1995 Parker Pen Set, Would Like Info?

[Jimothy]

For buying inks and stuff in the UK you can't go wrong with www.thewritingdesk.co.uk

[Mike 59]

That's a good Parker set you were given, definitely make use of it, if you can.

We all use keyboards and moblies, so handwriting will get worse, but that's even more reason to fight back.

I have a Parker Frontier, a cheaper version of the Sonnet, and I use the cartridge convertor, and inks are;

Sheaffer 'Skrip' black (for a deep black), or Waterman Florida blue, for a dark/medium blue.(Great colour IMO)

If you can get to a J Lewis shop, they stock them.

If no-one has mentioned this, and your fountain pen has not been used before, you would find it works better generally

if you wash it through before using it. (You can do this every couple of months too.)

My method is, plug in the cartridge convertor, instead of a cartridge.

Get an old plastic pot or beaker. Put in a few drops of washing up liquid. Add water to about 3cm deep.

Turn the convertor's control (or push the slider if that type) all the way down.

Put the nib under the water in the pot. Turn or slide the convertor till it's full of water.

Push it all out, and repeat that several times. ( I would leave it full up overnight, but up to you.)

Change the solution to plain water. Fill up and empty the convertor several times.

 

Fold up a tissue. Stand the pen nib unit up so that the nib is on the tissue, leave it for an hour.

Then you are ready to plug in a cartridge, or fill the convertor with ink of choice.

When writing, you will find it's better to hold the pen tilted back at about 45 degrees, the nib has been made to work that way.

Use very little pressure on the paper, and hold the pen lightly, it's very different to using a ballpoint !! Enjoy. @Mike 59

Edited December 11, 2011 by Mike 59

[SimonUK]

That certainly is a nice color! I've been looking on thewritingdesk.co.uk and there is a massive choice of colours for ink! There is a massive variation in price though, whats the reason for this? Just different Pigments and dyes?

 

I need to get a converter for the Jotter that i'm using now. The website has 2 different converters for Parker, a Piston Converter and a Pump Converter, which one should i get? I basically want the most reliable and easiest to use one, i don't want an ink spills! So then this week i can get round to ordering a bottle of ink and a converter!

 

Simon

[Mike 59]

The two different convertors do exactly the same job, but the one with the spiral thread inside is easier to use, but costs more.

The cheaper 'pump' type is a sliding action, and when they are dry, don't slide very well at all, better when water or ink in them.

Same applies to all these new plastic parts, they need a wash out with washing up liquid, then plain water, before you use.

It's something to do with the oils that plastic is made of.

If you buy an ink convertor, be sure it's a Parker, because there are other types that won't fit. (Euro & Waterman for instance.)

The Parker Jotter will take the same cartridges and cartridge convertors (CC's) as fit the Sonnet/Frontier/Vector/etc.

You will find the inks such as Waterman, make the pen write differently to Quink, try both, but Quink is more watery.

[SimonUK]

The two different convertors do exactly the same job, but the one with the spiral thread inside is easier to use, but costs more.

The cheaper 'pump' type is a sliding action, and when they are dry, don't slide very well at all, better when water or ink in them.

Same applies to all these new plastic parts, they need a wash out with washing up liquid, then plain water, before you use.

It's something to do with the oils that plastic is made of.

If you buy an ink convertor, be sure it's a Parker, because there are other types that won't fit. (Euro & Waterman for instance.)

The Parker Jotter will take the same cartridges and cartridge convertors (CC's) as fit the Sonnet/Frontier/Vector/etc.

You will find the inks such as Waterman, make the pen write differently to Quink, try both, but Quink is more watery.

 

I'll get a piston converter then No point getting the one that is slightly worse if the are the same price at the site i'm looking at

 

I'm still stuck on ink's though :/ I'm just browsing by colour, because in my head thats the most important thing. Is there any stuff i should stay clear of? I obviously don't want to get a crazy expensive premium ink just yet, but an good solid all round ink is what i'm looking for ideally

[georges zaslavsky]

train regularly and you will have a far better handwriting. The sonnet is a very good fountain pen.

[Mike 59]

Yes go for the threaded Cartridge convertor (CC), I get the cheaper 'slide' type purely because WH Smith sells them.

As for the ink colour, it's such a personal thing. Some people like black only, but for general use, blue is probably

a better choice. What to avoid? India ink of any sort or brand....it will clog the pen for good.

I found with my Parker Frontier, that the Quink cartridge supplied was too washed out on the paper, it's ok, but you have to

try it to know. I bought some Sheaffer Skrip black (blue is available) and it transformed my pen, starts every time, solid colour,

really smooth, can't think of anything bad to say.

The Waterman inks are choice of many other users on this board, again smooth solid colours.

Cross brand inks are sold in UK too, but I think they are made by Pelikan, but that's no bad thing either.

All of these will work well and will be far cheaper than buying cartridges.

When you fill the pen with ink, keep the nib under the ink surface, fill it once, keep the nib in the ink, empty it out, fill again, empty it out, fill third time. What that does is to get all the air out. Sounds daft but you will find it is like that. Have a piece of paper towel ready to clean off the ink that will be on the outside. Hope that helps.

[grandpasmurf]

Hi Simon,

 

Inks do varya great deal more than just colour, I have tried several and for my money I have found Sheaffer Skrip ink to be the best compromise, It is wonderfully smooth and the colours are nice and bold, and most importantly, it does not cost the earth! If you are wanting a blue/black then I would go here>>> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sheaffer-Bottle-Blue-Black-Skrip-Ink-/330653692481?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PensPencils_WritingEquipment_SM&hash=item4cfc7ef241

 

I have found that parker and waterman inks tend to be a little too dry at times and sometimes cause pens to stutter or skip without a lot of pressure, maybe its just because I have a very light hand when it comes to fountain pens!

 

As for parker converters, The slide piston's are usually a bit cheaper, but there are always reasons things are cheap and now I have stopped buying them as ther do have a limited life. The new screw type piston converters (black bottom) will fit any parker pen, new or old, whereas the older type (like the one with your sonnet, chrome ring around the bottom) will only fit the older pens, I have bought 3 from here >>> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130444271765?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_1075wt_905

 

I understand what dickydotcom is saying about cheap calligraphy sets, which is why i said i would try one of these that i have coming out first, they are not 'cheap' as in no namers, I am getting them at a silly cheap price!

 

Parker do make a calligraphy set based on the vector, which is a good set, but I have found that the vector is not to everyones taste and IMHO the sheaffer set is better value for money, I have both and i find that the sheaffer set is much more tolerent, not to mention the fact that for £20 you get 3 complete pens whereas the parker set you only ever get the one vector!

 

I have used the writing desk and they are brilliant, but last time i checked the prices were slightly better on the 'bay

 

regards

 

Grandpa smurf

[SimonUK]

Well it turns out, i just found an unopened bottle of Black Quink Ink from my parents schooling! Circa - 1960 . I opened it up and it smells fine, there isn't anything growing on it! So all is well. Going to buy a Slide Converter tomorrow, as turns out the the Screw type converters don't fit in my jotter

 

I'm excited!

[Mike 59]

If the Quink bottle has never been used, or not in years, best give the ink a good stir, I have had cartridges where the ink has separated.

One was black Quink, and I just plugged it in to the Frontier, it wrote gold !

I got a piece of wire and stirred it up, and it was fine. I would guess a bottle would do the same. ( In my opinion.)

As most bottles inks are +- £5, it can be an expensive mistake, as you are guessing as to what to try.

But I don't think you will go far wrong with Waterman Florida blue, as a medium/dark blue, it's a safe choice.

Be sure to give the pen + ink convertor a good wash out before filling up with ink, gives it all a good start.

[Winchester]

That's a good Parker set you were given, definitely make use of it, if you can.

We all use keyboards and moblies, so handwriting will get worse, but that's even more reason to fight back.

I have a Parker Frontier, a cheaper version of the Sonnet, and I use the cartridge convertor, and inks are;

Sheaffer 'Skrip' black (for a deep black), or Waterman Florida blue, for a dark/medium blue.(Great colour IMO)

If you can get to a J Lewis shop, they stock them.

If no-one has mentioned this, and your fountain pen has not been used before, you would find it works better generally

if you wash it through before using it. (You can do this every couple of months too.)

My method is, plug in the cartridge convertor, instead of a cartridge.

Get an old plastic pot or beaker. Put in a few drops of washing up liquid. Add water to about 3cm deep.

Turn the convertor's control (or push the slider if that type) all the way down.

Put the nib under the water in the pot. Turn or slide the convertor till it's full of water.

Push it all out, and repeat that several times. ( I would leave it full up overnight, but up to you.)

Change the solution to plain water. Fill up and empty the convertor several times.

 

Fold up a tissue. Stand the pen nib unit up so that the nib is on the tissue, leave it for an hour.

Then you are ready to plug in a cartridge, or fill the convertor with ink of choice.

When writing, you will find it's better to hold the pen tilted back at about 45 degrees, the nib has been made to work that way.

Use very little pressure on the paper, and hold the pen lightly, it's very different to using a ballpoint !! Enjoy. @Mike 59

 

That reminds me I should fill up my Parker Frontier again, is that a medium nib, too?

[Mike 59]

My Frontier is medium nib, in fact all my fountain pens are medium, as are my ballpoint pens.

I don't choose medium, it's that the shops I buy from only stock medium.

I would like to try fine nibs, but I like a thicker line for general writing.

[SimonUK]

I'm interested in trying a fine nib, as the medium i use now is possibly a tad thick, and i mean only a tad....

 

Got a Converter, Got my Ink...

 

Wish me luck

[cavey]

Good luck!

 

Hope you'll be using your Sonnet more often in the future I know my handwriting has improved a bit with my renewed interest in my fountain pen. It opened up a bit more... and hintings of flamboyant lines emerging from letters like g and j...

[SimonUK]

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9173/parkerblacktest.png

 

Thoughts?

[grandpasmurf]

Hi Simon,

 

Looks good from here.

 

This is just a quick sample of my current rotation of fountain pens to demonstrate differences in pens with the same inks, The wishy/washy ink in the cartridges will undoubtedly be Royal Blue Washable, the good news is that Parker do an alternative that is simply called 'Blue' and is much bolder and can be bought for as little as £4.10

 

 

 

The nib in your jotter is basically the same as the vector nib, which is also the same nib that they use in the Parker IM and they all tend to be on the broad side of medium, If you compare the Parker 95 Bold with the Parker IM you will see what I mean. As a general rule of thumb, the more expensive the Parker, the finer the nib, The only Fine nib on that page is the one in the Platignum Calligraphy pen that arrived today and cost me £3 complete with 4 nibs and a couple of cartridges.

 

The nib in your Sonnet should write with a finer line than your Jotter, so it should look more like the 1980's arrow with waterman black.

 

It may be worth you trying parker blue/black as it costs the same as the blue and is a much more attractive ink.

 

(I hope the vividness of the purple shows through as this is the most attractive of inks )

 

Regards and I hope we see more of your efforts

 

Grandpa Smurf

[grandpasmurf]

Oh, By the way

 

My apologies for the messy writing, I have arthritis and it is rather cold this evening