Parker IM Fountain Pen, Black Lacquer Gold Trim, Fine Nib with Blue Ink Refill (1931645)

I’ve had a lot of pens, many of them gold nibs; Montblanks are really smooth and have gold nibs, for example, but they cost several hundred bucks. There are lots of steel nibbed pens out there that go for under $50, and I’ve bought a few, only to be disappointed for the most part by scratchy nibs and leaky ink flow. For $26 bucks this pen is an outstanding value–writes well, decent ink flow (unlike some Montblanks that flow too much and leak!), very attractive body (it is very solid heavy metal). Some suggestions–use a heavy dark ink with this pen. I started it off as a ‘red’ correction pen since it is fine point, but didn’t get much ink on the page with a Pelican red ink that was admittedly rather watery. Then switched to a Noodler’s dark black, and bingo! it suited the pen well You have to get special Parker ink well, so costs a little extra money for that (don’t be satisfied with the cartridges, buy the good ink–a pen is only as good as the ink you put in it). I love the gunmetal grey body, and steel accents are nice, not too fancy like some inexpensive pens that have gold accents that make it look a little too expensive, but cheap at the same time. I have a new $100 Pelican with gold nib, but prefer this one. Nib is oddly short and squat, interesting look. Note that there are different kinds of Parker IMs–this one has the short nib, there is also a long narrow nib–I have one of those too, and its good, but not as good as the short nib.

This is my second fountain pen, and I am very happy with it. I would have been thrilled to have received this as a gift, and I would have assumed that it cost more than I paid.Line weight:My first was a medium weight Manuscript from Hobby Lobby (about $16-$20 I think). I saw some reviews of this Parker pen saying that it has more of a medium tip than a fine tip; however, this pen can write much more finely than my Manuscript. Nevertheless, this Parker pen can create lines almost as bold as my medium Manuscript, given enough pressure. I like this variation in line weight (though I am not yet skilled at it).Ink:This is also the second ink I have ever tried. Overall, I prefer it to the ink that came with my Manuscript, but there are some draw backs. The Manuscript ink tended to bleed more on some paper (like that in my paper-bound moleskin, which are my favorite and on which this Parker writes beautifully), but it also dries marginally faster than this Parker ink. I do like the color of blue in this Parker ink, but once dried, it has a rather low contrast with the paper that I dislike. I plan on trying Parker’s black ink to see if it has the same problem or not. One advantage to this low contrast, however, is that it visually signals the driness of the ink.Left-handedness:I am a lefty (over-writer), and this pen works very well for me. While the ink does dry a little slower than the Manuscript ink I have tried in the past, I have less smudging overall because I can write smaller. In fact, I have only smudged with this pen while testing to see if the ink has dried, never by accident while writing.Price:I am completely satisfied and very happy with what I paid for this pen. Being new to the fountain pen game (and being a lefty), I am hesitant to drop big money, but I am glad I bought this pen. Nevertheless, now a week after purchase, I see that the price has increased by about 40% of what I paid. I don’t think Amazon likes reviews to mention specific dollar amounts, so I will have to leave it at this: I am thrilled with the price I paid, but I would not have gone out a limb for this purchase at the price it is currently listed.

The pen is beautiful when you first look at it, but the weight the feel and the quality of materials leave you feeling short changed if you are familiar with older Parker quality standards. I returned it and bought a Chinese fountain pen with a pumped up evocative name instead, I was stunned by the quality and the value of the pen i took a chance on at half the price. Lesson for me: if you’re going to buy an asian made product anyway, don’t pay for the empty promise of a name that made it’s mark in the west.

As a novelist my ideas flow into written words in longhand writing on lined paper. I recently switched from pencils to fountain pens and this Parker IM is marvelous. I ordered the trio kit of black and blue refills and the conversion pump. Today I slipped in a refill, screwed on the barrel, and smooth, even letters flowed as the nib touched the paper.Some reviewers have knocked the quality being made in China, so just try and find a pen made in 1960.For me the quality of this pen rivals higher priced models, and I’m extremely happy with my purchase. This is a fountain pen I will treasure for a very long time.

The media could not be loaded. I love everything about this pen. I tend to write a little heavy-handedly and the medium nib has held up like a champ for several months!