> Reference section > Questions about cartridges > How do I know which type of cartridge to buy?

How do I know which type of cartridge (or converter) to buy?

We often get asked whether Brand A cartridges fit in a Brand B pen. Hopefully this information will help to answer that question!

Brand-Specific

The pens listed below will only accept their own design cartridges and converters. Attempting to fit another type of cartridge will at best result in leaks and at worst could damage your pen.

Lamy, Aurora and Parker converters are interchangeable to a degree. Whether converter A will fit pen B though will depend on the overall dimensions of each so this is not a universal rule.

International Standard Size

International Size cartridges/converters are made to an industry standard by many manufacturers and will fit many models as in the list below. If your pen doesn't appear in the list it is still quite likely that it takes standard size cartridges. These cartridges are 38mm (1.5in) long and taper slightly.

The picture above shows Diamine standard-size cartridges.

Examples of suitable converters can be found on by selecting standard cartridge filter on this page. However, some pens that take International Size cartridges may not accept a converter because the barrel is either too short or too narrow.

  • Bexley
  • Caran d'Ache
  • Cartier
  • Conklin
  • Conway Stewart
  • Daniel Hechter
  • Delta
  • Diplomat
  • Edison
  • Elysee
  • Esterbrook
  • Faber Castell
  • Franklin Covey
  • Graf von Faber Castell
  • Grifos
  • Herbin
  • Jörg Hysek
  • Kaweco
  • Laban
  • Lalex
  • Manuscript
  • Messenger (WH Smith)
  • Midori/Traveler's Company
  • Montblanc*
  • Montegrappa
  • Monteverde
  • Nettuno
  • ONLINE
  • Onoto
  • Pelikan
  • Recife
  • Retro 51
  • Rotring
  • Senator
  • Sensa
  • Sigma
  • ST Dupont (not Classique, Gatsby, Montparnasse, and Lady; these take an earlier Dupont proprietary cartridge)
  • Stipula
  • Tombow
  • Traveler's Company
  • TWSBI
  • Visconti
  • Waldmann
  • Waterman (models from past 40 years or so, not the CF model)
  • Yard-O-Led

The above list is by no means comprehensive. If you have any information that could help us develop the list then we would be pleased to hear from you.

* some Montblanc cartridge/converter pens have a narrow front section that prevents standard cartridges from fitting. Montblanc's own "standard" cartridges have a slimmed-down portion near the front. If the front section of your pen is tight around this slim portion of the cartridge then true standard size cartridges will not fit, unfortunately.