I may have met my match in the make-it-fit field with this one. I acquired a pretty, blue, slim 1960-ish Waterman (USA) ballpoint that has absolutely the quietest pushbutton mechanism I've found, but which uses the "Tank Car" refill. This thing has a small-diameter tip like a Paper Mate, but a longer tip than a Paper Mate, so while I could (and did) trim the back end of a Paper Mate refill to the proper length, it won't extend through the point of the pen far enough to actuate the mechanism. The current Waterman refill's tip is too large in diameter, as is that of every other refill I've checked.
I've had the pen standing tip down overnight, and it *seems* to be trying to write, though it's skipping a lot. I'll leave it for awhile and see what happens, while continuing the search for a workable replacement refill. As a last resort, I can enlarge the opening in the tip of the pen slightly, but I'd prefer to not go there.
Nope. Pretty much all modern refills are too large in diameter at the tip, exceptions being Cross, Paper Mate, and the Fisher refills for old advertising pens and Paper Mate, all of which are too *short* at the tips. The problem there is that the pen's mechanism has a very long stroke, and the shoulders of the refills hit the inside of the pen's tip before reaching that distance.
If I can come up with a way to centrifuge the old refill, I think it would work. <G>
I may experiment with a Sheaffer refill and see if I can turn the tip OD down a bit on the lathe; it's only about .015" difference ...
-- Edited by Chthulhu on Saturday 31st of August 2013 12:21:25 AM
I found one refill that would work, though it's a tad short and rather expensive: the les Must de Cartier refill for $12.99 or so, but it would still need the very long spring, and the tip diameter is actually *too* small, so that it rattles around in use. A Cross refill, cut down in length and with the plastic threaded bit back in place would work even better, but I wouldn't want to have to cut down a refill every time it needed replacing.
I bit the bullet and reamed the pen's nose out to 0.096" and now a Sheaffer refill works fine. I did have to stretch the spring just a bit, but the old refill still fits as well.
-- Edited by Chthulhu on Sunday 1st of September 2013 04:53:14 PM
I've got a Ballograf BP that uses a refill similar to a Parker, but it has a slimmer lower section that leads to the point than my Parker refills. Those would have to be ordered from NordMark, so the cost there is quite high unless you buy one of the excellent Ballograf pens (hint, hint)...
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My shirt came to me, wrapped up all in black, something funny told me, I'd have to send it back.
Although I couldn't make it fit, I knew I'd have to try. Now I'm telling all of you, I will never buy....
My one Ballograf BP has a refill ("Original" it says) that is identical to a Parker except for the plastic butt cap. It doesn't fit the Waterman, even after the reaming. :-/
I had a peek at the offerings from Nord-Mark; is your pen a "Scripta" by any chance? $3.20 isn't bad for a refill.
-- Edited by Chthulhu on Tuesday 3rd of September 2013 12:55:22 PM
Mine is the Epoca Chrome, with a burgundy barrel. I may get a Scripta some day, but if it goes out of production, I don't know if refills for that will be available. But I do know somebody who can make any refill fit any pen. Hmm. LOL!
Mine is the Epoca Chrome, with a burgundy barrel. I may get a Scripta some day, but if it goes out of production, I don't know if refills for that will be available. But I do know somebody who can make any refill fit any pen. Hmm. LOL!
Heh. Mine is an Eopca (BP+MP set) with a black barrel, but through Nord-Mark last year.
I like the Ballografs, and since I'm part Swedish heritage, I had to have at least one in my collection. I might get an Opus 2 or the Scripta for my next one. Probably not soon, however.
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My shirt came to me, wrapped up all in black, something funny told me, I'd have to send it back.
Although I couldn't make it fit, I knew I'd have to try. Now I'm telling all of you, I will never buy....