Parker IM Rollerball Pen Matte Blue with Fine Point Black Ink Refill (1931661)

I have long wanted a fountain pen, but my handwriting is so poor I have hesitated to spend $200 or more on a pen. I saw this pen and decided to try it. I’m glad I did. It’s a great looking pen. It writes very well, even for my clumsy cursive. It’s a good fit for my hand and the nib really glides over paper. The pen does use a lot of plastic where an expensive pen would use metal. Because of the plastic construction, this pen could develop cracks or even break if not used with care. This is most likely to happen when inserting a new refil. It takes force and could easily crack the plastic. I have solved this by using the awl on my Swiss Army Knife to puncture the seal of the refill. This makes it much easier to insert. An ice pick or similar instrument would work. If you are looking for an entry level fountain pen, this one is hard to beat.

This is a surprisingly nice pen at a reasonable price. The black/gold color way is elegant and the fine nib writes smoothly and evenly with no hard starts and no nib drying if you pause while writing. Well worth the price.

This pen is the best! It has a classic look and feel to it. It is smooth and very comfortable in the hand. I would recommend the fine point, which is comparable to most other medium points. I have another Parker, but this one is my favorite. Using it will put a smile on your face.

This pen is the great at this price. The writing experience is effortlessly smooth, and its ergonomic shape makes it incredibly comfortable to hold even during extended use. A perfect blend of style and functionality.

Okay, so either I’m just a stupid Zoomer or I’ve discovered something revolutionary. I have 2 Parker Fountain pens and I love them… but it seems like only after a few days I run out of ink regardless of using the disposable refills, or the converter. It doesn’t quite look like it’s out of ink, but it also doesn’t write until I change the cartridge. Then the other day I thought “what if I run the tip under water and then wipe dry with a paper towel?” People I kid you not. I have discovered the cure for cancer. Okay not really for cancer, but oh my gosh! If you ever think you’re out of ink, but also questioning if you’re actually out of ink. Just run the tip of the pen under water or swish it around in a cup of water then dry off the tip and you’ll start writing again instantly! I’d like to apologize to my fellow fountain pen users for all the quink cartridges I’ve thrown away because I thought they were empty :( I have now seen the light and changed my ways.

As a Millennial, I never knew fountain pens existed until a few weeks ago when my parents said they learned to write with them back in the 60s. I started with a Staedtler fountain pen I bought from Staples which leaks like the Exxon Valdez (don’t buy that one) then learned about Parker and thought I'd try the IM after doing some research. Glad I did; the IM was the smoothest writing experience I've had up to that point; just glides over the paper. When I find something I really like, I just can’t have one. I've since gotten a Parker Urban for a back up black Quink pen, a Jotter for blue Quink (hence the blue color) and a modern teal 51 for Parker's blue-black Quink (which is my favorite color Quink personally) plus I have a vintage 51 and Sonnet on order. I'm a Parker fountain pen convert now.

Good weight and balance. The flat black finish is also sleek and professional.

I love the weight and feel of this pen in my hand, and the way it writes, so I would have given it 5 stars except that the ink refill cartridge that is clearly described as coming with the pen, tucked into the bottom of the box, was missing. I’d bought my pen through the resale warehouse (sold and shipped by AMZ) and the product box had been opened before I received it, so perhaps a customer ordered the pen, swiped the refill cartridge and then returned just the pen for a full refund, thus getting a free refill. Not cool. Also not cool that nobody at the warehouse checked to make sure the product wasn’t missing any parts; e.g., the promised ink refill. I chose to keep the pen and placed two new orders to get two ink refills. The first cartridge (black) arrived with no problem but instead of the second cartridge (blue), plus another unrelated item (tea kettle lid) that I ordered, I received two sets of pillow covers. What?? Pillow covers? Maybe the warehouse staff is exhausted from the holiday madness, but, yeah, not cool to not get what I ordered and paid for and then have to hassle with returning something that I did not order and do not want (pillow covers).