Fountain pen converters are one of the most convenient ways to fill your fountain pen with ink. They allow you to use any and every type of fountain pen ink, and they can be used for as long as your pen is working. Today, converters are some of the most popular ink-filling systems that modern fountain pen users prefer.
Not all converters are the same, and this is especially true between brands. Though the mechanisms that they use are mostly the same, designs may vary across pen manufacturers. Most brands will offer more than one type of converter for their fountain pens, and these will often differ from pen to pen within the brand.
Here, we’ll be discussing two of the converters that Pilot offers, which pens they work with, and how they differ from each other.
Pilot CON-40 Twist Piston Ink Converter
The Pilot CON-40 Twist Piston Ink Converter is a popular option for Pilot and officially became the replacement for the previous CON-20 and CON-50 converters. This converter is versatile as it can be used with most Pilot and Namiki fountain pens. This converter is the twist piston variety, which is the most common type of converter available. It works by twisting the knob at the end of the converter. This moves the piston mechanism up and draws ink into the converter.
In terms of compatibility, technically the CON-40 can fit all Pilot fountain pens and holds 0.4mL of ink. There are agitator beads inside the ink reservoir that aids in ink flow as it prevents ink from gathering on the sides of the converter. This converter is quite small, so it should fit into any Pilot fountain pen with no trouble. 
To use this twist piston ink converter with pens like the Pilot Metropolitan or the Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen, simply place it into the grip section of your pen. Then, with the nib submerged fully into a bottle of ink, twist the knob until the converter is filled.
Pilot CON-70 Push-Button Piston
Contrary to the CON-40, the Pilot CON-70 Push Button Piston converter does not have a screw or piston mechanism. It uses a push-button technique to fill itself with ink. And while the CON-40 can be used with all Pilot and Namiki fountain pens, the CON-70 is much longer, so it is only suitable for certain pens. These are usually the larger and more expensive pens. However, there are some exceptions, like the Pilot Explorer and the Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen.
The mechanism that allows this converter to work is very efficient since it allows for a much higher capacity than the CON-40. However, it does take a bit of practice to fill the converter up all the way to 1.1mL. It may take multiple presses and letting go of the top button to quickly fill the converter up with ink all the way. Nevertheless, it can hold plenty of ink for bigger pens.
If you intend on buying fountain pens like the Pilot Metal Falcon Fountain Pen or the Pilot Custom 74, both of which are larger options, then this is the converter to use.
Fountain pen converters remain a very popular way to fill fountain pens, and the unique qualities of each converter depend on the brand you’re using. For Pilot, the CON-40 and CON-70 remain the top used converters for their line of fountain pens. It’s in choosing the right Pilot fountain pen for you that will determine which converter you need to use.
Written by EndlessPens Blogger Ramona Kabigting
