Parker Rollerball Intermittent Ink Flow

[IvoryParker]

Greetings all. The Parker rollerball refill perplexes me. I put in a fresh refill it writes well then it stops after about a week or so. (PEN 1)

 

I install a second refill in another pen and use it. (PEN 2)

 

A few weeks later I will pick up the first refill (PEN 1) and it writes like new. Has anyone experienced this strange issue?

 

Has anyone opened a parker rollerball refill to examine how it functions? Is there some sort of feed that gets dry?

 

Any help will be appreciated

[Studio97]

I have had persnickity problems with that. I have at times capped the pen and shook it down like a thermometer a couple of times. I got to where I avoid buying refills for it. I now use a Uniball 207 Impact RT bold refill in it.

[IvoryParker]

Hi thanks for the response in what model of Parker pen do you manage v to get the uniball 207 impact refill in

[Studio97]

Don't know the model, but it's a steel vector-style with a cap. Can't post a photo .

Also similar to this: Parker Frontier Stainless Steel GT Roller Ball Pen

Edited July 2, 2018 by Studio97

[A1979]

Greetings all. The Parker rollerball refill perplexes me. I put in a fresh refill it writes well then it stops after about a week or so. (PEN 1)

 

I install a second refill in another pen and use it. (PEN 2)

 

A few weeks later I will pick up the first refill (PEN 1) and it writes like new. Has anyone experienced this strange issue?

Yes I do. And it is a pity, because the refill writes actually very well... when it writes.

[IvoryParker]

Well what do you know took a chance and the pentel energel lr7 refill fits snugly into my vector problem solved 😉

[Studio97]

Sometimes refills like these will seem to stop working but recover easy with a couple of shakes.

[dadbar]

Parker makes crappy rollerball refills. I have MUCH better luck with Schmidt and Monteverde refills. I will use those in my pens instead of the Parkers when I absolutely want a rollerball refill (e.g. while flying and traveling).

[krbmsw]

Interesting. My Parker Rollerball refills have always been reliable. I have this problem with my Lamy Swift. Years of refills and the Swift is great for a few days and skippy. Wish I could help you. It's interesting to hear others say Parker refills are "(bleep)". I literally stick to Parker rollerballs because the refills have never let me down.

[IvoryParker]

Sometimes refills like these will seem to stop working but recover easy with a couple of shakes.

I've also found that gently rotating the pen in a clockwise motion also solves the problem. I love everything Parker so its hard for me to accept it as a total waste

[Danny Kaffee]

I know this is an old thread but I was searching for some discussion on Parker rollerball refills and here I am.

 

I have a couple of older Parker Sonnet rollerballs that I like to use as an alternative to fountain pens. The problem is that I've never liked the Parker rollerball refills. Like some have expressed above, when they are new they write well and they are excellent. However, for me anyway, they quickly degrade in quality like they are drying out (just a bit), and the lines become less bold and the writing experience more scratchy. Some are like this right out of the package. I find the quality to be very inconsistent.

 

However, having read the above posts I have made a most pleasant discovery--with a minor modification I can use a Pilot G2, Pilot V-ball, Waterman, Montblanc, or Schmidt 888/5888 refill in any Parker rollerball. All you need to do is stuff about a quarter of an inch of balled up paper or other wadding in the end of the barrel so in effect makes the refill a bit longer. I.e., the standard Parker rollerball is longer than the Pilot G2 refill, etc.

 

This is awesome news because my all time favorite rollerball is the Pilot V-ball 0.7 mm in blue. It puts down a line as bold and smooth as nearly any fountain pen I have (and I have over 50). Now I can put the V-ball in my Parker's.

 

Victory!

Edited March 26, 2020 by Danny Kaffee

[torstar]

If I cannot see the ink level in the refill, it often isn't a happy experience.

[inkobsessed]

Interesting. My Parker Rollerball refills have always been reliable. I have this problem with my Lamy Swift. Years of refills and the Swift is great for a few days and skippy. Wish I could help you. It's interesting to hear others say Parker refills are "(bleep)". I literally stick to Parker rollerballs because the refills have never let me down.

[inkobsessed]

Same problem with the Lamy Swift here. Ik wrote about it to Lamy and they nicely send me two new M66 refills. Just a bit better, so now I fill the M66 refill with fountainpen ink because the Swift remains a nice pen to write with.

 

Joop

[Anderglan]

See also:

 

The Rollerball Refill-Refill!