Pilot Fountain Pen - Con-50 Ink Converter

Gear Review

Review: Pilot Con-50 Ink Converter

A promising upgrade that fell short of expectations.

1

Pen Model

2

Converter Types

3rd

Failed Amazon Order

Section I

Initial Impressions

I recently picked up the Con-50 ink converter for my Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen. While the stock CON-20 ink converter that comes with the pen works fine, I found it a nuisance to gauge how much ink was left. It was especially frustrating when it ran out of ink in the middle of a business meeting.

The Con-50 converter functions similarly to the Platinum ink converter, allowing me to fill the pen quickly and with minimal mess. Although it holds less ink, I appreciate that I can easily see when it’s getting low. This will help me start estimating how many days or weeks I can go between refills.

 

Section II

The Failure (1/12/17)

Unfortunately, my experience with the Con-50 took a turn for the worse. It cracked! I ended up with a total mess and had to disassemble and clean the pen thoroughly. I’ve reverted back to using the stock CON-20 converter for now.

Note: This marks my third frustrating experience with Amazon, where I've received products that either break, leak, or crack. I'm really bummed about this outcome, as I was hopeful the Con-50 would enhance my writing experience.

Component Comparison

Feature	CON-20	CON-50
Visibility	Opaque (Hard to gauge)	Transparent (Easy to see)
Capacity	Higher	Lower
Reliability	Standard/Solid	Prone to cracking

   

Moving Forward

For now, I’ll stick with the CON-20 and keep looking for alternatives that can provide a reliable solution for my ink needs.

• →Pilot Metropolitan — The base fountain pen used for this testing.
• →CON-20 — The reliable, stock ink converter currently in use.
• →CON-50 — The problematic ink converter that failed during testing.

Stay tuned for my next search for a reliable fountain pen ink solution.