Where can I find refills for older pens?

Since we specialize in vintage pens, we do not usually sell refill cartridges other than examples of obsolete design, most of which are no longer functional and are chiefly of interest to collectors.  And though we try to keep up, the variety of proprietary refills offered over the past few decades is truly vast.  We can offer the following tips, however, and suggest that if you need further assistance you try an online search, since pen hobbyists are constantly trading tips on adapting and substituting for obsolete cartridges.  Note that fountain pen ink cartridges can be refilled using a small syringe, and with a bit of ingenuity a sac can be grafted onto an old cartridge to make a converter.

Parker cartridges and converters for both fountain pens and ballpoints are generally available and have remained standardized (with the exception of a few fat old-model converters that will not fit inside some extra-thin pen barrels).  Felt-tip (fiber-tip) refills no longer appear to be available, but there are adapters that permit use of Parker rollerball refills.  A cut down BIC ballpoint refill can reportedly be used in a Liquid Lead pencil (though there will be nothing to cover the nonretracting point).

Waterman cartridges and converters for older fountain pens such as the C/F are no longer widely available.  In the USA, you can still buy Waterman Lady converters that fit the C/F and other older-generation pens directly from Waterman (call 800 523-2486).  They may also be bought from at least one active eBay seller in France. Waterman mini cartridges (also sold as Lady cartridges) will fit the C/F, and are not hard to find.  Note that they may be a tight fit, and are recommended only for the earlier pens with the metal cartridge socket.  When removing, twist clockwise rather than counterclockwise, so that the socket is not inadvertently unscrewed.  Short international cartridges by other makers are normally thicker that the Waterman-made ones, and will not fit.

Small international cartridges, cut off at the neck, will reportedly fit both Esterbrook and Wearever fountain pens.  There are also adaptors that allow Parker cartridges to fit Esterbrooks -- old time production, but worth seeking out.

Unlike Parker's Liquid Lead pencil, Waterman's "fluid lead" ballpoint pencil used a refill the same size as the company's contemporary ballpoints.  While Waterman's current-production ballpoint refills will not fit their older pens, Must de Cartier ballpoint refills will.

Replacements refills for Sheaffer and Eversharp ballpoints of the 1940s have not been made for decades, but a number of hobbyists have made and sold adaptors, as well as posting do-it-yourself instructions online.  It has also been reported that Eversharp ballpoints of the 1950s such as the Star Reporter, Reporter, and Kimberly can be used with Cross refills, though some tape may be needed for a proper fit.

Esterbrook ballpoint refills for their click-action pocket pens are no longer available.  If you are determined to restore an old Esterbrook ballpoint to use, you can follow the instructions here to adapt an original Esterbrook refill to carry a modern mini ballpoint refill.

  Ballpoint refills for Esterbrook desk pens may still be available, in the form of refills for the Berol Recorder (which would appear to be the same product, now under a different brand name), but we have not yet verified this ourselves.