Very Poor Quality Parker Bp/gel Refill

[rminj]

Parker have recently brought out a new ballpoint refill called Quink Flow - there was one in the Premier Black Edition BP I bought in Nov 10.

 

I haven't had any problems with it and it has more of a liquid ink in it compared to the standard Parker bp refill.

 

Did you have a chance to compare it to a gel refill? I frankly do not understand where Parker will put Quink Flow compared to gel. I read somewhere on the net that Quink Flow will be good for 2000 meters whereas the gel runs for 600 meters. That is a plus but I would love to compare them myself.

 

Regards,

 

QuinkFlow will be the replacement for the standard Parker ballpoint refill. It is a low viscosity ballpoint, not a gel. It is widely available in Europe, will get to US when they build up enough supply, probably in early April. It is simply superb, even smoother than the Schmidt Easy Flow. This is the wave of the future for ballpoints.

 

Well I see they're available online at several places now.. And in Staples in the USA I see Jotter pens again in the new packaging...so maybe these refills will follow. I just picked up some regular Gels to hold me over until these arrive.

[stuartk]

Funny the refills have an ISO standard number on them which you would think would indicate good QC?.

 

ISO standards don't always relate to QC.

 

The one you're probably seeing is 12757-2, and as far as I know it concerns the ink inside the refill.

 

There's another standard that specifies the type of refill. I'm not positive which standard it is, but the refills are normally called G2 size.

 

I have an older Parker BP refill that says DIN 16 554/2 I did a search on google for that and this might be where the G2 comes from.

[welch]

Art Browns now has the new Quink Flow refills. Must be other places in US by now, as well.

[kaissa]

Funny the refills have an ISO standard number on them which you would think would indicate good QC?.

 

ISO standards don't always relate to QC.

 

The one you're probably seeing is 12757-2, and as far as I know it concerns the ink inside the refill.

 

There's another standard that specifies the type of refill. I'm not positive which standard it is, but the refills are normally called G2 size.

 

ISO 12757-2 is a specification for the durability of ink towards tampering and hence sometimes refered as document safe.

 

ISO 12757-1 has to do with the size of the refills. G2, the Parker we know, and D1, a pretty standard thin refill found on promotional pens, are two of the sizes mentioned.

 

Regards,

[rminj]

Art Browns now has the new Quink Flow refills. Must be other places in US by now, as well.

yep...see them on goldspot's sight.. think I'll place an order. Hope these refills are all they're said to be..

[FLZapped]

I own about 40 or so desk sets, most use fountain pens with six require parker refills. I went to an office supply store and got 6 packs of their medium gel refills (made in the UK). After about 2 months, the refills started to make inconsistent lines or have dried up altogether. Normally, I'd just buy new ones. However, the quality for such a prestigious brand is deplorable considering the ubiquitous Japanese brand gel pens (entire pen/not just a bloody refill) write literally 10x better at 1/2 or 1/3 the cost. I have visited several stores and have not found alternatives compatible with the Parker design. Please help.

 

 

I have the problem with them skipping. It looks like it is easy to get debris into the ball assembly which instantly screws them up and they don't seem to be able to clear themselves. So any paper that has loose fibers is a no-no.

 

-Bruce

[JML]

The Quink Flow refills are smoother than regular ballpoint refills. They're marked "Made in France," unlike the older Parker ballpoint refills. Stores like Staples and Office Max can have two variants; the newest are marked "Quink Flow" and not just "Quink." The line of the medium is thinner than most competing refills, and the color is more towards blue-black than many others.

 

I use either these new Quink Flow refills, Office Depot Foray "Parker-style" refills (made in Switzerland), or Monteverde Smooth Flow. The Foray and Parker exhibit fewer ink blobs than the Monteverde, and write a bit more smoothly. Each of these refills has slightly different diameters for the refill where it goes through the pen point; I try to choose a refill that doesn't create any "clicking" sound when I write (if the refill diameter doesn't closely match the size of the pen point hole, then the refill will move slightly as you write, making a noise when it comes into contact with the point of the pen). The Foray refills have a slightly larger diameter than the others (but fit through every pen I've tried, from Aurora to Retro51 to Pelikan, etc.). I'm talking about a very, very, very small difference here.

 

I've given up on all "Parker-style" gel refills, because virtually every sample I've tried for years, from almost every maker, will end up leaking a clear sticky silicone fluid from the back end. Parker is the worst (by far), but the Visconti (except for a few broad points) and Monteverde will leak, too. The only non-leaking gel refills I've tried are the Schmidt, but they come only in a fine point, which I don't like.

 

If price matters, the Foray refills are about half the price of the others, because they're rebranded with the name of the big box store. Foray's lineup of refills are made either in China or Switzerland; what I have said applies ONLY to the Swiss-made "Parker-style" refills (which have blue or black ink, medium points).

Edited February 3, 2012 by JML

[rminj]

The Quink Flow refills are smoother than regular ballpoint refills. They're marked "Made in France," unlike the older Parker ballpoint refills. Stores like Staples and Office Max can have two variants; the newest are marked "Quink Flow" and not just "Quink." The line of the medium is thinner than most competing refills, and the color is more towards blue-black than many others.

 

I use either these new Quink Flow refills, Office Depot Foray "Parker-style" refills (made in Switzerland), or Monteverde Smooth Flow. The Foray and Parker exhibit fewer ink blobs than the Monteverde, and write a bit more smoothly. Each of these refills has slightly different diameters for the refill where it goes through the pen point; I try to choose a refill that

 

If price matters, the Foray refills are about half the price of the others, because they're rebranded with the name of the big box store. Foray's lineup of refills are made either in China or Switzerland; what I have said applies ONLY to the Swiss-made "Parker-style" refills (which have blue or black ink, medium points).

 

Well the new Parker Quinkflow certainly doesn't blob when writing.. I did leave a refill

sitting and ink came out the tip. I've been going back and forth between the Quinkflow and the Schmidt Easyflow 9000 (blue here). The Easyflow has more purple shade to it. Other

differences; the Quinkflow is better at writing long lines, the Easyflow has more of a problem on long lines..but it puts more ink on the paper when writing (don't have to press as hard). Also the Easyflow blue is very vibrant when writing..but it appears a bit fainter the next day. They are both very close but the Easyflow is smoother/less drag by far.

 

I had called Monteverde looking for their blue Soft-Rolls; they told me the Foray Blue was the same refill and referred me to my local store. The Foray SoftRoll blue is a broader point and the ink seems similiar to the Easyflow/Quinkflow. But the Softroll skips quite a bit.

 

I've been trying all these refills to get a permanent blue. I continue to look for a blue

gel that has some permanence.

[nxn96]

I've had pretty good luck with Inoxcrom refills. Pretty smooth flow, particularly with the gel-style refills.

 

I'm not sure how to get them in the US, as I tend to "steal" them out of the adpens that show up in my office....

[PDW]

 

Funny the refills have an ISO standard number on them which you would think would indicate good QC?.

 

Rowdy

 

Comment via an old work associate: 'ISO 9000 means you can make a bad product repeatedly.'

[Mike 59]

Hi, One of the smoothest pens I've ever used was a Zebra Sarasa, where the pen body and refill was clear plastic.

I could see the blue gel ink going down at a fantastic rate, and it finally emptied after 14 days use.

It was so very good....for 14 days. I bought another, and same happened, it just used a lot of ink while writing.

Perhaps it's just the nature of gel inks. But I did notice when the pen was new, it had a tiny plastic ball on the point, no doubt to stop it drying up before use.

[elysee]

I own about 40 or so desk sets, most use fountain pens with six require parker refills. I went to an office supply store and got 6 packs of their medium gel refills (made in the UK). After about 2 months, the refills started to make inconsistent lines or have dried up altogether.

 

I have had similar negative experiences with Parker refills (both the bad ballpoint refills and the bad gel ink refills). So, I no longer buy Parker refills. I WASTED a lot of money on the various current Parker refills before I gave up on Parker refills all together.

 

Now, I buy Visconti ballpoint refills (Visconti ballpoint refills are Parker-style), Schmidt ballpoint refills, Visconti gel ink refills (Visconti gel-ink refills for ballpoint pens are Parker-style), and Monteverde refills (Monteverde makes refills for a variety of pens including Parker-style ballpoint pens -- gel ink and soft roll water-based ink). These refills have a VERY NICE shelf-life and they all come in broad (my favorite!); they come in medium and fine as well.

Edited February 5, 2012 by elysee

[rsx]

Actually the best gel refill I have found is the Cross gel refill. It is extraordinarily smooth, no blobs, no leaks, fairly long-lasting for a gel.

 

The problem, you might say, is that it is only compatible with Cross gel pens and not with the multitude of Parker compatible pens. This might limit its usefulness.

 

Well, yes and no. Cross does make a fairly large number of gel pens, from Townsends, Centurys, Apogees and Afinitiies to the C-series and Edge retractable gel models.

 

I have found, however, that the Cross refills will fit perfectly in any Pilot or Namiki rollerball pen, from low level retractables to sterling silver Namikis. It is OK to use these refills in retractable pens since Cross specifically supplies them in their retractable models.

 

Cross refills will also fit in Mont Blanc rollerball pens with a small amount of tape wrapped around the end of the refill to adjust for length. I prefer these gels to any Mont Blanc rollerball refill.

 

This means that this excellent gel refill actually has many uses for many pen enthusiasts.

[Mike 59]

A comparison of a few ballpens I have.

Parker powerpoint M (UK)

Lamy M16

Waterman M

Cross M black

Fisher space pen #PR4

 

As a rule I find all of them to improve with use, some take a few sides of A4 to really work as they should, but never had any of them actually leak.

Edited February 6, 2012 by Mike 59

[JML]

I just tried two Schmidt Easy Flow refills, Medium Point in Blue and Medium Point in Black. The ink is much thinner in viscosity than the Parker Quink Flow, the Foray, and the Monteverde. It skips too often and very easily, in both colors. And it feels weird, as if the ball is rotating but grabs and releases. Tried four examples, and all are the same.

[rminj]

I just tried two Schmidt Easy Flow refills, Medium Point in Blue and Medium Point in Black. The ink is much thinner in viscosity than the Parker Quink Flow, the Foray, and the Monteverde. It skips too often and very easily, in both colors. And it feels weird, as if the ball is rotating but grabs and releases. Tried four examples, and all are the same.

 

I agree on the Easyflow...the skipping comes in rather consistently if one draws long lines..the

line will fade out. Yet, and this is the perplexing thing, if one then goes to write letters or words instead of a line it puts out a more ink than the Quinkflow. I find it depends what type of paper your using. I'm using the blue color refills. What I found was it puts out more ink than the Quink flow but is it is more prone to skip or fade out on long lines. I find I need less pressure to write with the Easyflow vs the Quinkflow. I think the thinner viscosity of the Easyflow makes it smoother or slippier to write with than the Parker refill.

I think that viscosity acts as a determent; giving a good flow of ink and then skipping or fading other times depending on the paper/surface etc.

Other differences; the Easyflow blue is more purple than the Quink flow blue; but, again perplexing, if you come back the next day the writing between the two will appear quite similar.

 

So compared to a Gel the Easyflow comes closer in the sense that it attempts to put out more ink and not have that ballpoint drag.. The Quinkflow is more consistent but acts more like a regular ballpoint. Both inks dry to look like ballpoint writing.

[JML]

Glad to know you share my impressions of the Easy Flow!

 

The Quink Flow are my standard "Parker style" refill now. They skip less and are smooth-writing, and the line, while thin, is bold and vibrant in color.

 

(The Monteverde ballpoint refills seem to differ in quality and color depending upon where they're made and what configuration they're in. Their new Lamy M16 refills are great; made in China, the color and line width is different from the other Monteverdes I have, like the Parker-style.)

 

And none of these ballpoint refills leak thick silicone oil from the tail end, unlike EVERY Parker-style gel refill I've tried, made in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and China. Interestingly, other gel and rollers don't have that leaking issue.

Edited February 21, 2012 by JML

[delphi303]

I have tried one of the Schmidt EasyFlow Parker-style G2 refills, blue medium. I liked the colour, no real flow issues, but the ball didn't roll smoothly in the tip, as if it was catching on something internally. I ended up throwing it in the bin. I don't think I'll try another.

 

For ballpoint Parker-style G2 refills, I've had good luck with both Schneider & Schmidt black and blue in broad point sizes. Schneider's Slider refill in medium is nice (it does glide across the paper), but I wish they would offer a G2-format refill in broad (which is odd since you can get their Slider stick pen in an XB). The Slider blue XB is a smooth-writing, gorgeous deep rich blue, almost but not quite a blue-black.

 

I haven't tried any of the easily-sourced G2-format gels; Schneider's Gelion refills look interesting but not readily available in the UK. For gels, I tend to use uni-ball for black and Pilot for blue. I think uni & Pilot are perhaps missing an opportunity to market their really excellent quality (IMHO) gel inks in a Parker-style G2 refill, especially as I understand the uni-ball black gel is pretty much bulletproof.

 

But back to the OP's point, I do understand. With an FP/BP set, it's so easy to get the ink with the properties we want for the FP. For the BP, we're just kind of stuck with the default/afterthought ballpoint refills available, and for gels, even fewer choices.

 

Regards,

[rsx]

Actually the best gel refill I have found is the Cross gel refill. It is extraordinarily smooth, no blobs, no leaks, fairly long-lasting for a gel.

 

The problem, you might say, is that it is only compatible with Cross gel pens and not with the multitude of Parker compatible pens. This might limit its usefulness.

 

Well, yes and no. Cross does make a fairly large number of gel pens, from Townsends, Centurys, Apogees and Afinitiies to the C-series and Edge retractable gel models.

 

I have found, however, that the Cross refills will fit perfectly in any Pilot or Namiki rollerball pen, from low level retractables to sterling silver Namikis. It is OK to use these refills in retractable pens since Cross specifically supplies them in their retractable models.

 

Cross refills will also fit in Mont Blanc rollerball pens with a small amount of tape wrapped around the end of the refill to adjust for length. I prefer these gels to any Mont Blanc rollerball refill.

 

This means that this excellent gel refill actually has many uses for many pen enthusiasts.

 

Just two more things:

 

1. Cross rollerball refill is ALSO a perfect fit in the Lamy Swift retractable pen and, I think, a better writer than the Lamy/Schmidt refill which seems to dry out too fast.

 

2. Do not forget the ITOYA Parker compatible gel refill, available in 5 colors and a great writer - no blobs, no smears, no leaks and a visible ink level. This refill has a needle point (I like it) and is only available as 0.7mm width (no extra fine). Worth trying if you can find it (easily available on line and in many pen shops in the US).

[MYU]

I wish I'd found this thread before I made a purchase of the Schmidt Easy Flow 9000. I'm just hoping I get lucky with a good example. I'd been burned by Schmidt before, with their "Capless Superbowl" refills. I tried one and it was TERRIFIC. So, I ordered a batch at once, to save a bit on the cost per unit. Well, not two years later when I went for my 3rd refill, it was dry. I tested another, and another, and... well, the whole lot. DRY AS A BONE! And these were all as-new capped refills.

 

The ink was still in there. I had taped one refill to a sturdy string and whipped it in a circle for about 5-10 minutes, then tried writing with it. It worked... at first... and then dried up. The ink must have separated, creating air pockets. I even went OCD on this, spinning one refill for a full 15 minutes, which netted only two sentences worth of ink. Disgusting.

 

Anyway, I'm encouraged to see so much support for Visconti. I'll have to try one of their refills, despite costing about double that of the competition.