Quick Review Of A Parker I.m.

[rochester21]

Design and build quality 4/5. The I.M. is a midrange fighter from parker, and for me it is one of the few current designs from the budget category that caught my attention. It has about the same nib(at least the same basic design) fitted on the vector, frontier, but with a bigger and more solid body and construction. The body is made of metal, including the section- I really like this about this pen. It has a medium weight, but feel very sturdy in the hand. The cap clicks into place with a reassuring sound. Colour wise, the one i`m reviewing is the lacquered version-it is shiny, the ornaments on it are chromed, which makes it look a little cheap- this is the case with other similar pens from other companies.

 

Size and balance- 4/5. The I.M. is almost 14 cm closed, 15.5 posted, and about 1.3 cm in diameter. The balance whilst posted is alright, and it feels right without posting as well.

http://i48.tinypic.com/j11y55.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2db4fuc.jpg

 

Nib 4/5. Like I said, this pen is fitted with the nib than can be found on other lower pens from parker. I haven`t filled it with ink, since this is meant to be a present for my cousin, but on a dry test, it has a similar feeling with that of the parker 45. It is smooth, but also gives some amount of feedback . The medium nib will probably write like a broad and the fine like a medium, as i`ve come to expect from parker pens.

http://i46.tinypic.com/13zuyiv.jpg

 

The filling system is by parker proprietary-design cartridges. They are big, but i regret not having the possibility of using standard size-ones with it.

This should be called "the syringe filler", because i use a syringe to refill the cartridges from the sixth grade, and i think others do the same thing. Mine didn`t come with a converter, just a ink cartridge.

 

Price and final considerations. You know, I really like this pen. I bought the fountain pen and ballpoint set, and paid only 25 usd for it, less than half of the retail price. The fountain pen alone costs about 27 usd in my country. And for this price you get a really sturdy pen, average-sized, and with a nail-like, but fairly smooth and resilient nib. I have nothing to complain about the IM at this price, really. By the looks of it, it seems to be a pen which could take years of abuse, with an occasional cleaning every now and then.

Image: size comparison with a parker 75(right) and a parker 45(left)

http://i45.tinypic.com/25swy2r.jpg

Edited November 3, 2012 by rochester21

[Jamesbmorley]

@rochester21 thanks for your review. I received an IM for my birthday this year in chrome and gunmetal two-tone finish. It looks great but wish it had the larger nib like on the old Frontier. Also mine has tendency for the barrel to unscrew while I'm writing and I don't find the metal grip satisfying even though it is brushed to provide some resistance.

[rochester21]

Yep, i noticed the unscrewing tendency, i though it manifested only on my pen. But i do have some other pens that act the same. Regarding the grip, it could have been even less smooth to provide more grip, i`m thinking that you can rough up the surface yourself, at least it`s worth trying(i am the do it yourself type). Thank you for your feedback.

Edited November 3, 2012 by rochester21

[Amberjack]

Spot on review. I have the all chrome IM in a medium nib and it writes very wet and smooth and yes, more like a broad than a medium.

I paid $55 usd for it so I'm wondering if the gunmetal and chrome versions aren't a bit more expensive.

 

I'm a Parker fan, but the lower end Vector, Urban and Frontier don't do anythng for me. The IM does though, perhaps because it's more of a traditional appearing FP.

 

Thanks for the review!

 

AJ

[Jamesbmorley]

Hi Amberjack

 

The two-tone one I was given had chiseling and, having looked around on the net seems to be the IM Premium and is priced higher than an IM that isn't branded as Premium.

 

Looks nice but that boring nib and the loose-working barrel/section grrr...

[Ernst Bitterman]

Colour wise, the one i`m reviewing is the lacquered version-it is shiny, the ornaments on it are chromed, which makes it look a little cheap- this is the case with other similar pens from other companies.

 

The trim is EXACTLY the same on the $160 Ingenuity-- that's not an FP, but it's the most expensive modern Parker I've had anything to do with.

[Amberjack]

Hi Amberjack

 

The two-tone one I was given had chiseling and, having looked around on the net seems to be the IM Premium and is priced higher than an IM that isn't branded as Premium.

 

Looks nice but that boring nib and the loose-working barrel/section grrr...

 

Agree on the nib. Would have liked to see something different.

I haven't experienced the loose barrel/section. You might give Parker a call and see if they can do something about that.

 

Best,

AJ

[Jamesbmorley]

Here's my review of my IM Premium

[robofkent]

I've just been into town and happened to go into the local WH Smiths (UK Newsagent/Stationers) and was quite shocked at the prices they are expecting to sell I.M. and Urbans for. The I.M.s were £19.99 in basic form and the Urbans £27.99. So came home and bought an I.M. on e-bay for less than £10 including postage. Sorry WH Smiths but the last laugh is on you!

[Jamesbmorley]

I've just been into town and happened to go into the local WH Smiths (UK Newsagent/Stationers) and was quite shocked at the prices they are expecting to sell I.M. and Urbans for. The I.M.s were £19.99 in basic form and the Urbans £27.99. So came home and bought an I.M. on e-bay for less than £10 including postage. Sorry WH Smiths but the last laugh is on you!

 

Rob

 

Rymans in Uk had better high street prices on the IM but the Urban seems a little steep everywhere. Check out some Platignums as a UK pen for same price as some Chinese Jinhaos.

[robofkent]

I picked up this brushed chrome I.M. with standard M nib in a shop today!

 

The design of this pen seems to be all in the cap. Without it the pen looks a little bland, therefore I think I will be posting the cap on this pen, something I don't tend to do with my other Parkers. I think with the width of this pen it could have done with a larger nib - it looks a little measly! All in all a good chuck around pen that I'm not going to lose sleep on if it gets scratched or lost etc

Edited November 29, 2012 by robofkent

[lovemy51]

just got one in the mail today. M nib, writes very smoothly. picked it up for $12 american, shipped. nice pen!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230862622281?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648

(just noticed the price went up. $12 might have been a holiday sale)

[Fountain Pen Social Studies Teacher]

Johnny Come Lately to this thread... I too own a gunmetal IM. I like the looks and feel, though mine originally had hard starts. I used the brass sheet between the tines, but that wasn't the issue - clean as a whistle. So, I tried making the nib a bit wetter.... Oops. Now, it is a complete wet noodle. It bleeds through even Rhodia (using a Parker black cartridge). I've never had ANYTHING do that.

 

Any suggestions on how I can undo what I did, i.e. make it drier?

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[bone215]

This pen is built like a tank. I have been abusing mine for 2 years and still smooth albeit rather wide M nib.

It certainly shows ink color well!

[Axel63]

Hello Rochester21

 

and thank you for this review.

I stumbled into an unused Parker IM in shiny chrome with medium nib while strolling at a fleemarket in Frankfurt yesterday and bought it for just 8 Euros.

At home I filled a parker piston converter, which I usually use for old S.T. Dupotn pens, with Waterman ink and put it into the IM.

 

I really like the way it writes and it is the first pen, I enjoy writing with the cap put on the end of the barrel.

 

It's a pen that really looks great, is high quality manufactured and I really consider keeping it instead of reseeling it via Ebay.

 

Kind regards

 

Axel

Edited August 24, 2015 by Axel63

[tritrek]

I like the look of this pen so I have purchased a FP/RbP set yesterday. I am not impressed with the writing experience at all - at least with the supplied blue cartridge that came with the pen. I have the feeling it just doesn't flow too well, maybe I'll try it with another cartridge or a converter.
However I have no drag at all.

[lovemypen]

I bought 2 Parker IM pens from China recently. Now I have a doubt whether this is original or fake. Anyway it is writing like original and I'm very much satisfied. But when I filled my pen the ink got vaporized within 2 or 3 days. First I can't find the reason. After thoroughly examine the pen i discovered the reason. The pen-top has a factory made hole just below the arrow clip of this pen. On the first i can't see the hole because of clip is covering the hole completely from the view. Does this is due to a fake product? My all other Parker models pen-tops doesn't have any hole. But this IM pen is the best one Parker model I ever used. Does anyone's IM model pen-top has a hole?

[WJM]

I didn't like the design of the I.M. so much at first, the cap is weird and the nib is ridiculously small (is this the same one as in Vector?). But recently after using it for about some 2 or 3 weeks I began to like it enough. Looks nice and writes well. However the gold plating on the ring managed to partially fade out in just those 2 weeks.