Converter For A Parker 45

[Blackened Justice]

Okay, so I've been having some trouble with buying a converter for my Parker 45. On Friday I went to a local pen-shop, and asked for Parker converters. The man showed me two types of converters, both piston style, one of them screw type and the other sliding type. I think he had a ton of the sliding ones and just one of the screw one, lying on the bottom of his small box. I bought the screw type but when I got home, I tried to insert it into the pen, but it really didn't fit. I figured the man had some non-Parker converter mixed with the others, and he probably didn't have any screw type, but only sliding type Parker converters.

 

So today I went to the local mall, and by chance decided to see if they had Parker converters available. The woman showed me the two models, again. I again brought home the screw-type, and again found that it didn't fit into the pen.

 

What is happening? Does Parker have two converter sizes? The Parker cartridges I have laying around fit the pen perfectly, and they have a wider "mouth" than the converters that I bought. I'm going to return the two converters, but what should I do? Will the sliding type fit into the pen? I will bring the pen along anyway, so I can avoid any more surprises.

 

 

Thank you,

Cheers

[welch]

Parker has only one converter format at the business end. Their earlier converters, the great metal squeezey fillers, are a little longer than post 1980 Parker 75s or Sonnets, but a modern Parker converter will fit the Parker 45.

 

Best bet: try on-line, where pen-shop staff really know the difference among various converters:

 

- Art Browns

- Pear Tree

- Swisher

- Fountain Pen Hospital

 

That'll do for a start. EBay probably has Parker converters.

[sera0516]

In my experience---which is just over the past 2 weeks--there has indeed been a change in the Parker twist-style converters that are available. The new ones made by Parker (or apparently made by them), --as near as I can tell---seem to have a smaller opening and categorically do not fit the Parker 45, the Parker 75 (my old ones, at least), or the Parker Frontier. I tried 5 or 6 different pens of the foregoing styles and my recently-purchased Parker twist-style converters do not fit any of them. The opening is too small. BTW---I bought mine on line, on Amazon. Comparing the new converters (that don't fit) to my old converters (which do), the apparent surface differences are: different logo (arrow logo vs. script P) and, at the opening, having plain plastic vs. having a metal ring just above the opening. Phoning Janesville---the Parker service center---I was not able to get any useful information.

 

Can someone else help with this?

What pens do these fit?

[welch]

I just tried a twist-style Parker converter in a P45 and a recent Sonnet. It fit both.

 

Description: clear plastic cylinder, black twist grip, marked "PARKER" on the metal (steel) piece between the twist grip and the ink cylindar. Stylized recent Parker Arrow to left pf "PAR etc": a cursive 'P' in which the bar turns.

[sera0516]

Yes--My description of the Parker twist converters that DO work in my P45, two P75's, and several Frontiers would be the same as that posted by Welch. To which I would add---in my several Parker twist converters that do fit, just above the opening, there is a metal band encirling the converter, just below the clear plastic tubing.

 

But the Parker twist converters that do not work are different in the ways I described earlier (use arrow logo, lack the metal band near the bottom), with these additions: The ones that do not fit, where they say "PARKER" the P and the final R are both larger in size than the interior letters. Whereas, in the Parker twist converters that DO work, the lettering is all the same size. And the tubing is not clear, but gray (in the ones that do not work) and appears to have some flaws or blemishes. In other words, not as good in quality. They absolutely do not fit the pens I described. By the way---I have two of these twist converters that don't fit, so it is not a fluke. As I said, I just purchased them (the ones that don't fit) in the past couple of weeks.

 

If Parker no longer makes twist converters that fit its older pens, that would be a shame. That would leave only the slide converters (not nearly as good). I hope someone will have some information about this.

[welch]

Yes--My description of the Parker twist converters that DO work in my P45, two P75's, and several Frontiers would be the same as that posted by Welch. To which I would add---in my several Parker twist converters that do fit, just above the opening, there is a metal band encirling the converter, just below the clear plastic tubing.

 

But the Parker twist converters that do not work are different in the ways I described earlier (use arrow logo, lack the metal band near the bottom), with these additions: The ones that do not fit, where they say "PARKER" the P and the final R are both larger in size than the interior letters. Whereas, in the Parker twist converters that DO work, the lettering is all the same size. And the tubing is not clear, but gray (in the ones that do not work) and appears to have some flaws or blemishes. In other words, not as good in quality. They absolutely do not fit the pens I described. By the way---I have two of these twist converters that don't fit, so it is not a fluke. As I said, I just purchased them (the ones that don't fit) in the past couple of weeks.

 

If Parker no longer makes twist converters that fit its older pens, that would be a shame. That would leave only the slide converters (not nearly as good). I hope someone will have some information about this.

 

Where did you buy these bad-fitting converters? Mine came from Art Browns shop in New York. (Yes, all characters in "PARKER" are upper-case, and all the same size.)

 

Maybe there are some non-Parker-made Parker converters? Some fakes? Overall, it would be crazy for Parker to manufacture converters that don't fit their own pens, especially since they haven't changed the format of their cartridges and converters since they released their first c/c with the P45 about 50 years ago. There are a lot of Parker pens roaming the earth looking for that original cartridge / converter format!

[Jerome Tarshis]

If it's true that Parker's current twist piston converter doesn't fit at the connector end, that is disquieting news. The 45 is in one sense an old pen, in that it was introduced in 1960, but it is also a fairly new pen, in that it was manufactured until very few years ago. What are the newer pens those converters do fit?

 

The c/c Duofold, flagship of the Parker line, has been around for many years. Are we to believe that Parker is kissing Duofold owners and prospective purchasers goodbye? It's been nice taking your money, but in the future you'll have to buy a different model or refill carts with a syringe? Go buy an Aurora converter? Are the cartridges also different over the past fortnight? I do not doubt the veracity of the two presumably independent FPN members who have apparently bought these new-model converters from separate retailers. Considering how many FPN members own c/c Parker pens, or own Aurora c/c pens and use Parker carts and/or converters, we should be hearing a lot about this in weeks to come. I fall into both categories, alas.

[Jerome Tarshis]

About whether Parker's current-production twist-filler converters fit the pens' connectors, I couldn't say. As for whether something new is being sold, I am afraid it may be so. When I looked for Parker converters on eBay just now, most of the pictures were of the familiar Deluxe converter with a metal collar at the lower end. But several sellers, including lewertowski, who is well thought of, had a converter seemingly without a metal collar, but only black plastic leading toward the nib. And although I can't properly estimate fit and finish from an eBay photo, it seems plausible that those converters have been simplified. To put it delicately.

 

Must we all rush out and buy a few metal-collared converters now, before the supply is exhausted? Or is there some reassuring story behind all this?

[Argee]

I recently picked up a twist converter on Amazon that fits the physical description of the ones described here that don't work but mine does fit in the 45 just fine. no metal band at the opening, big P and R. the Parker logo is the arrow in a ring.

[Blackened Justice]

But the Parker twist converters that do not work are different in the ways I described earlier (use arrow logo, lack the metal band near the bottom), with these additions: The ones that do not fit, where they say "PARKER" the P and the final R are both larger in size than the interior letters. Whereas, in the Parker twist converters that DO work, the lettering is all the same size. And the tubing is not clear, but gray (in the ones that do not work) and appears to have some flaws or blemishes. In other words, not as good in quality. They absolutely do not fit the pens I described. By the way---I have two of these twist converters that don't fit, so it is not a fluke. As I said, I just purchased them (the ones that don't fit) in the past couple of weeks.

 

 

One of the two conerters I bought is exactly like you described. The other one, however, the tubing is clear, it does have a metal band near the bottom, the section where it is supposed to meet the pen is white instead of black, and it has no inscription of any sorts connecting it to Parker, no logo and no name.

 

I just got back from traded the no-name one for the sliding-type.

[sera0516]

This thread proves that there is nothing that can't be solved over the internet.

Confirming, again, that I bought 2 Parker converters on Amazon that did not fit my P75's, Frontiers, or my Flighter P45 dated 2003, that they lacked the metal collar near the opening, carried the arrow logo, and said "Parker" with a larger size P and ending R: Yes, I got them on Amazon and the photo said, within it, something like: "actual product may vary" or something like that....since the photo did show what I take to be the older style, with the metal band. I sent my do-not-fit converters to Janesville. Previous phone call to them yielded no information (they weren't familiar with the problem). I will report back here as soon as I learn something.

[welch]

But the Parker twist converters that do not work are different in the ways I described earlier (use arrow logo, lack the metal band near the bottom), with these additions: The ones that do not fit, where they say "PARKER" the P and the final R are both larger in size than the interior letters. Whereas, in the Parker twist converters that DO work, the lettering is all the same size. And the tubing is not clear, but gray (in the ones that do not work) and appears to have some flaws or blemishes. In other words, not as good in quality. They absolutely do not fit the pens I described. By the way---I have two of these twist converters that don't fit, so it is not a fluke. As I said, I just purchased them (the ones that don't fit) in the past couple of weeks.

 

 

One of the two conerters I bought is exactly like you described. The other one, however, the tubing is clear, it does have a metal band near the bottom, the section where it is supposed to meet the pen is white instead of black, and it has no inscription of any sorts connecting it to Parker, no logo and no name.

 

I just got back from traded the no-name one for the sliding-type.

 

Ah, and does it work? (I don't like the sliding type, either...but something that is only 75% as good and works is infinitely better than a converter that does not work at all!)

[Blackened Justice]

But the Parker twist converters that do not work are different in the ways I described earlier (use arrow logo, lack the metal band near the bottom), with these additions: The ones that do not fit, where they say "PARKER" the P and the final R are both larger in size than the interior letters. Whereas, in the Parker twist converters that DO work, the lettering is all the same size. And the tubing is not clear, but gray (in the ones that do not work) and appears to have some flaws or blemishes. In other words, not as good in quality. They absolutely do not fit the pens I described. By the way---I have two of these twist converters that don't fit, so it is not a fluke. As I said, I just purchased them (the ones that don't fit) in the past couple of weeks.

 

 

One of the two conerters I bought is exactly like you described. The other one, however, the tubing is clear, it does have a metal band near the bottom, the section where it is supposed to meet the pen is white instead of black, and it has no inscription of any sorts connecting it to Parker, no logo and no name.

 

I just got back from traded the no-name one for the sliding-type.

 

Ah, and does it work? (I don't like the sliding type, either...but something that is only 75% as good and works is infinitely better than a converter that does not work at all!)

 

It does work, and that's exactly the reasoning I used in trading it

[jar]

Okay, so I've been having some trouble with buying a converter for my Parker 45. On Friday I went to a local pen-shop, and asked for Parker converters. The man showed me two types of converters, both piston style, one of them screw type and the other sliding type. I think he had a ton of the sliding ones and just one of the screw one, lying on the bottom of his small box. I bought the screw type but when I got home, I tried to insert it into the pen, but it really didn't fit. I figured the man had some non-Parker converter mixed with the others, and he probably didn't have any screw type, but only sliding type Parker converters.

 

So today I went to the local mall, and by chance decided to see if they had Parker converters available. The woman showed me the two models, again. I again brought home the screw-type, and again found that it didn't fit into the pen.

 

What is happening? Does Parker have two converter sizes? The Parker cartridges I have laying around fit the pen perfectly, and they have a wider "mouth" than the converters that I bought. I'm going to return the two converters, but what should I do? Will the sliding type fit into the pen? I will bring the pen along anyway, so I can avoid any more surprises.

 

 

Thank you,

Cheers

 

You mention a very important point. The Parker Standard has a wider mouth than the Waterman/International standard. The Parker converters, even the piston ones, will fit and work in a "45", but not Waterman/International converters.

 

Other sources would be older (pre-Ellipsis) ST Dupont converters and the Aurora converters.

[Blackened Justice]

Just to add a little something, a friend of mine just bought the same type of new-style screw converter for his Parker Urban, and it does fit. But again, it didn't fit on my 45...

[sera0516]

Following up my posts (above):  I received today from Parker in Janesville 3 of the (older style) twist-type piston converters that visually have all the characteristics of the converters that I had said DID fit my Parker 45, Frontiers, and Parker 75s (and bearing none of the characteristics of the 2 converters that did NOT fit any of these pens)---and these 3 converters that Parker just sent me DO, as predicted, fit my Parker 75s and Frontiers.    The Parker 45?  I am sure they will fit the 45 also, but I can't test because I am still awaiting its return from Parker.

[sera0516]

Another update and we've come full circle.  See details above for description of what I'll call the "new converter" that I could not get to fit my P75s, P45, or Frontier---the converter without a circular metal collar near its opening.

 

Well, today I received from the Parker Service Center my old Frontier that I had sent in for a repair to the cap.  They nicely returned it included in the package, as a courtesy, a free converter.  I have always appreciated Parker service for these sorts of very nice touches.  Well---it was the "new" type converter !   So---mystery solved, I believe....it appears the the "new" type converter we have been wondering about is in fact a true Parker product.

 

Did it fit my Frontier?  No, not as do the "old" style converters that I have.  But of course I was reluctant to force it over the piercing post.  Perhaps if I get brave I will try it.  This new converter does not fit my Parker 75s either.

 

I am still awaiting the return of my Parker 45, so I do not know if it fits that model or not.

 

 

 

 

[jslallar]

a picture is worth a thousand words

 

here are the converters for my different Parkers

 

from left to right they are from:

1. Sonnet - Twist mechanism
2. 45 - Squeeze
3. 45 - Pressure Bar
4. Frontier - Simple Slide
5. Vector - Slide witha small cylinder loose in the chamber
6. Vector - slide witha small ball in the chamber

All are interchangeable in my 45s (new and old, plastic and fighter models), Frontiers (plastic and fighter models), IM, Urban, Vectors, 88 / Rialto. But the Sonnet one is a bit loose on all other pens, and the others although can be fit into a Sonnet but needs to be pushed in.

 

21s and 51s of course have different built in ink holders.

 

I have never seen a Duofold (although one is in the post for me - I hope I like it as much I hope to like it).

Edited June 19, 2011 by jslallar

[jslallar]

PS

The names are my own creation, did not read them described this way any place and.

[sera0516]

I have posted elsewhere on FPN, where this same topic came up, a bit of an update, so let me repeat the update here:  Around late May/early June I learned from Parker that the "new style" twist converter (described above as lacking the metal band near the opening, the letters P and R in Parker being larger than the others, etc.) were indeed manufactured by Parker and intended to fit all of their pens, including the Frontier, 45, etc.  It appears that it is acknowledged that it is a pretty tight fit, but if one uses a bit of gentle force, eventually the converters can be installed.  The aim, I was told, was to prevent leaks.  Whether one will feel comfortable forcing the opening over the connector or piercing post (my term) is anyone's guess.  I myself did go ahead and try it, and was able to install one on a Frontier.  I did not fill it with ink, however.  Good luck all.  Very useful to have the pictures there....very helpful.