Cartridges and converters

Which type of cartridge or converter does my fountain pen take?

Refilling your fountain pen is always a fun adventure, but it can be confusing at the start.

The majority of fountain pens will take a standard international cartridge or converter. Depending on the length of the pen (for example, Kaweco Sports are shorter pens) they may require a short standard international cartridge or converter, which has the same opening as a standard international cartridge but with an overall shorter length.

Other fountain pens require proprietary cartridges or converters, which are designed specifically to fit their brand’s pens.

Pen brands that require a proprietary cartridge are underlined below.

CARTRIDGE/CONVERTER TYPE BY PEN BRAND

Acme – Standard International
A. G. Spalding & Bros. – Standard International
Ancora – Standard International
Art Alternatives – Standard International
Aurora – Aurora (sometimes Parker or Lamy)
Bexley – Standard International
Benu – Standard International
BIGiDESIGN – Standard International
Caran d’Ache – Standard International
Cartier – Standard International
Conklin – Standard International
Conway Stewart – Standard International
Cross – Cross
Danitrio – Standard International
David Oscarson – Standard International
Delta – Standard International
Diplomat – Standard International
Dunhill – Standard International
E+M – Standard International
Eboya – Standard International
Edison – Standard International
Ensso – Standard International
Esterbrook – Standard International
Faber Castell – Standard International
Fine Writing International – Standard International
Franklin-Christoph – Standard International
Graf von Faber-Castell – Standard International
Hero – varies by model
Itoya – Standard International
J. Herbin – Standard International
Jean Pierre Lepine – Standard International
Jinhao – Standard International
Karas Kustoms – Standard International
Kaweco – Standard International
Krone – Standard International
Kuretake – Standard International
Lamy – Lamy (also Lamy-compatible brands)
Libelle – Standard International
Lochlen – Standard International
Lominchay – Standard International
Maiora – Standard International
Marlen – Standard International
Monami Monami
Montblanc – Standard International
Montegrappa – Standard International
Monteverde
 – Standard International

Moonman – varies by model
Nakaya – Platinum
Namiki – Pilot
Nemosine – Standard International
Nettuno – Standard International
Ohto – Standard International
Omas – Standard International
Onishi Seisakusho – Standard International
Online – Standard International
Osmiroid – Standard International
Otto Hutt – Standard International
Parker – Parker (sometimes Aurora)
Pilot – Pilot
Pelikan – Standard International
Penlux – Standard International
Pentel – Standard International
Pineider – Standard International
Platinum – Platinum
Ranga – Standard International
Recife – Standard International
Reform – Standard International
Regal – Standard International
Retro 51 – Standard International
Rotring – Standard International
Sailor – Sailor
Schmidt – Standard International
Schneider – Standard International
Sensa – Standard International
Sheaffer – Standard International
S.T. Dupont – Standard International
Staedtler – Standard International
Stipula – Standard International
Taccia – Standard International
Tactile Turn – Standard International
Traveler’s Company – Standard International
Tombow – Standard International
TWSBI – Standard International
Visconti – Standard International
Vivapen – Standard International
Waldmann – Standard International
Wancher – Standard International
Waterford – Standard International
Waterman – Standard International
Yard O Led – Standard International
Yookers – Standard International
YStudio – Standard International

PEN BRAND BY CARTRIDGE/CONVERTER TYPE
Standard International cartridges and converter

Standard International cartridge/converter

Acme
A. G. Spalding & Bros.
Ancora
Art Alternatives
Bexley
Benu
BIGiDESIGN
Caran d’Ache
Cartier
Conklin
Conway Stewart
Danitrio
David Oscarson
Delta
Diplomat
Dunhill
E+M
Eboya
Edison
Ensso
Esterbrook

Faber Castell
Fine Writing International
Franklin-Christoph
Graf von Faber-Castell
Hero 
Itoya
J. Herbin
Jean Pierre Lepine
Jinhao
Karas Kustoms
Kaweco
Kuretake
Krone
Libelle
Lochlen
Lominchay
Maiora
Manuscript
Marlen
Montblanc

Montegrappa
Monteverde
Moonman
Nemosine
Nettuno
Ohto •
Onishi Seisakusho
Omas
Online •
Osmiroid
Otto Hutt
Pelikan
Penlux
Pentel
Pineider
Ranga
Recife
Reform
Regal
Retro 51
Rotring

Schmidt
Schneider
Sensa
Sheaffer
S.T. Dupont
Staedtler
Stipula
Taccia
Tactile Turn
Tombow
Traveler’s Company •
TWSBI
Visconti
Vivapen
Waldmann
Wancher
Waterford
Waterman
Yard O Led
Yookers
YStudio

  • Kaweco Sport and Kaweco Lilliput pens are too short to accept the long size Standard International cartridges or converters, but will accept the short size Standard International cartridges. The Kaweco-branded mini converters are slightly too long for the Sport models but are ideal for the Lilliputs. The Kaweco-branded squeeze converters will fit all but early Sport models. The early Sport models should accept a Monteverde-branded mini converter.
  • Ohto Tasche pens will accept the short size Standard International only.
  • Online branded cartridges have a special dual-ended function in which one end fits pens that take Standard International cartridges, and the other end is shaped to fit Lamy pens.
  • Traveler’s Company pens will take the short size Standard International only.

Hero, Jinhao, Moonman and Regal pens can be inconsistent with which type of cartridge/converters they will take. Many models will accept a Standard International, however others seem to take unbranded, proprietary cartridges which differ from each other in small, undocumented ways.

CARTRIDGE/CONVERTER TYPE BY PEN BRAND

Aurora branded cartridge/converter

Aurora cartridge and converter

Aurora pens (sometimes Parker or Lamy)
Parker pens

Lamy branded cartridge/converter

Aurora pens (sometimes Parker or Lamy)
Monami pens
Lamy pens

  • Lamy Z23 fits Persona model only
  • Lamy Z24/Z28 fits Safari, Vista, Al-Star, LX, Joy, and ABC models
  • Lamy Z25 is threaded and fits early Accent and Lady models
  • Lamy Z26/Z27 fits all current production models (and, allegedly, some Parker pen models)

Pilot branded cartridge/converter

Pilot cartridges and converters

Namiki pens
Pilot pens

  • Pilot Petit pens use Pilot Petit cartridges only
  • Pilot Parallel pens can use standard Pilot cartridges and converters, but the ink in the Parallel branded cartridges is of a thicker formulation than the standard Pilot cartridges and is not recommended for use with non-Parallel pens.
  • The Pilot CON-70 converter will only fit in Pilot Custom, Justus 95, and Kaküno models. It is too large for the Capless/Vanishing Point, Cavalier, Elabo, Elite, Falcon, Garance, Lady, Lucina, Metropolitan, Parallel, Penmanship, Plumix and Prera models.

Cross branded cartridge/converter

Cross cartridges and converters

Cross pens

Monami branded cartridge/converter

Monami cartridge

Monami pens

Parker branded cartridge/converter

Parker cartridges and converters

Aurora pens (sometimes Parker or Lamy)
Parker pens

Platinum branded cartridge/converter

Platinum cartridge and converters

Nakaya pens
Platinum pens

Sailor branded cartridge/converter

Sailor cartridges and converters

Sailor pens

  • Sailor Chalana pens require a Sailor Slim converter/cartridge rather than the standard Sailor converter
  • Sailor Mini pens are too short to fit a standard Sailor converter, but will fit a (discontinued) Sailor Mini converter

This list is far from comprehensive, and many of the brands with proprietary cartridge/converter systems also have older or less-documented models with even more specific needs than the ones listed here. Hopefully, readers will weigh in with their expertise in the comment section below.

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