Ballpoint Parker-style refill advice sought.

[FredRydr]

I have to use a ballpoint sometimes, so I bought one that will fit in nicely with my FPs. But when the ink hits the paper, I want it to feel good. Feel real good (for a ballpoint). And write well, too.

 

So, when the pen arrives, I will be happy to toss whatever is in it in favor of what will write better. Which Parker-style refill will make a self-respecting fountain pen user smile (with acceptance, if not glee)?

 

Thanks.

 

Fred

 

THE ENEMY:

 

http://idletofu.org/blog/media/MacroPen.jpg

Edited March 19, 2008 by FredRydr

[RonB]

Parker Gel.

[Mike S.]

I have a few ballpoints that take Parker-style refills, and I always use a Parker Gel refill in blue. They are incredibly smooth and free-flowing and come the closest to a fountain pen of any BP refill I've tried.

 

I put these refills in the Omas Paragon ballpoints I give to clients to use to sign legal documents and always, always get comments about "what a nice pen this is."

 

My favorite vehicles (excuse the pun) for the Parker Gel refills are the Porsche Design pens from Faber Castell. I have the one with the spokes and the one with the brake line hose and absolutely love them -- especially for traveling.

[Sharkle]

 

I use Visconti gels for my BPs. The fine is very fine, but smooth. Itoya also works and the fine is wider. Both write much more like a rollerball than the usual BP. Parker also makes gels, but they don't make a fine.

 

[fpfanatic5]

I love the Parker Blue Gel Refill. Most like using an fp than anything else I've used (besides an fp!).

[J English Smith]

Not a Parker style, but try a Lamy Accent rollerball sometime...I think it's about the best roller out there. The Parker Gels are too wide and wet for my taste, but the Accent is "just right." I wish Parker made the Gels in a 0.5 size - that'd be better.

[jmeadows]

I guess I have two responses to this:

 

Flippant Response: Most bottled Inks. First off, you'll realise that it won't work in a ballpoint, then you'll chuck the silly thing and go back to a fountain pen!

 

Considered and Somewhat more serious response: I like the gels as well. I've had good luck with both the Parker and Itoya gel refills. ALTHOUGH I did get a broad refill on spec from Bertram's Inkwell and I'm thinking about getting more if they come in blue. VERY smooth and buttery feeling. Almost not annoying!

 

Do let us know what YOU find best for you when 'tis all said and done.

 

JM

 

[tulipa]

Schmidt super bowl parker-style capless rollerball refill

[OiRogers]

Not a Parker style...

 

Also not a Parker style, (that I'm aware of... haven't tried a Parker refill in it yet..) but the Lamy 2000 Rollerball compliments my FP's nicely and is very useful for those occasions when a FP isn't usable due to waxy type paper etc...

[gregoron]

Foray Parker-style refills from Office Depot are good. It's really dark in medium black. Schneider 735 refills from passio4pens are good too and they're archival. I prefer fine point ballpoints as I find them smoother than mediums.

[tipstricks]

Parker blue gel refill in F point is great if you like extrafine nibs, or try M point in various colors. I've black, blue, red, green and purple refill that are very funny.

[lovemy51]

i like the capless super roll RB refill parker style from schmidt:

http://yafaoutlet.com/suropastcare.html

 

also, if you want a reagular BP ink that writes smoother than other BP's ink, try the fisher cartridge with the converter for parker style:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/s...re_1993_8094435

[Pjake]

I just bought a Visconti Wall Street BP in blue, and inserted a Parker Gel black refil....It looks great and it does write really well. In my opinion, I really have the grail of BPdom. I have a CdA as and a Dupont Vertigo RB as back up.

 

Peter

[finalidid]

I use the ol' UniBall Vision Elite in 0.8 (they call it "bold" or something).

 

It's a gel-roller-ball pen. It comes out to about $1.75 a pen at a regular office supply store. I always make the office manager get me some in every work setting I'm in, and soon enough everyone else is stealing my pens because they like them better. The only people who don't like them are the ones who need extremely fine points for things -- tiny numbers in tiny squares on tiny forms, for instance. The "bold" is big and fat and decisive, but a bit large for accounting applications unless you write big. And the "fine," which I never use, is quite scratchy and unpleasant.

 

I don't know the difference between gel-roller-ball and ball-point, since now'days ball-points are elaborate, and getting a nice one of them might actually be nicer than some of the cruddier gel pens. So I just lump them all into the same category -- Kuegelschreiber!

[PAKMAN]

I like the Medium Parker Blue Gel Refill. That is what I use in my Pelikan 800 Ball Point.

[jhsiao]

I'd be interested in hearing any reviews from people that have used the Monteverde refills? They're called "Liquid Ballpoint" and I wonder if they're anything like the Mega Ink Ball pens.

 

Edited: for grammar.

Edited March 21, 2008 by jhsiao

[FredRydr]

I just bought a Visconti Wall Street BP in blue, and inserted a Parker Gel black refil....It looks great and it does write really well. In my opinion, I really have the grail of BPdom. I have a CdA as and a Dupont Vertigo RB as back up.

 

Peter

This is ironic, 'cause the guy who sold me my fancy Parker ballpoint recommended a Visconti Broad Ball Point Gel refill!

 

Fred

 

 

 

[Pjake]

I have to get some Visconti Gel refills ..... I have heard/read nothing but raves about them!

[rollerboy]

Not a Parker style...

 

Also not a Parker style, (that I'm aware of... haven't tried a Parker refill in it yet..) but the Lamy 2000 Rollerball compliments my FP's nicely and is very useful for those occasions when a FP isn't usable due to waxy type paper etc...

 

I'm thinking of getting a Lamy 2000 rollerball but suspect mainstream Uniballs and Pilots have set the bar pretty high in terms of actual writing performance. Is the Lamy rollerball at least the equal of the "mainstream" brands?

 

Can anybody compare a Lamy rollerball to a Uniball or Pilot liquid ink rollerball such as the Uniball Vision Elite or Pilot V5/7. How would it line up in terms of line width? For example, in Pilot terms is it the equivalent of a V5 or V7? How does it compare in terms of viscosity and feedback?

 

 

[juhtolv]

 

Parker Gel.

 

Is it water-proof at all? I have heard it dissolves like a sugar.