The Pilot Petit1 is an amazingly versatile pen -- it writes like a pen three times the price, comes in a rainbow of colors, and fits in your pocket. But at only 4.2" long, it's limited when it comes to ink capacity, and isn't compatible with any converters (so you can't use your vast collection of bottled inks).

Fortunately, you can more than triple the ink capacity from 0.6mL to about 2mL by performing a simple eyedropper conversion, which turns the whole barrel into an ink reservoir. Basically, you will be removing the ink cartridge that comes with the pen, filling the barrel with ink, and screwing the pen back together with the help of some silicone grease on the threads (to keep the pen from leaking).

To go along with our Penpedia - How to Do an Eye Dropper Pen Conversion With a Kaweco Sport article, we decided to try the same conversion on the new Kaweco Sport Roller Ball pens. The process is the same as our first article. What you need: A Kaweco Sport Roller Ball pen available at JetPens, silicon grease, an eyedropper, and a bottle of ink. Here we used a Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball Liquid Ink Pen - Medium Point - Green Body and Pelikan Edelstein Fountain Pen Ink Collection - 50 ml Bottle - Topaz Blue. We purchased silicon grease at our local Lowes hardware store, and when shopping for the silicon grease make sure to get one that has enough viscosity to create a good seal. How to: 1. Disassemble the pen. If the cartridge has already been used, you can use a piece of tape as a seal, to remove the cartridge and store it for future use. 2. Lubricate the threads of the nib section with a thin yet thorough layer of silicon grease. Make sure to fill the entire threaded area to ensure a positive seal. 3. Keep the barrel close to your ink bottle to reduce spills. It is a good idea to fill up the barrel over a non-porous, easy to clean surface, or over some scratch paper at the very least. You can also put the open pen barrel inside a cop or container, which can hold it upright while filling and catch any spills. Fill the barrel with ink up to 0.5 cm below the first set of threads to ensure proper air pressure. 4. Put the roller ball pen back together with the tip facing up. Use firm but not excessive force, as tightening the fountain pen too much may result in a crack. Use a paper towel to wipe off any excess silicon grease that squeezes its way out. 5. To get the ink flow going, we advise to store the pen capped and nib side down for a couple minutes. Make sure to then test out the pen on a scratch piece of paper when you are first starting to write. Congratulations! You have made your very own eyedropper roller ball pen, which you can use with any bottled fountain pen ink! Your Kaweco should go quite a while before needing to be refilled. Please keep in mind that over time, your seal may adjust or wear out. You will want to be attentive to your eyedropper pen, and make sure to store it with care. This should prevent any possible leaking and subsequent damage to your clothes!

Instructional content contributed by Kenneth Schwartz, pictures and article provided by JetPens. Converting a standard fountain pen into an eye dropper pen is a favorite project among fountain pen aficionados. It involves filling the fountain pen body with ink (rather than a cartridge) and closing it with a tight seal. The Platinum Preppy available at JetPens is a great fountain pen to convert into an eyedropper fountain pen. The following easy steps teach you the basics on how to make your very own eye dropper pen using the Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen as an example. What you need: a Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen available at JetPens (you can choose any color), an O-ring gasket, silicon grease (optional), an eyedropper, and a bottle of ink. Here we used a black Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen with a Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng Emperor's Purple since it already includes an eyedropper (now discontinued). The O-ring can be purchased at any hardware store. They should have a 1/16" thickness, with an outside diameter of 3/8" and inside diameter of 1/4 inch, and are sometimes referred to as #5 O-rings. Instructions: 1. Disassemble the pen. If the cartridge has already been used, you can reference our past post, "Removing and Storing Ink Cartridges" for how to remove it and store it for future use. 2. Stretch the O-ring over the threads of the nib section. One way to do this is to anchor it with one hand while stretching it with the other. Once it is on, roll it down until it reaches the bottom of the threads. 3. To ensure that the O-ring is flush against the end, just screw on the barrel pointing downwards to position the O-ring. Only very light force is required. Optional: You can lubricate the threads with silicon grease as an extra measure of security. 4. Unscrew the barrel. You're now ready to fill it up with ink! Keep the barrel close to your ink bottle to reduce spills. Noodler's suggests filling up the barrel with ink until at least past the 1/3 marked to ensure proper air pressure. 5. Screw your fountain pen back together with the nib facing up. The O-ring should be compressed approximately 20-25%. Use firm but not excessive force, tightening the fountain pen too much can result in a crack. Important: Make sure the O-ring is firmly situated and properly sealing the pen or else your eye dropper pen will leak. 6. To get the ink flow going, GENTLY shake the pen up and down, periodically testing until the ink starts to flow. How quickly this occurs is an interesting characteristic of the ink; some inks require no shaking and some a minute or two. Keep the nib facing down to get a good flow. Congratulations! You have made your very own eyedropper fountain pen. Now you are ready to write! Your Preppy should go quite a while before needing to be refilled.