Long term Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen

Refilling the ink in the Pilot Varsity fountain pen requires only several supplies—a silicone gripping mat, a paper towel, and an eyedropper. It does take a strong grip and sometimes a pair of pliers, and I always use sanitary gloves.

By contrast, sealing a converted eyedropper pen demands much more preparation: beeswax, gloves, an ink dropper, paper towels, and a hair dryer. Wax sealing involves more steps and is less reliable over time, since beeswax eventually hardens. Although eyedropper conversions allow for a wider range of pens and ink capacities, I never feel entirely comfortable carrying around 2 ml of ink that could fail catastrophically and ruin a bag, a shirt, or a tabletop.

So, although the Pilot Varsity’s nib is not especially refined or precise, the pen becomes reliably usable once refilled. It’s the familiar trade-off between a serviceable tool and a fine writing instrument.

A typical Jinhao eyedropper conversion offers more ink choices and a broader range of pen qualities, but beeswax sealing can even damage a good pen. The hardened wax can lock the nib section into the barrel, forcing excessive pressure to unseat it.

In the end, the Varsity’s simplicity and reliability make it a surprisingly practical companion for everyday writing.

PS. I refilled the Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen and discovered that it performs best with a wet ink flow—certainly not with my usual Noodler’s Black. I plan to experiment instead with a famously wet-writing ink from Diamine called Oxblood.