Very Poor Quality Parker Bp/gel Refill

[Pepin]

I own about 40 or so desk sets, most use fountain pens with six require parker refills. I went to an office supply store and got 6 packs of their medium gel refills (made in the UK). After about 2 months, the refills started to make inconsistent lines or have dried up altogether. Normally, I'd just buy new ones. However, the quality for such a prestigious brand is deplorable considering the ubiquitous Japanese brand gel pens (entire pen/not just a bloody refill) write literally 10x better at 1/2 or 1/3 the cost. I have visited several stores and have not found alternatives compatible with the Parker design. Please help.

[kaissa]

I own about 40 or so desk sets, most use fountain pens with six require parker refills. I went to an office supply store and got 6 packs of their medium gel refills (made in the UK). After about 2 months, the refills started to make inconsistent lines or have dried up altogether. Normally, I'd just buy new ones. However, the quality for such a prestigious brand is deplorable considering the ubiquitous Japanese brand gel pens (entire pen/not just a bloody refill) write literally 10x better at 1/2 or 1/3 the cost. I have visited several stores and have not found alternatives compatible with the Parker design. Please help.

 

I did not have any problems with mine. Never used one but a lot of people here praise Visconti gels.

[Ray-Vigo]

I own about 40 or so desk sets, most use fountain pens with six require parker refills. I went to an office supply store and got 6 packs of their medium gel refills (made in the UK). After about 2 months, the refills started to make inconsistent lines or have dried up altogether. Normally, I'd just buy new ones. However, the quality for such a prestigious brand is deplorable considering the ubiquitous Japanese brand gel pens (entire pen/not just a bloody refill) write literally 10x better at 1/2 or 1/3 the cost. I have visited several stores and have not found alternatives compatible with the Parker design. Please help.

 

I did not have any problems with mine. Never used one but a lot of people here praise Visconti gels.

 

The Visconti fills have a definite "liquid ink" element to them. They're a good choice if you like a very smooth, liquid writing feel. I do, and use them when I can get them. If you like something on the dryer side, Parker or Moneverde are better for that.

[jgoodwin1]

I own about 40 or so desk sets, most use fountain pens with six require parker refills. I went to an office supply store and got 6 packs of their medium gel refills (made in the UK). After about 2 months, the refills started to make inconsistent lines or have dried up altogether. Normally, I'd just buy new ones. However, the quality for such a prestigious brand is deplorable considering the ubiquitous Japanese brand gel pens (entire pen/not just a bloody refill) write literally 10x better at 1/2 or 1/3 the cost. I have visited several stores and have not found alternatives compatible with the Parker design. Please help.

 

I did not have any problems with mine. Never used one but a lot of people here praise Visconti gels.

 

The Visconti fills have a definite "liquid ink" element to them. They're a good choice if you like a very smooth, liquid writing feel. I do, and use them when I can get them. If you like something on the dryer side, Parker or Moneverde are better for that.

 

 

I don't care much for the gel refills due to their propensity to leak ink stains inside the pen and in my shirt pocket. Then you throw them away after two months of writing like you do with rollerball refills.

 

The current Parker refills are not as good as the ones made in Neuhaven UK or in the USA. I still have good refills from mid 1970's, 80's and 90's. It appears that Parker management wants you to keep buying refills when they dry up. That is why people will look for Parker style refills as opposed to the generic brand.

 

I might have to join the bandwagon by buying Parker style refills. Yesterday I bought a France made stainless steel Jotter and the refill is already scratchy.

 

Jim

[icardoth]

I've bought two Parker gel refills (medium black) and both of them provide an ugly writing experience. The major problem was a rough, non smooth sensation. Finally I micromeshed both and now they are better, but not perfect.

[dizzyblonde82]

Parker have recently brought out a new ballpoint refill called Quink Flow - there was one in the Premier Black Edition BP I bought in Nov 10.

 

I haven't had any problems with it and it has more of a liquid ink in it compared to the standard Parker bp refill. I tried to get a spare refill in my local pen shop but they didn't stock it, however the lady in the shop tried out my pen and said that it was much better to write with than the standard refill.

[Garageboy]

Is Quink flow just their old gel rebranded?

[rminj]

Is Quink flow just their old gel rebranded?

 

Ah, This is their new quink FLOW ballpoint refill. See link below. Was suppose to be available in USA this year but I

have not see it yet. Not sure how they stay in business.

 

I have had good luck with the Parker Blue Gels (have not used black). It doesn't get much smoother and they have not been scratchy. Only down side to them is the Blue is VERY non-water resistant.

 

Like others on the thread, I've found the Parker regular (non-Gel) ballpoints of late scratchy and dry. I've had to switch to

the broad point to make them write better (get ink on the paper without pressing really really hard). I'm not sure what happened

to Parker...probably the switch from the UK to elsewhere? I know they recently reverted the point on the ballpoint to a straight angle/taper... for a while when Gillette had owned them the UK refills had a curved taper to the point.. this let one write at

a steeper angle.

 

I'll buy a Quink flow when they are available but its odd ..they are not available for retailers in the usa yet.

 

http://www.passion4pens.com/site/735447/product/30-134065802

[mr T.]

I have visited several stores and have not found alternatives compatible with the Parker design. Please help.

 

 

Schneider Gelion 39, Express 735 or Express 755 refills can replace Parker (Gel) refills.

[Pippin60]

Visconti, Monteverdi, and I've even tried Yaffa's own label and I've been happy with them.

[MicheleB]

Visconti, Monteverde and Schmidt all great!

[jread]

Visconti is hands-down the best Parker-style gel refill I have ever used. These refills are in an entirely different league from anything else out there.

[Guest Subvet642]

This is odd. I've been using the Parker blue medium gels with no problems whatsoever. I've had one in a Cartier Diablo mini BP for about 4 years now, and it still writes like a champ. I am intrigued by what I'm reading about the Visconti gels, though. If any of the Parker gels I have fail, I'm gonna try one.

[rowdy]

I have had issues with the UK made blue Parker ballpoint refills. They have a propensity to leak inside the pens. I've had about 4 or 5 do this and have written Parker and they just send me a new refill. I don't do anything weird with them to make them do this. I have one of the new refills in blue that say "Quink" got it at Walmart here in Canada. Haven't tried it yet. Funny the refills have an ISO standard number on them which you would think would indicate good QC?.

 

I also use the IM Rollerball. I carry a couple (one with blue and one with black refill). I notice those can be "hit and miss" as well. I use the black UK ones and they write ok but on a business trip last week I saw that Staples had the blue rollerball refills made in France. Seems that the blue ones whether made in UK or France are not the greatest. Very scratchy.

 

I tend to pick up Monteverde ballpoint refills when at our local stationer and they work pretty good for the Parker ballpoints. You can get them in about 8 different colours.

 

My thoughts. Perhaps I should use my FP's more:). Though my work stuff of late hasn't really allowed me to fully enjoy them at work.

 

my two cents worth.

 

Rowdy

[fuchsiaprincess]

Another vote for Visconti gel refills. I purchase mine from Bryant

[adamselene]

I like the Itoya needle point gel refills (fit the Parker BPs) and get them from the guy on Ebay from Temecula. Very smooth, the refill is transparent, and if the pen skips, it is easy to see why, because that refill will be completely empty. Inexpensive too.

 

No relationship other than as a satisfied customer.

 

I will of course try a Visconti.

[rminj]

The passion for pens site says the new quink flow refills aren't available until March or April Parker must

must be doing very well and not need my money.

 

http://www.passion4pens.com/site/735447/product/30-134065802

[kaissa]

Parker have recently brought out a new ballpoint refill called Quink Flow - there was one in the Premier Black Edition BP I bought in Nov 10.

 

I haven't had any problems with it and it has more of a liquid ink in it compared to the standard Parker bp refill.

 

Did you have a chance to compare it to a gel refill? I frankly do not understand where Parker will put Quink Flow compared to gel. I read somewhere on the net that Quink Flow will be good for 2000 meters whereas the gel runs for 600 meters. That is a plus but I would love to compare them myself.

 

Regards,

[gkterry]

Visconti makes the best!

[rsx]

Parker have recently brought out a new ballpoint refill called Quink Flow - there was one in the Premier Black Edition BP I bought in Nov 10.

 

I haven't had any problems with it and it has more of a liquid ink in it compared to the standard Parker bp refill.

 

Did you have a chance to compare it to a gel refill? I frankly do not understand where Parker will put Quink Flow compared to gel. I read somewhere on the net that Quink Flow will be good for 2000 meters whereas the gel runs for 600 meters. That is a plus but I would love to compare them myself.

 

Regards,

 

QuinkFlow will be the replacement for the standard Parker ballpoint refill. It is a low viscosity ballpoint, not a gel. It is widely available in Europe, will get to US when they build up enough supply, probably in early April. It is simply superb, even smoother than the Schmidt Easy Flow. This is the wave of the future for ballpoints.