What Type Of Ink Does The Parker Vector Need?

[Nekomata]

Hello. My expensive pen was dropped and unfortunately no longer works. I bought the Parker Vector to use for everyday writing so my expensive pens are safe at home. I'm just wondering if I need a specific type of ink since I don't want to have something undesirable happen to the pen. I have this black pigmented ink here: http://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Kiwa-Guro-Pigmented-Black-Bottle/dp/B002WM5EYQ

 

-Thanks!

[shawndp]

The Vector isn't picky on inks as long as you don't let it go dry. Most inks classified as founain-pen inks will do you just fine - that Sailor ink is pretty good. Other safe and cheap options are Waterman / Pelikan 4001 - they are widely available. All the best!

[samba]

Waterman ink is the best.

[Arkanabar]

The most significant issue with a Vector is likely to be that it only fills with a proprietary Parker converter (may or may not be included) or a proprietary Parker cartridge. If you only have one cartridge, don't throw it away. Get a blunt syringe and use it to rinse the residue of old ink out of the cartridge before using it to refill.

[the_gasman]

In general, pigmented inks are a bad idea in fountain pens but I seem to remember that Sailor inks might be nano-particle ink and safe for FPs (but I'm not an expert on anything, especially non-dye inks).If it is FP-safe, I would still use the same careful approach as people describe for ferrogallic inks, i.e. regular washing and flushing (think bulb syringe). That advice becomes a mandate if the pen is to be left unused for a while ("a while" being defined as any duration longer than "not for long").

 

If you don't want to risk even a £10 Vector, think about the Platinum Preppy for £2.79 each. They come with EF, F, or M nibs and a range of pleasant coloured trimmings on the mostly transparent body. The general opinion is that they don't work with a converter but I have used mine with a Platinum converter (£4) without any problems whatsoever for a couple of years now. Their slip-n-seal cap is fantastic at preventing drying out (I recently picked one up that had lain inked but unused for many months and it wrote without hesitation straight away). Also, with the additional of a rubber o-ring and some silicone grease around the section/barrel joint, you can use it as an eye-dropper, but I abandoned that after mine belched ink a couple of times. The converter is just fine. The quality of the writing belies its rock-bottom price.

 

Lastly, my curiosity is piqued. What happened to your expensive pen? You make it sound as if the accident was terminal but there's a fair chance that either the wise heads at FPN (not mine!) or a pen repairer might be able to restore happiness. I wish that I had known FPN about 10 years ago -- I had a lovely Sheaffer Targa, with my name engraved on the side, that I was given when I graduated in 1980. After years of good use the section cracked through the threads, making it unusable. I threw it in the bin. Since meeting FPN, I have learned that I may well have been able to have it repaired. I feel like crying when I think of it languishing in a landfill site somewhere. Sob!

 

Cheers,

David.

Edited April 30, 2016 by the_gasman

[Buzz_130]

As long as you stay away from India inks, calligraphy inks, or anything not labeled as fountain pen ink, you can feel confident that your pen will be fine.

 

If you only have a cartridge, then definitely don't throw it away. Instead, get a blunt syringe to clean it with water and then use the syringe to fill the cartridge with your favorite fountain pen ink.

 

If you have a converter, enjoy any fountain pen ink you own.

 

Buzz

[Nekomata]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. In response to gasman, the nib has been bent at a funny angle and is separated from the feed. There are no pen repair shops around here so I bought the Vector to tide me over until I find a replacement nob. I've searched but it has bore no fruit. The pen is a Platinum Century 3776, if any of you can help.

 

-Thanks

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. In response to gasman, the nib has been bent at a funny angle and is separated from the feed. There are no pen repair shops around here so I bought the Vector to tide me over until I find a replacement nob. I've searched but it has bore no fruit. The pen is a Platinum Century 3776, if any of you can help.

 

-Thanks

 

Nice pen, glad you didn't throw it out! I have one of those, too.

 

There's a Repair sub-forum. If you post your Platinum problem there with pictures, someone will help you.

 

For the Vector, why not Parker ink? I used to have multiple Vectors. (That sounds kind of geometrical!)

[Arkanabar]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. In response to gasman, the nib has been bent at a funny angle and is separated from the feed. There are no pen repair shops around here so I bought the Vector to tide me over until I find a replacement nob. I've searched but it has bore no fruit. The pen is a Platinum Century 3776, if any of you can help.

 

-Thanks

I don't know if there's anyone doing repairs in Sweden, but there are some in England, and you may be able to engage their services for your Century 3776.

 

Here's a before-and-after animated GIF to give you some hope:

http://gregminuskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/gminuskin_217.gif

[inkstainedruth]

I love my Vectors -- they're little workhorses. I do recommend upgrading to the twist style converters (sorry, don't remember the model # offhand, but they're the *skinny* twist converters, as opposed to the older style ones) -- the slide converters with the agitator ball in them are okay, but a lot of the slide ones are now coming through with a coil agitator instead; the coil agitator ones are easier to drain when you're flushing the converter out (because the coil isn't blocking the hole) but they're a lot harder to clean because you can't really get all the ink stains out of the walls because the agitator sort of works as a collector, especially right around the opening. :-(

As for inks? Unless you've got a really dry writer (one of the F nibbed ones is) they're great with iron gall inks, IMO -- just remember that IG inks take a little extra maintenance when flushing a pen; and at the moment I've got Diamine Purple Pazzazz in the one from the four-nib unit italic set. I can't say yay or nay about the nano-particle inks, because I haven't really ever used them.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[the_gasman]

I don't know if there's anyone doing repairs in Sweden, but there are some in England, and you may be able to engage their services for your Century 3776.

 

Here's a before-and-after animated GIF to give you some hope:

http://gregminuskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/gminuskin_217.gif

Wow! That is amazing. I wouldn't have believed it possible to repair that damage.

 

David.

[Arklawboy]

Amazing photos of the repair work. I, too, didn't think such an extensive repair would have even been possible.

 

As for ink in your Vector, I agree with Parker or Waterman. I use Waterman ink in most of my pens these days because it is so dependable.