Lamy Vista Fountain Pen Eyedropper @BureauDirect

Say what? Yep, an easy peasy set up so you can make a Lamy AL-Star/Vista/Safari - Vista barrel eyedropper fountain pen.

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What's the point of this?

There is no reason you have to do this. The Lamy Z24/Z26 converter works just fine, as do the ink cartridges. However, eyedroppers are delectable. Some people like the look of ink sloshing around in clear barrels, and I for one am definitely one of those people. I WANT TO SEE THE SLOSH! Ahem. Sorry.

Increase your ink capacity, watch your ink, enjoy your ink, and go wild. This is perfect for those demanding calligraphy nibs, and it looks super sexy with any and all inks with shimmer.

What do you need?

• A Lamy Safari | Lamy AL-Star | Lamy Vista:
• The cap from a Lamy Safari/AL-Star/Vista.
• Section from a Lamy Safari/AL-Star/Vista
• O-Ring.

I selected the section from an AL-Star because I don't have a Vista, and I didn't want to use a Safari (even though it has an O-Ring on the end of the section) because I wanted to see through the section. If you choose to use the AL-Star, you might want to grab an O-Ring from a Safari. Or a 7mm in, 9mm out, 1mm thick size as suggested by Bureau Direct.

• Lamy Vista Rollerball BARREL ONLY 
• £4.30 at Bureau Direct
• The barrel does not have the ink window found on the fountain pen.
• It DOES, however, have little holes at the back of the barrel, which will need filling.

• For filling the back of the barrel, I use: Revell Model Tools - Professional Contact Glue
• You can use another glue/epoxy if you have some. I like this one because it has a long, thin needle applicator which fits perfectly into the back of the barrel to fill those holes.
• Another option if you're not weird with contact glue around the place: 5 Minute Epoxy

• Silicone grease.
• Syringe or Plastic Transfer Pipettes to fill the barrel.
• INK, BABY!

What do you do?
First, take your Vista Rollerball barrel and fill the little holes at the back, following the usage instructions on your epoxy/glue. Mine simply required uncapping the nose applicator, squeezing some glue until the glue filled in the space, and then letting it dry for 24 hours. These 24 hours may be some of the longest, most exciting 24 hours you'll ever wait through. If you have the 5 minute Devcon Epoxy, 5 minutes is probably sufficient, but you're also going to be trusting it with your bags and papers, so maybe 24 hours isn't a bad idea.

Place the O-Ring on the section, and grease the threads. You can always test it with water first! If not, or if you've already done so, fill your barrel with ink and cap 'er. I tested mine before carrying it around, but no leaks have happened so far.

EYEDROPPER SUGGESTIONS:

• Test with water if you're unsure.
• Use grease on threads to stop leakage.
• Don't throw them around or be rough - this can cause ink to burp.
• Keep them full - this helps prevent your hand warming up the air inside the barrel, causing it to expand, which pushes the ink through the feed at a rate you don't want.
• Give one to your best friend because your best friend is probably a fountain pen lover as well. That's why they're your best friend.
• Show me your eyedroppers! Tag with: ‪#‎StationeryWednesday

I received this barrel free of charge so I could write about this eyedropper pen. I was not compensated monetarily for this. Do a gal a solid and if you fancy any of these and want any item of your own, use my affiliate links :) No pressure to do so. I appreciate your support!

Do this at your own risk. I can't be held responsible if your pen leaks all over you, so take precautions until you're certain it's not leaking.