Adapt A Parker Felt Tip To Ballpoint?

[Jamesbeat]

When they were dating, my Dad presented my Mom with a very nice gold-filled Parker felt-tip pen.

 

Unfortunately, as many probably already know, the felt-tip Parker refills often did not work properly, and after buying a few (rather expensive) refills which dried out prematurely or were DOA, my Mom gave up and put the pen away.

 

My Dad died a couple of years ago, and I thought it would be nice to get that old pen working again for my Mom.

 

She likes pens in general - indeed that is why my Dad chose a nice pen as a gift - and I happen to know that she likes the way the Parker Jotter writes.

 

I did a little reading, and found out that Parker used to make an adapter for the Big Red felt-tip to allow it to use Parker ballpoint refills.

 

The price of the Big Reds is pretty ridiculous, and the plastic adapter looks a little cheesy anyway.

I'd be worried that my Mom would accidentally throw away the adapter with the refill, or that it would crack during use.

 

I do have a secret weapon though - a metal lathe

 

I'm hoping to make an adapter out of aluminum, and permanently mount it in the pen.

 

This situation is made a little more complicated by the fact that I now live in the States, and my Mom still lives in England.

 

She is coming to visit for ten days in June, so I'm going to ask her to bring the pen with her and modify it while she is here.

 

I'm hoping to get everything in order so I know exactly what I'm doing, as I won't have much time to work on it.

 

If you know anything about these adapters, please share.

If you have an adapter and the means to measure it, I will be eternally grateful if you would do so and post the measurements here.

 

Also, please let me know if it will be necessary to install a spring, spacer or anything else in addition to the adapter.

 

Thanks

Edited March 20, 2015 by Jamesbeat

[bsenn]

You can buy one here: http://www.moreengineering.co.uk/parker-fibre-tip-adaptors/4582872279

 

Or, the photos may be useful.

 

Brian

[Hanamizu]

Have you thought of putting a Parker roller ball refill in it and see how she likes it? The roller ball fit in my Parker 75 felt tip fine.

[Jamesbeat]

I read that the rollerballl refills don't work in some models.

I don't know how this can be, because surely there is only one style of rollerball refill?

Maybe something to do with the way the rollerball tip sticks out of the end of the section?

[Hanamizu]

It took me a while to get the info that the Parker roller ball would, in fact, fit my 75 felt-tip without any modification. Since your mom is bringing the pen with her in June, why not take the $5 gamble the Parker roller ball refill will fit. Be a lot easier than modifying the pen to take ballpoint refills. While doing research for my repurposing pen project, I did find the ballpoint adapters on Amazon, so if she prefers a ballpoint, or you need something to model your metal adapter on, that might be the way to go. HTH

 

Lee

[Hanamizu]

And if your mom really wants a ballpoint, there is the adaptor you're looking for on eBay. Item 390420635693

[ceejaybee]

I'm guessing that your Mum's pen is more than likely English made? If it is then unfortunately the European fibre tip refills are a narrower/slimmer fit than the USA soft tip refills and the adapters that came with the Big Reds won't fit, neither will the Rollerball refills as these are a similar girth to the USA soft tip refills. Your only option is custom made adapters, hopefully an original refill is still in the pen when it arrives and then you can replicate the dimensions, if you need help I have a vernier gauge and both USA and European refills if that's any help?