Why doesn't Parker offer more ink colors in it's assortment ?

[JotterAddict62]

Ruth, I had a whole bunch of Permanent Red at the CPS, you should have bought one bottle.😀

[inkstainedruth]

I saw that -- but I'm funny about reds.  I like reds that are smack in the middle of the spectrum and don't lean brown or orange, and also don't link too burgundy or pink either.  I want red red, fire engine red, red the color of my first car (a 1984 Dodge Omni in "Graphic Red").  So for me, there is only one ink that really fits the bill: Diamine Classic Red, with the runner up being Noodler's Park Red (a little pink leaning, but not too bad, and I like the permanence of Park Red).  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[bunnspecial]

On 10/16/2021 at 4:26 PM, austollie said:

I have to say that Parker's reticence to offer Quink inks in more colours surprises me a little.  The reason that I say that is that, in Australia at least, Parker Quink is the only bottled ink sold in the most dominant stationery chain.  In Australia, Parker Quink is an established brand for the every day fountain pen user (i.e. people who are not fountain pen fans that read this forum for advice on which ink to buy).  In fact, Parker Quink is all I bought for several decades, until I got sick of writing exclusively with black, blue or blue-black ink.  Assuming that the Australian market is reflective of the international market (and I am guessing here), the only reason that I can think of for Parker not expanding on the Quink colour range is that it would not be able to extend the prices for their main lines to other colours, which would be sold at lower volumes.  Consumers might not appreciate the price difference between standard black or blue ink and some lower volume exotic colour.  

 

Here in the US, the office supply stores don't generally offer bottled ink IME. In my local Office Max, I can get Waterman(long) cartridges and Quink, but blue and black are my only options in those two. Waterman is available in 8? colors. Interestingly enough, Skrip cartridges can generally be found in a variety pack of colors both in office supply stores and in art/craft stores. I think the latter is because Sheaffer still sells inexpensive calligraphy pen sets.

 

For other Quink colors:

 

In the "art deco" style bottles, I have Washable Green(which is a pale, not overly attractive green) and permanent red. I've seen turquoise, brown, and a handful of others in that style bottle.

 

There are two bottles of Permanent Red sitting on my desk now. The first I bought was a 3/4 full 4 oz. that leaked in transit, and I haven't been brave enough to take it out of the plastic bag the seller(fortunately) had put it in. Unfortunately also, that destroyed the label... The second is a closer to empty 2 oz. bottle with a nice label.

 

I have the Sheaffer analogues to these colors. Washable Emerald Green is a really, really nice all around green ink. The best modern equivalent I can think of is MB Irish Green. I've not used my Sheaffer Permanent Red other than in a dip pen since there's sludge in the bottle. It's pinkish, but I don't think it's a fair representation. The Quink Red looks like a nice strong color.

 

It seems like someone had posted on here a few months back a recent catalog page showing SKUs for Quink in some other colors, but I can't seem to find the thread...

[baz666]

7 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

 

(snip)

 

It seems like someone had posted on here a few months back a recent catalog page showing SKUs for Quink in some other colors, but I can't seem to find the thread...

 

Try this one.

[bunnspecial]

2 hours ago, baz666 said:

 

Try this one.

 

Thanks!

 

Someone in that thread mentioned "end of year" and, well, there's 2 1/2 months left.

 

The 30mL bottles scare me. I could seem them being priced the same if not more than a 57mL bottle of the blue, black, and blue/black.

 

Add to that also that they're a different bottle shape. If they'd wanted to bottle in 30mL bottles, it would have been nice if they could have used the Luxor 30mL Quink bottles, which really are just a miniature/shrunk down version of the 57mL bottles.

[ParkersAndPaper]

On 2/18/2021 at 12:37 AM, corniche said:

It seems the current owner; Newell-Rubbermaid has shifted ink production over to Waterman to cut costs. Be grateful you can still get Quink's best - Permanent Blue and Blue-Black. 

 

Quink Blue-Black has changed at least three times from the classic color.  The current color is no where close to the classic "Quink Permanent Blue-Black with Solv-x".  

[david-p]

Is Quink Permanent Blue a different colour from Parker Quink Blue cartridges? The latter looks very anaemic to me.

[bunnspecial]

9 hours ago, david-p said:

Is Quink Permanent Blue a different colour from Parker Quink Blue cartridges? The latter looks very anaemic to me.

 

Short answer is yes, it is.

 

I don't often use cartridges, but do have a box of recently purchased ones around my desk somewhere. The washable blue(easy to find in the US) in bottles is identical as best as I can tell.

 

Current Permanent Blue(not easy to find in the US, although I bought a bottle on Amazon not too long ago) has a color, to me, that's more in line with your other standard blue inks like Waterman, Pelikan, Skrip, Montblanc, etc. 

 

I will try to post some photos later, as for one I have a VERY dry writing 51 that shows a fairly noticeable difference between Quink Washable and Waterman Florida/Serenity.

 

It's been a little while since I've inked a pen with modern permanent blue(BTW, my box just says "Blue"-when I received it I checked the SKU to make sure it actually was permanent blue) but I will try to show them side-by-side in the same pen. It will likely not be that same 51 as 51 Vacs are a pain to clean, but more than likely something like a 45 that I can actually easily break down and clean between inks(plus refill cartridges to show others if I'm so inclined).

 

Maybe today or tomorrow...

[sansenri]

On 2/18/2021 at 10:55 AM, corniche said:

 

Penman inks proved problematic because of their heavy dye saturation, (among other things), and were clogging pens... and were taken off the market in 1999.

 

- Sean  

 

by today's standards they'd probably be considered average tame inks...

[bunnspecial]

11 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

 

Short answer is yes, it is.

 

I don't often use cartridges, but do have a box of recently purchased ones around my desk somewhere. The washable blue(easy to find in the US) in bottles is identical as best as I can tell.

 

Current Permanent Blue(not easy to find in the US, although I bought a bottle on Amazon not too long ago) has a color, to me, that's more in line with your other standard blue inks like Waterman, Pelikan, Skrip, Montblanc, etc. 

 

I will try to post some photos later, as for one I have a VERY dry writing 51 that shows a fairly noticeable difference between Quink Washable and Waterman Florida/Serenity.

 

It's been a little while since I've inked a pen with modern permanent blue(BTW, my box just says "Blue"-when I received it I checked the SKU to make sure it actually was permanent blue) but I will try to show them side-by-side in the same pen. It will likely not be that same 51 as 51 Vacs are a pain to clean, but more than likely something like a 45 that I can actually easily break down and clean between inks(plus refill cartridges to show others if I'm so inclined).

 

Maybe today or tomorrow...

 

Here's a quick one-pardon the less than great photos on a decent but not outstanding inexpensive writing pad...can maybe try on Rhodia or other tomorrow.

 

These were done with the same glass dip pen.

 

First, l-r, Washable Blue, Permanent Blue, and Blue Black. Note that Permanent Blue has a darker blue label than Washable Blue, roughly reflecting the color difference

 

 

Then, compared to some other common blues

 

[Adeline V]

I dont know if all parkers take the same cartridges, but my cheapo Jotter FP takes the Lamy T10 refills perfectly and writes well with them.  There are also Monteverde 'Lamy compatible' cartridges.  And those two right there will give you a bunch of additional and special edition color options.  Right now cult pens in the UK has a huge Lamy 10% and ink 15% sale so if you buy Lamy ink you actually get 25% off.  I just ordered like 10 boxea of refills.  

[bunnspecial]

9 hours ago, Adeline V said:

I dont know if all parkers take the same cartridges, but my cheapo Jotter FP takes the Lamy T10 refills perfectly and writes well with them.  There are also Monteverde 'Lamy compatible' cartridges.  And those two right there will give you a bunch of additional and special edition color options.  Right now cult pens in the UK has a huge Lamy 10% and ink 15% sale so if you buy Lamy ink you actually get 25% off.  I just ordered like 10 boxea of refills.  

 

IIRC, the form is similar but the nipples are different diameters. I have a few Lamys kicking around in my desk, since I've always gone straight to the converter.

 

With that said, I've heard of "dual purpose" cartridges that if I remember correctly are Parker on one end and Lamy on the other.

 

Also, I THINK Aurora cartridges are Parker compatible.

[Adeline V]

On 10/26/2021 at 8:09 AM, bunnspecial said:

IIRC, the form is similar but the nipples are different diameters.

Well, I didn't crack out a caliper or anything.  I just shoved it on there same as I did the Lamy Al star and it stuck in thar good and it writes real good too.  It's a Jotter pen I bought like two weeks ago when I got a deep discount Al star and some sale mango ink cartridges.  The ink matched the yellow jotter I got so I sat there and thought, huh, I wonder if, and Shure'nuff 'tid!  So you know maybe this or that whatever but its not super spendy to pick up a Lamy cartridge and try it for yourself.   It sure beats picking between blue and black and other blue.  which seemed to me to be the wish/lament of the OP, to have additional color choices. I know it's sort of an old thread but nobody else mentioned it, so...