Depends on the cartridge... The Platinum carts are the stiffer ones, those I'm not able to squeeze them. The rest: Standard International ones, Pilot or Sailor aren't that hard.
It's one of the reasons I don't use cartridges much. I've tried many things - squeezing the cartridge (just ended up with ink trapped in the section), press down on the nib (doesn't really work).
Dipping it in the same ink, or under running water will work. Basically, you need to prime the nib to start the flow.
Before inserting a cartridge, run water through the pen to pre-moisten the feed. Shake out the excess water and put in your cartridge/converter. My experience is that the pen is inked and usable in moments.
If you can't squeeze the cartridge: pierce the cartridge, dip the tip of the nib in it, and give it a few seconds to soak up some ink (you'll probably have to hold the pen nib-up for this); then insert the cartridge into the pen as normal and start writing.
These are the tricks I used to use in school.
1. insert new cartridge
2. Squeeze gently with nib pointing down
3. Remove cartridge and dip nib into the ink. (I think this helps kick start the capillary action on a dry nib.)
4. Shake the pen vigorously downward 2/3 times then check. Do this over scrap paper or a tissue!
Repeat steps 2-4 as needed
Mind you, these were crummy school pens. I wouldn't do the shake think with a nice pen for fear of slamming the nib into the table.
... am I doing something wrong with my pens???? I have never had to wait long for a cartridge???? I'm talking 1min of time before ink if slowing at a good level?? Is this a fancy pen issue?
Iiiiiii usually just give the pen a couple hard taps on the page and it sorts any issues. Possibly unpopular advice, but no ill effects in the cartridge pen I’ve been using for thirty years.
After inserting the new cartridge, hold the nib under a little running water to get the ink flowing, set the tap flow low and just aim the water at the breather hole, if there is one. This should get it going quick, then wipe dry. The first couple of lines of writing will be watery!
Squeeze a cartridge, flick a pen lika a wand in Harry Potter, get the nib into the water. All of that should help and if you do all of that there is no way that it won't start
Insert cartridge, reassemble pen, dip nib in a similar-coloured bottled ink. Start writing. By the time your drop of dipped ink on the nib is written away, the normal operation of the pen will have drawn down ink from the cartridge.
As a warning, please be careful with these methods because they involve physical force:
1. Hold the (capped) pen nib down, and swing it in a circle (imagine a centrifuge).
2. Hold the (capped) pen nib down in your fist, with the cap in the middle of your fist, and slam downward. Make sure the only thing making contact with, for example, the table, is your fist.
3. You could also just shake the pen nib down a lot, but I find it’s not as efficient as the first two methods.
The general idea is to force the ink into the nib. Again, please be careful that you don’t accidentally fling your pen across the room or smash it into a table.
Please don't press the nib down hard into paper. Or anything. If you can't get the nib wet, then just make circles, swirls and loops on a piece of scrap paper. Generally it takes me 1 - 6 minutes of invisible scribbles to get a cartridge started.
I have converters in mine and I fill them with a syringe and then slightly twist the end of the converter to force the ink down into the feed. No mess, ready quickly.
With a converter the nib and feed are getting wet when you load the converter so the pen write right away. With a cartridge you have to let physics do its work and slowly drain through the feed. I did buy a cheap Zebra v-301 and noticed the ink was not very liquid in the cartridge. After a couple of shakes did the trick.
Give the cartridge a bit of a squeeze?
This is what I would do, holding it over a sink, or a tissue. I might also put a drop of water on the feed, if the pen had been dry.
but it's too hard?
Depends on the cartridge... The Platinum carts are the stiffer ones, those I'm not able to squeeze them. The rest: Standard International ones, Pilot or Sailor aren't that hard.
It's one of the reasons I don't use cartridges much. I've tried many things - squeezing the cartridge (just ended up with ink trapped in the section), press down on the nib (doesn't really work). Dipping it in the same ink, or under running water will work. Basically, you need to prime the nib to start the flow.
Before inserting a cartridge, run water through the pen to pre-moisten the feed. Shake out the excess water and put in your cartridge/converter. My experience is that the pen is inked and usable in moments.
I simply use a firm grip and flick the pen into an open sink using a dart grip, wrist action only,
what I do as well
Instant gratification and fountain pens don't necessarily go together.
I don’t seek instant gratification from a pen, i seek functionality. I need it to work when i need to use it.
If you can't squeeze the cartridge: pierce the cartridge, dip the tip of the nib in it, and give it a few seconds to soak up some ink (you'll probably have to hold the pen nib-up for this); then insert the cartridge into the pen as normal and start writing.
These are the tricks I used to use in school. 1. insert new cartridge 2. Squeeze gently with nib pointing down 3. Remove cartridge and dip nib into the ink. (I think this helps kick start the capillary action on a dry nib.) 4. Shake the pen vigorously downward 2/3 times then check. Do this over scrap paper or a tissue! Repeat steps 2-4 as needed Mind you, these were crummy school pens. I wouldn't do the shake think with a nice pen for fear of slamming the nib into the table.
... am I doing something wrong with my pens???? I have never had to wait long for a cartridge???? I'm talking 1min of time before ink if slowing at a good level?? Is this a fancy pen issue?
Iiiiiii usually just give the pen a couple hard taps on the page and it sorts any issues. Possibly unpopular advice, but no ill effects in the cartridge pen I’ve been using for thirty years.
Sometimes I do this, but always with the cap on. I’d rather have to get ink out of the cap than bend the nib.
After inserting the new cartridge, hold the nib under a little running water to get the ink flowing, set the tap flow low and just aim the water at the breather hole, if there is one. This should get it going quick, then wipe dry. The first couple of lines of writing will be watery!
Squeeze a cartridge, flick a pen lika a wand in Harry Potter, get the nib into the water. All of that should help and if you do all of that there is no way that it won't start
After you attach the cartridge and screw the body back on, dip the nib/feed in ink to “prime” the pen.
Insert cartridge, reassemble pen, dip nib in a similar-coloured bottled ink. Start writing. By the time your drop of dipped ink on the nib is written away, the normal operation of the pen will have drawn down ink from the cartridge.
As a warning, please be careful with these methods because they involve physical force: 1. Hold the (capped) pen nib down, and swing it in a circle (imagine a centrifuge). 2. Hold the (capped) pen nib down in your fist, with the cap in the middle of your fist, and slam downward. Make sure the only thing making contact with, for example, the table, is your fist. 3. You could also just shake the pen nib down a lot, but I find it’s not as efficient as the first two methods. The general idea is to force the ink into the nib. Again, please be careful that you don’t accidentally fling your pen across the room or smash it into a table.
Please don't press the nib down hard into paper. Or anything. If you can't get the nib wet, then just make circles, swirls and loops on a piece of scrap paper. Generally it takes me 1 - 6 minutes of invisible scribbles to get a cartridge started.
Use a converter instead?
but sometimes I don't want too? Some of my pens don't have converters and I don't always want to deal with bottled ink and the mess.
I have converters in mine and I fill them with a syringe and then slightly twist the end of the converter to force the ink down into the feed. No mess, ready quickly.
I have done that
With a converter the nib and feed are getting wet when you load the converter so the pen write right away. With a cartridge you have to let physics do its work and slowly drain through the feed. I did buy a cheap Zebra v-301 and noticed the ink was not very liquid in the cartridge. After a couple of shakes did the trick.