Are Fountain Pen Cartridges Universal?

Have you ever thought of interchanging the cartridges of fountain pen? If you want to do so, you might face some problems. These cartridges could be universal if there were an international standard. To use cartridges universally or interchangeably, you might want to know about – are fountain pen cartridges universal?

Generally, fountain pen cartridges are not universal. Some brands and manufacturers offer their cartridges of international standard and universal. This might be true for some brand cartridges, and these cartridges are compatible with many fountain pens. But all fountain pens and cartridges are not compatible with one another.

To use the cartridge in different fountain pens, you should know the cartridges in detail. So, let’s see whether fountain pen cartridges are universal or not.

What Is the Standard Fountain Pen Ink Cartridge?

Standard means one specific dimension that is true to many other options. The standard fountain pen ink cartridge has a standard size. Generally, 38 mm or 1.5 inches is considered standard or international size for the pen ink cartridge. This size cartridge will contain 0.8 mL of ink inside.

This size cartridge is considered standard internationally, and you will find some brands with this size cartridge. They use a standard size of ink cartridges in their fountain pens.

The brands might have different colors of ink cartridges and different quantities. But the single cartridge size is standard for them. However, you will only find standard-size cartridges in some brands of fountain pens.

Are Fountain Pen Cartridges Universal?

All fountain pen cartridges are not universal. You can’t use any fountain pen cartridge for another fountain pen. Some of the fountain pen brands use a standard size of cartridges. On the other hand, some of the brands’ cartridges are proprietary. That means they have their own design and own size of cartridges.

You can use these standard cartridges for some specific brands of fountain pens. For example, Pelikan and Twsbi brand fountain pens use the standard size for their cartridges. Some other brands also follow the same size. That means only these brands’ fountain pens can be called universal. But this is only true for some specific brands.

Some brands use their own size cartridge which is different from the standard dimension. These brands’ fountain pen cartridges are not compatible with other ones. You can’t consider these cartridges universal. So, fountain pen cartridges might be standard for some brands, but all cartridges are not universal.

Are Fountain Pen Cartridges Interchangeable?

Fountain pen cartridges are not interchangeable. You can’t use a fountain pen cartridge for another fountain pen unless they use the same size cartridge. Generally, there is a standard size for the cartridges.

This standard-size cartridge’s capacity is about 0.8 mL. The brands that use this standard size cartridge, you can interchange only these brands’ cartridges. But you can’t use any random cartridge for any fountain pen. Moreover, the sizes of all cartridges are not the same. Besides having a different standard size, the cartridge capacity can be small and large.

Some brands, like Monteverde, Visconti, etc., use the same standard-size cartridge. You can interchange them. But all brands don’t use this size. Some brands have exceptional size standards for their own. You can’t interchange them with other fountain pens. That’s why all fountain pen cartridges are not interchangeable.

Who Manufacture the Standard International Size Ink Cartridges?

Some brands manufacture standard international-size ink cartridges. That means the manufacturers use a specific size so that you can use the cartridges interchangeably.

Generally, the standard international size ink cartridges are 38 mm. These cartridges provide many other benefits. If you are a regular user of fountain pens, you will see the convenience of having standard-size ink cartridges.

You should know about the brands if you want to use one fountain pen cartridge for another pen. Otherwise, non-standard cartridges will not be compatible with one another, and the cartridge might be damaged. Knowing about the manufacturers is a must for writing with compatible and standard cartridges and interchanging them.

Here is a list of manufacturers who produce standard international-size ink cartridges.

• Monteverde
• Kaweco
• Faber-Castell
• Twsbi
• OHTO
• Rotring
• Visconti
• Waterman
• Caran D’Ache
• Pelikan

How Standard International Size Ink Cartridges Benefit You?

Though many manufacturers don’t provide standard international-size ink cartridges, this international size can be advantageous in many ways. You can check out the benefits that you will get from the standard international-size ink cartridges.

1. Versatility of colors

When you use the standard-size cartridge, you will always have the option to change the color of the fountain pen. You can use different colored cartridges from another fountain pen cartridge. If the cartridges are compatible, you will be able to use any color cartridge with a standard size.

2. Variety of style

Some people collect fountain pens for their hobby. They have a lot of fountain pens. But when it comes to buying cartridges for fountain pens, they have to buy them differently. If the cartridges are standard, one can use a single cartridge in different fountain pens and can show off different styles of fountain pens.

3. Ease of storage

When you have different cartridges for different fountain pens, you have to store the cartridges separately. Moreover, labeling them or identifying the cartridges will need extra effort. But if you have standard-size cartridges, you can store them without labeling.

4. Cost-effective

If you are a regular user of fountain pens, you might have a lot of them. Sometimes, you have to buy extra cartridges for different fountain pens when the cartridges are not a standard size.

But if you use fountain pens with international or universal-size ink cartridges, you can use them interchangeably. One cartridge can be used in different fountain pens. It will save you money also.

5. Reduce mess

If you are fond of using a fountain pen, you might have a lot of them with cartridges. While lettering or writing with fountain pens, you might have to keep different pens and cartridges ready beside you. When you are a minimalistic person and don’t want mess around you, you should have standard cartridges.

Final Thoughts

Fountain pens are excellent for regular writing and creating artistic lettering. They have cartridges for holding ink. These cartridges have a standard international ink size. You can use the standard ones in different fountain pens with the same standard.

However, all brands don’t produce standard-size cartridges. They have their particular size for manufacturing fountain pen cartridges. So, knowing about the brands that manufacture standard international-size ink cartridges is a must. Otherwise, you can’t use random cartridges for any fountain pen. That means fountain pen cartridges are not universal. Instead, some of them are proprietary.