Schmidt Euro Rollerball Refill vs. Standard International Cartridge
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
The Euro-Format Rollerball Refill (standardized under DIN 16554 and defined by the Schmidt Safety Ceramic 888/5888 format) is the industry benchmark for luxury capped liquid-ink rollerball pens. Measuring 110.6 mm in length and 6.2 mm in barrel diameter with a ceramic ball tip, it is utilized across hundreds of fine writing brands.
The Standard International Cartridge (also known as the European or Universal cartridge) is the dominant standardized fountain pen ink format, featuring a 2.4 mm nozzle opening sealed with a plastic sphere. Available in Short (38 mm / 0.85 ml) and Long (72 mm / 1.4 ml) sizes, it is used by dozens of European and American fountain pen manufacturers.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Brand Compatibility
|
Pelikan, Faber-Castell, Visconti, Kaweco, Retro 51, ACME Studio, OMAS | Kaweco, Pelikan, Montblanc, Faber-Castell, Visconti, Diplomat, Caran d'Ache, Jinhao, Waterman (long) |
|
Overall Length
|
110.6 ± 0.3 mm (4.35 in) | — |
|
Barrel Diameter
|
6.2 ± 0.1 mm (0.244 in) | — |
|
Tip Collar Diameter
|
2.5 mm extending 19.5 mm from shoulder | — |
|
Ball Material
|
Sintered ceramic ruby ball (0.5 mm Fine, 0.7 mm Medium, 1.0 mm Broad) | — |
|
Safety Ceramic Venting
|
Schmidt extended cap-off time technology prevents tip drying for up to 1 year uncapped | — |
|
Refill Barrel Variants
|
Schmidt 888 (plastic tube) / Schmidt 5888 (metal casing) | — |
|
Short Cartridge Dimensions
|
— | 38.0 mm length × 7.0 mm diameter (approx. 0.80 to 0.85 ml ink capacity) |
|
Long Cartridge Dimensions
|
— | 72.0 mm length × 7.0 mm diameter (approx. 1.40 to 1.50 ml ink capacity) |
|
Bore / Nozzle Diameter
|
— | 2.4 ± 0.05 mm (friction-fits over the pen feed nipple) |
|
Internal Seal
|
— | Floating polystyrene bead / puncture disc pushed into cartridge body upon insertion |
|
Two-in-Barrel Tandem Storage
|
— | Most full-size pens store one active short cartridge plus one inverted spare short cartridge in the barrel |