So, you just bought your first piston filler fountain pen and you’re ready to ink it up. The only problem is that you’ve never had to fill a piston fountain pen before! This video and guide will help you learn how to fill a piston filler fountain pen!

How to Fill a Piston Filler Fountain Pen

Piston fountain pens, like the Pelikan M405 shown in the video, have a unique filling system. The entire barrel fills with ink, and there is no need for a converter or cartridge. In fact, you can only fill a piston filler fountain pen via an ink bottle. Below is a step-by-step process for how to fill a piston filler fountain pen:

1. Make sure that you have your favorite bottle of ink handy. Certain bottles are a little more difficult to fill from, but you can always buy an empty ink bottle, or Ink Miser to use as well.
2. Unscrew the piston to expel the air in the chamber. If you expel the air after dipping the pen in ink, you will cause bubbles to form, which can interrupt flow when writing.
3. Dip the nib into the ink until the nib is fully submerged, and screw down the piston. This will draw ink from the bottle into the ink chamber. For a complete/full fill, you may need to unscrew the piston and take a second draw like shown in the video.
4. To make sure to avoid inky fingers, wipe off all excess ink. It is not necessary to clean all ink off of the nib, however some may choose to for aesthetic reasons.
5. Write with your newly inked piston filler!

If you liked this video and guide, make sure to subscribe to our blog so that you can stay up to date with all of our newest posts! Check out our other instructional videos and guides, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for other helpful videos! Comment below with what you would like to see a video/guide for! Remember, we have The Write Tools For the Analog Writer!