My review of gel refill options for Parker pens:

[jread]

I've spent a few days testing out four different gel refills for Parker ballpoints (Parker, Monteverde, Visconti, Itoya), and below are my initial impressions. Please note that all comparisons are with blue ink and with 0.7mm points:

 

Parker: there is a thread in this forum where people are complaining about the Parker gel refills, but I personally have found them to be very nice (especially the blue one). The Parker brand gel writes very smoothly and I noticed almost no skipping. The blue is very dark and rich, and looks fantastic on paper. The line is definitley much "fatter" than with the other 0.7mm refills, though, so if you like finer lines this may be a problem.

 

Monteverde: the Monteverde refills are very nice. I tested out the blue/black color and it is the best-looking of all four (gorgeous midnight-blue color). The line is finer than the Parker while being just as smooth. I did notice some very minor skipping with this refill, though it is not bad enough to really be an issue.

 

Visconti: the Visconti gel is really in a league of its own and the best of all four in my opinion. It writes as smooth as silk, with a very nice line and no skipping at all, ever. The blue is a little lighter than what I like but that is really personal preference. Another advantage of the Visconti is that you can get it in 0.5mm, 0.7mm or 1.0mm depending on your preference. I like having options

 

Itoya: these were just "OK". They're inexpensive but also felt a little "cheap" to me. The 0.7mm is very fine, much more like a 0.5mm and I didn't notice much skipping, but it doesn't write smoothly (it's kind of "scratchy"). I just didn't care for the Itoya gel overall.

 

 

If I had to rank them, it would be: 1. Visconti, 2. Parker/Monteverde, and 3. Itoya. Please keep in mind that you get good and bad refills of every brand, so you may want to do more testing of your own before making a final decision.

 

I hope that this is helpful for others with Parker pens who want to try a gel refill but are unsure of what to get

Edited April 11, 2009 by jread

[Garageboy]

I can STILL get the Visconti to glob on start. I dont know why

[Writing Uphill]

Could you comment on how long these last? I love the Parker blue but find it dries up almost immediately, while the black lasts a lot longer (I wonder if that is why the blue costs less in most office supplies stores). Even the black Parker doesn't write that long, even though it's shelf life is great. I'd consider some of the others you mentioned, even though they are dramatically more expensive than the Parker, if the had more ink and better cap off times for blue.

 

[poxy51]

Where have you been able to buy the Visconti refills?

[WendyNC]

It seems that they're available at Pen Boutique and at Swisher Pens for $5.00.

[jread]

Could you comment on how long these last? I love the Parker blue but find it dries up almost immediately, while the black lasts a lot longer (I wonder if that is why the blue costs less in most office supplies stores). Even the black Parker doesn't write that long, even though it's shelf life is great. I'd consider some of the others you mentioned, even though they are dramatically more expensive than the Parker, if the had more ink and better cap off times for blue.

 

I cannot comment on how long they last as I've not had any of them long enough to tell. My blue Parker refill is still going strong after a few months of use, though.

 

Where have you been able to buy the Visconti refills?

 

I bought the Visconti refills at a local Paradise Pen store at a mall near my house.

 

[arashdeepsinghmann]

I always used Parker ones and worked fine for me.

[adamselene]

I've used thes all, and i finf Itoya head and shoulders above the rest for me. When it skips, I pop it out of the pen to find the clear tube is completely empty. I like the smooth fine line.

 

There are Itoya carts that look almost the same, but are just bp refills. I get the gels from the guy in Temecula, and around a buck each.

 

De gustubus and all that.

Edited November 3, 2014 by adamselene

[toymachine]

Good list! I'd like to try the Visconti gel refills but they are up to $15 on amazon. craziness! I'll stick with my monteverde for now. 

 

Worth trying the Gelion 39 if you are in the market as well. 

[Estycollector]

My new favorite is OHTO Flash Dry .5mm which I use in my vintage Jotter and Parker FLighter 45.

[corniche]

Hi all,

 

My vote goes to Monteverde ceramic ball, Gel ink refills. They're available in several colors and 3 tip sizes and I dare say, they write smoother than fountain pens. 

 

- Sean