Built-in

I have already reflected on these chronicles on the appeal of self-filling and other arcane systems among stylophiles (see, for instance, chronicles Sailor´s Piston, and Romanticism). Cartridges and converters are often frown upon non very clear basis other than a diffuse and romantic idea of what a fountain pen should be.

Now, what would happen if we attached a converter permanently to the section of the pen? Would stylophiles value that creation as a pen loyal to the essence of a pen? Would that be a real self-filling pen?

Pilot Custom from 1985.

This Pilot Custom from 1985 illustrates this idea. From outside, it really looks like a self-filling pen—few cartridge-converter (C-C) pens implement an ink window despite the fact it could be very useful in combination with some metallic converters. Then, opening the barrel, we see that it indeed is a self-filling pen. And the (transparent) filling system is truly original.

Pilot Custom, from 1985. The ink window is clearly visible, although is hidden by the cap when the pen is closed.

Or is it?

It is a pulsated piston, and it is also a built-in CON-70 converter.

The filling system, exposed.

As for the rest of the pen, it is made of black plastic with golden trim. The nib, in 14 K gold, is equivalent to the current size 5 available on several Custom models. Not a fancy pen save for the filling system. But is it enough for stylophiles to appreciate it as a real self-filling pen?

The nib, in 14 K gold, is similar, if not identical, to the currently produced size 5.

Detail of how the filling system is integrated in the section.

What if we glued a converter to the section of any C-C pen?

All this shows, once again, that cartridges and converters were a natural evolution in fountain pens. But of course we are romantics, and as such we are not very prone to rational arguments.

(Platinum pocket pen in stripped steel – Platinum brown, cartridge)

Bruno Taut
May 8th, 2012
[labels: Pilot, soluciones técnicas]