Parker Im Premium Fountain

[PolarMoonman]

This is the updated version of my first review that I originally posted in the wrong forum....

 

Pen: IM Premium

Make: Parker

Cost: $30

Nib: Medium

 

Packaging & Accessories: (6/10)

The pen came in a square box with a lid and a cloth insert with a ribbon across it. It came with one black ink cartridge, but no converter.

 

Appearance & Design (9/10)

The pen looks awesome, it has a very cool pattern on it and the finish looks good. The nib itself is long and narrow which gives it kind of an odd look. But other than this it's looks phenomenal.

 

Construction & Quality (10/10)

The pen is made of brass, and is solid. Except for some plastic parts on and near the nib it's all brass. The quality of the body of the pen is very good and it feels indestructible. The cap clicks on tightly and it does not leak. No complaints....

 

Weight & Dimensions: (6/10)

The pen is very heavy. It weighs about 4-5 times what a normal plastic stick pen does. I like heavy pens so this is a plus for me but for those who like lighter pens this one might be a challenge to use for an extended period of time. Especially if you post the cap. Though for me personally I find it easier to write when the cap is not posted.

 

Nib & Performance: (6/10)

The nib itself is a lengthened version of the nib of a Parker Vector pen. This is a bit disappointing because it's the same nib as a $10 pen. It doesn't always like to start with you, and can be scratchy at times. I've found a drop of dish soap in the ink can resolve this problem.

 

Filling System & Maintenance: (8/10)

The pen takes Parker Quink cartridges, but a converter can also be used with a bottle of ink. The pen itself is not very high maintenance, but it does require some scribbling on paper and at worst soaking if the pen refuses to start. Other than this it's okay.

 

Cost & Value: (6/10)

I think this is good pen when it comes to design and materials. But for $30 I'd like a better nib, maybe one like the Parker Frontier or Sonnet. Also I'd like to it start on its own consistently without coaxing.

 

Conclusion: (51/70 – 72%)

All in all I like this pen. It is a nicely designed, nicely weighted pen. I am glad I bought it. And after the soap trick and some flushing it writes incredibly nice. If you are willing to fiddle with it a bit to get it working it can be a great pen.

[Sasha Royale]

Thanks. You express my experience in excellent narative.

I didn't like the Vector that I bought ten years ago. I bought a standard I.M.,

with a chrome cap, for $12.79 because it was only $12.79 . I guess it deserves

a 10/10 for not falling apart in my hand, but it writes like a cheap pen. I am

very disappointed. I call it the I.M., but it doesn't deserve the name "Parker".

[myn]

Thanks for this thorough review. An interesting pen.

[lovemy51]

yours looks very elegant, PandP!

i got the standard too. i like it!

 

 

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/P1060084_zpse3c5febf.jpg

[richardandtracy]

I have to say I was less impressed with my plain flighter IM. I don't like the nib much either, but I also thought the rest of the pen was rather heavy and unrefined.

 

It's a reasonable pen for sporadic use, but I do feel it's massively over priced. It feels like numerous Chinese brand pens, and is produced in China too (I suspect the looks and manufacturing processes have been optimised by focus groups for that market). However, the price of the IM is considerably higher than an equivalent quality and feel Chinese brand pen.

 

So, I fear I can't entirely agree with the results if this review. However, thanks for your take on the pen, it will balance out and give a rounded view to the 'IM experience'.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[lovemy51]

for $12 (what i paid) it's a really good buy, IMO. mine writes better than my "25", which i got for $15.

 

of course, i failed to see how they can charge $30 for it!

[Salerno_AFG]

Thanks for the review, I was looking into this pen. Being on a US Army salary I have to count my pennies, so I am always looking for high quality, low price fountain pen. LOL aren't we all? I would love to see more Blue Collar reviews for pens under $50.

[PenMaster71]

Just a heads up... After a few months of use, this pen isn't indestructible at all. The nib can get stuck in the cap when inserting cartridges, the small "Parker" band at the bottom of the cap can completely come off, the cap can hardly stick on the pen... etc etc etc. If you plan on using the pen for more than just a desk pen (eg. students, tons of notes, continuous use) I would recommend just saving your money and going for a Sonnet... On the bright side, it writes great despite all the body issues, and if you can stand a few battle scars while still having an Ol' Faithful, this might be right up your alley!

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Do you insert the cartridge without removing the cap of the pen first? I think it might be better to uncap the pen before inserting the cartridge, otherwise the nib section might get stuck in the cap.

 

Dillon

[PenMaster71]

Nope, that was after I inserted the cartridge outside the cap... I think the nib might have pushed foreward once the barrel was screwed back on, or something of the sort... The inner sleve had become a bit loose, and that may have had something to do with it. I'm certainly not an expert on pen construction. :embarrassed_smile: I'm afraid I just know what my problems were! However, it does write great and is still a great starter pen.

Edited January 10, 2013 by PenMaster71

[PolarMoonman]

for $12 (what i paid) it's a really good buy, IMO. mine writes better than my "25", which i got for $15.

 

of course, i failed to see how they can charge $30 for it!

 

I know what you mean! I got it on Amazon and I think it's because it's got a special engraved finish.....

 

Although now that I am using a converter all my flow problems have gone away and it starts right away. It writes beautifully and smoothly. So in my mind it was worth the money.....

[rebeltrouser]

Just a heads up... After a few months of use, this pen isn't indestructible at all. The nib can get stuck in the cap when inserting cartridges, the small "Parker" band at the bottom of the cap can completely come off, the cap can hardly stick on the pen... etc etc etc. If you plan on using the pen for more than just a desk pen (eg. students, tons of notes, continuous use) I would recommend just saving your money and going for a Sonnet... On the bright side, it writes great despite all the body issues, and if you can stand a few battle scars while still having an Ol' Faithful, this might be right up your alley!

I read this review a few weeks ago after coming across this pen online, and funnily enough while at "write here" in shrewsbury I came across this very pen! So I was a smart little girl and asked to play around with it in the store first. I did like it an awful lot, and I have some Sailor Jentle "apricot" ink in it which is just fantastic, but I'm keeping my warranty guarantee papers...fingers crossed eh?!

 

I'm not intensely fussy about how my pens look so hopefully I only get aesthetic failures with this pen. I liked the odd, slightly art-deco look of it enough to take the risk.

[Vendome]

I started off with a couple of standard I.Ms last year.

 

I found that when I used cartridges in them, (before using converters) they seemed to be a tad too wide for the pen, so the barrel had a bit of a squeeze when screwing back on to the nib unit section. I didn't have that problem with the converters, as they are just a bit slimmer than the cartridges.

 

Good writer though, as a step-up pen from the 15 / Jotter and Vector range. Plus, they got me back into the world of using fountain pens and rescuing my penmanship.

[kemuri]

Nice review. Searching on the net I could find very different opinions about the Parker IM?

 

Maybe it's just a love and hate perspective. I got one, very low cost, and just fell in love with....

 

Thanks for the nice review!

 

 

-kemuri

[rebeltrouser]

Oy. Good thing John at Write Here is so accommodating!

 

I still don't have too many complaints about the pen as a pen, but I have returned it to him- because it's *heavy*. It's heavier than my brushed chrome Sheaffer I inherited from my late FIL, but that writes like butter so you don't notice it quite so much.

 

The IM had not just the webbing between my thumb and finger sore, but my thumb and index fingers themselves also ached- maybe the angle I had to write at? Anyway, I have a newfound appreciation for my cheap but comfortable Picasso 906 and Kaigelu 360 and will be sticking with them for a while, at least until we get some decent weather and my hands lose some of their stiffness.

[ac12]

Which converter did you use in the IM; the screw piston or the slightly thinner plunger piston?

 

Thanks

[PolarMoonman]

Which converter did you use in the IM; the screw piston or the slightly thinner plunger piston?

 

Thanks

 

I use the screw piston converter

[ac12]

Thanks PanP

I have one of those in my supply box.

[Guillermo]

Thanks for the review, in fact I consulted this one for making up my mind and buying this over here (same one as the picture in your review). Indeed, this pen is ratter heavy. I searched for it's weight and it's actually 30 g (1.06 oz). without cartridge or converter. If you're used to a Lamy Safari or other plastic-resin models, it might be uncomfortable at the beginning. Although, this thing is as sturdy as a battle tank! In fact I have dropped it twice (accidentally, of course) and no scratches, dents or whatsoever! Nice pen, in spite of the nib... Indeed it is out of the ordinary but it has some flex on it .It's size is not as a Medium, more like a Fine nib or in between. So, if you apply some pressure, you can get between Medium and Broad.

[HITY]

Recently ，i found that Parker Pens are popular with people from all over the world ，on different kinds of webs ，i always see the product ‘s sales volume higher than other brand ，i think more and more people

pay attention to this brand . And more and more sellers select this brand to sell .But why this product was attracted by people ？How do you think this brand ？First time ，I have used duke pen ，but now i found this

brand is not famous on FPN .Do you know this brand ？