Thread: Any Fountain Pen Users?

Thanks I'll check them out!

Alright, so I've put a mile or two on my new Parker IM, and thought I would submit my subjective review of this pen as requested by Carl.

Parker IM fountain pen (but of course Mick. You've already told us this.) A$34.95
Medium nib (supplied).
Parker blue ink cartridge (supplied).
Parker converter (untested, separate purchase, prices vary).
Date code: U (2011).

This pen, in medium nib, writes smoothly, and without feeling scratchy. It seems to write a little on the wet side, but not in a bad way. It has a nice weight to it and sits balanced in the hand, posted or un-posted. The grip area of the pen is satin finished and this seems to provide just the right amount of texture for the fingers. The external finish of the pen is excellent. The cap is a push on style and closes firmly with a slight click, and as stated earlier, can be posted. Either lack of actual writing practice (far too much typing done these days), and I believe this to be the real cause, or size of the pen at the grip I did experience some mild discomfort, but not enough to say it would be a problem. And as I said, I think it was more me, than the pen, anyway. The pen writes freely with just it's own weight bearing down on the paper and is aiding to train me to using a lighter touch when writing. The nib has a little flex but would still be called stiff. You can get a little line variation if you try. I did experience a little skipping, but I put this down to user error as well, and not the pen.
The one and only issue I have experienced, and the perceived cause, being the one and only thing I would fault. I had the body of the pen come unscrewed from the nib section while clipped on the inside neck of my T-shirt (Yes, I know I should wear more button fronted shirts with proper pen pockets, or pockets of any kind, but I just can't seem to find any I like. They're either designed for younger blokes or business men, of which I am neither). As such I had the body of the pen drop down to my belt line, leaving me to very carefully extract it while trying not to separate the ink cartridge from the nib section ( I was wondering what had happened, and was working one handed to get the pen parts out). The cause of this appears to be a lack of quality in the thread, and would be the only part that could have better quality control measures put in place at the factory. It might pay to check the fitting occasionally throughout the day. Besides that. the fit and finish of all parts look, if not, are excellent.
My overall opinion of this pen is very good and is great value for a low price. Having said that I still would have thought that at this price-point a converter would have been supplied with the pen, but it is a separate purchase. I don't think Parker supply these at any price point, but I could well be wrong. Maybe they also sell sets that contain a converter in it.





Mick

I was in the big smoke today and took the opportunity to visit 'The pen Shoppe' Pens de Luxe Group - The Pen Shoppe, Brisbane | Pen-Ultimate, Sydney | T.Sharp & Co. Perth | Penmanship, Melbourne. There are some really, really nice pens in there. Many with a price tag that would need me to sell many first born sons to be able to afford their purchase. I didn't buy any pens or inks, but I did pick up a convertor for my Sheaffer Calligraphy pen. Looking forward to trying some different inks out in that now too. Oh and I also dropped into a Skateboard shop while in town too. I preferred the company of the staff in the board shop over the pompous git looking down his nose at me in the Pen Shoppe. However, I did expect that that might be the case .


Mick

Ok, so real quick. I got the pen and bought some noodlers black ink for it. I filled it tonight when I got home and I must say that I really like it! It is very smooth! I thought a fp would be much more scratchy feeling but it really just glides over the paper. My one complaint is that it puts out a lot of ink for my tastes. Probably need a fine or extra fine nib eventually. This one is medium. The whole pen is much larger around than I was expecting also. I think I'll enjoy it! I doubt I'll convert to it for the cockpit as usually I need to write really quick and don't really want to worry about the pressure changes making a mess. But for all my other stuff I think I'll give it a go!

Thanks guys!!!

Yeah, JB, I certainly like a fine nib. I have an extra fine nib on a dip pen that is VERY scratchy, quite hard to use, but REALLY flexible. You can adjust the feed on many pens by using a hair drier and gently pushing up on the feed, but this may only be so on vintage pens...

I've been on the hunt for notebooks to go with my FP. Haven't found any to grab my fancy so I've just knocked up some for myself. I don't like spiral bound, and glue bound just doesn't hold together. I'm not a fan of Moleskine, though as I read somewhere, "It's never too late to sell-out", and I can't find any Rhodia locally (I will settle for staple bound), so I've just up and decided that since the old Fuji Xerox paper works well, I'll just carve some of that down to size, stitch it in the middle with a bit of pretty cardboard to act as a cover, fold it in half, squash it flat and park it in a leather case made special for the purpose.

Any of you blokes got any suggestions on a half decent, reasonably priced, pocket sized notebook to go with FP use?


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

I've been on the hunt for notebooks to go with my FP. Haven't found any to grab my fancy so I've just knocked up some for myself. I don't like spiral bound, and glue bound just doesn't hold together. I'm not a fan of Moleskine, though as I read somewhere, "It's never too late to sell-out", and I can't find any Rhodia locally (I will settle for staple bound), so I've just up and decided that since the old Fuji Xerox paper works well, I'll just carve some of that down to size, stitch it in the middle with a bit of pretty cardboard to act as a cover, fold it in half, squash it flat and park it in a leather case made special for the purpose.

Any of you blokes got any suggestions on a half decent, reasonably priced, pocket sized notebook to go with FP use?


Mick

Whats wrong with yer homemade squashed cardboard idea?, you will always be able to replicate it size wise. Will you put a few pen straps/ pockets on the inside of your case?
And how do we know what size yer pockets are big mick?

Well i can say the alphabet backwards already, so writing with my off hand shouldnt be too hard, it might be illegible but none the less not too hard, and probably not much less legible than that which i produce with my on hand.

We gonna write "all work and no play makes jack a dull boy" in our best victorian cursive

No, seriously, i will give it a go richard, assuming jimbo is game.

Jimbo, school tried to make me right handed, and they failed, so unless this competition teaches me the error of my ways i doubt i will convert to rightism

So 2 challenges then, first writing right handed and second writing backwards with my left hand.
Mick, you are nowhere near right sorry.

Well my next guess', and I think these are a pretty remote way out there chance of being correct, but I'll have a go anyway. Is it a package of black and purple Toucan ink or a Jinhao x450?Do I get to feel more smug than usual now?!


Mick