It is turned out of billet aluminum and also accepts most cartridges. The nib on the Lamy is softer though. None of mine are gold, although you can get the RR600 with a gold nib.

The Lamy pen refills write better than the Rotring refills, I find.

I should do more handwriting but rarely get to do so. In high school I used the Pelikan for almost everything except maths and physics where I used the Rotring. For times when I felt I needed a little extra luck I used a sterling Solitaire. Yeah, I know: I am a superstitious snob for using that pen in high school.
For my 18th BD my godfather offered me a big MB Meisterstuck in classic black. I still cherish it but use it rarely. I signed my first job contract with it for example. It write like a dream but the line is a bit thick for everyday correspondence.

Till

GadgetFreak

It is the point up saving you there. The best way to carry a fountain pen on a plane is point up, and nearly full cartridge. It is the air that expands due to the decreased cabin pressure. If the point is up, the air just goes out and the ink stays put. If the point is down, the air is trapped by the ink (since the air goes up of course) and so when it expands if forces ink out. Likewise, the less air in the pen, the less volume change from the change in pressure. The ink doesnt change much if at all since it is a lot denser.

tfar

Fine, explanation. Thanks a bunch. I'd still go with a cartridge or converter where some ink has been squeezed out. Perhaps 10-20%?

Or, if you use a converter, just empty the ink back into its bottle. Problem solved or throw the cartridge away. Problem solved at a small expense.

LTN Phobia

Wow, so they are still getting students to use a fountain pen in Germany? That's terrific! There's nothing nicer to write with than a good fountain pen.

Thank you for the feedback on Lamy. It sounds like it might be a good travelling pen (especially the plastic one, in case I lose it - I'd be pretty angry with myself if I lost my MB or Duofold).

I got a MB fountain pen and a ball point for my birthday many years ago too - and I lost the fountain pen (bummer). I still have the ball point though - as I'm not keen on ball points, it stayed at home, so it hasn't had the opportunity to get lost.

As for the line on your Meisterstuck being a bit thick, I *think* (don't quote me on this) you can have the nib replaced.