Italix 'parsons' Essential' Fountain Pen.

[Pennie]

I feel silly adding to the (I hope not very numerous) party of those whose converters as supplied with the pen leaked, but there are enough of us so that I begin to wonder. In the event, I thought that Peter Ford is one of the good people of our hobby, and it is pointless to complain of such a small thing at a distance of 6000 miles. If I lived in the Great Wen or its suburbs it might be a different story.

 

So I use the pen with Waterman long cartridges, refilled as necessary. I've felt somewhat put off by the early ink on fingers experiences, and haven't used the pen nearly as often as I might have done otherwise. But I agree with everything said about how smooth the nib is, mine being a medium italic.

 

To strike a different note, I am amused by the parody aspect of the pen's name, and that of its stablemate the Churchman's Prescriptor. It doesn't reach back to the 1950s I remember, nor even to the 1920s, known as the Jazz Age rather than the Collected Sermons Age, but perhaps to a steampunk vision of the Trollopean.

 

I'm sorry that i cannot confirm your experiences with the Schmidt converter. In my case, it didn't leak at all, but it had (and has) some flow issues. Less than half empty the converter often has to be adjusted (to give the ink a push downwards) in order to keep the ink flowing. I suspect the underpressure in the converter during emptying, probably it's connection in the barrel is quite airtight. I also use the Waterman long cartridges and find them very rewarding and forgiving. I used also the ordinary Pelikan 4001 (was it that number ?...) with the converter. Both inks perform wonderfully.

[Nick.Kosky]

Dear Mr Ford

 

Personally, I would like a Parson's Essential in a deep grown-up red (a good quality claret perhaps?)...mmm shiny! My experience with the converter is a la Pennie above, viz. no leaks, but needs helping when half full. Not a problem, as it gives me an excuse to fiddle with the pen.

 

Best wishes

 

Nick

[Pickwick]

Both the Greek and Celtic designs are gorgeous! I do prefer the Celtic, though! I'm waiting for my pen fund to grow a bit before I get one of these pens.

 

Stompie, it sounds like that you may need to put a ball agitator in your converter (or switch to another converter with a ball agitator already inside it) to ensure that the ink doesn't stick in one place...

 

ETA: Whoops, realized you meant that the converter leaked somehow. Hope you figure out what the issue is...

 

:roflmho: yeah, there is no problem with the ink not sticking in one place, it wandered all over the inside of the barrel! :roflmho:

 

One thing though, it never leaked out the barrel!!!!! I wonder if I just put a bit of silicone grease on the threads and then fill it right up!!!!

 

You mean making it an eye dropper? Unadvised, since the barrel is made of brass and the ink will eat it.

 

The leading brands of pen manufacturers in the past used brass components inside their filling mechanisms without any problems. Eagle Pen Company manufactured a brass eyedropper at the turn of the 20th century which still functions perfectly. I keep a brass lined barrel filled which shows no sign of corrosion.

[MB149]

Dear Mr Ford

 

Personally, I would like a Parson's Essential in a deep grown-up red (a good quality claret perhaps?)...mmm shiny! My experience with the converter is a la Pennie above, viz. no leaks, but needs helping when half full. Not a problem, as it gives me an excuse to fiddle with the pen.

 

Best wishes

 

Nick

 

I second that motion! If I could buy a Parson's Essential in burgundy or venetian red, I would do so in a heartbeat.

 

As we are sharing anecdotes about the converter, I will add mine. I have never seen the converter leak, apart from one occasion when I dropped my pen to the floor. Fortunately the floor was carpeted and the pen capped, so no damage was done, except that when I next refilled it I found the outer surface of the converter covered in ink drops, and the inside of the barrel likewise. Oddly, the converter still appeared snug in its mounting! I cleaned everything up and pushed the converter fully home, just for good luck, and it has not misbehaved since. I should add that through all of this the converter has always delivered ink right up to the last drop, I've never had to refill a pen that was only half empty.

 

The conclusions I draw from this are that I should be more careful with my pens, and that for the converter there is 'snug' and there is 'all the way home'. I think the Parson's Essential is a great pen, I can't wait to see its stablemate, or a new version of the P.E. dressed in red.

[hilsedwards]

We only have a tiny number coming in, with our next batch of 'Parson's. The 'Prescriptor' has the same type of nib unit, so we should be able to offer all the derivatives. Again a very classical design but completely different from the Parson's, gold trim and we asked them to make the barrel and caps in black (sorry not very adventurous but safe). No pictures yet, as we need to complete our bit when the pens arrive. Have introduced Parson's as a Rollerball, which is in stock now. Very simple to make, as all it requires is a spring up the barrel and a new front end. Takes standard Euro rollerball refill. We are also looking at a matching ballpoint option. We would appreciate any feedback on other colours as an alternative to black.

Any sign of the Churchman's Prescriptor yet?

As a fan of the 'Parsons' I'm eager to see what this latest model looks like.

 

I certainly second burgundy as an alternative colour.

[pjford]

We only have a tiny number coming in, with our next batch of 'Parson's. The 'Prescriptor' has the same type of nib unit, so we should be able to offer all the derivatives. Again a very classical design but completely different from the Parson's, gold trim and we asked them to make the barrel and caps in black (sorry not very adventurous but safe). No pictures yet, as we need to complete our bit when the pens arrive. Have introduced Parson's as a Rollerball, which is in stock now. Very simple to make, as all it requires is a spring up the barrel and a new front end. Takes standard Euro rollerball refill. We are also looking at a matching ballpoint option. We would appreciate any feedback on other colours as an alternative to black.

Any sign of the Churchman's Prescriptor yet?

As a fan of the 'Parsons' I'm eager to see what this latest model looks like.

 

I certainly second burgundy as an alternative colour.

Yes, due day after tomorrow, Thursday the 4th. Thank you for your interest. Working on colours for Parson's, will keep you posted. MrPen

[pjford]

The All New Italix Churchman's Prescriptor Fountain Pen.

 

A substantial pen, piano lacquer on brass base.

Weighs 45 g.

15 cms long with cap posted, 12 cms long with cap off.

1.5 cms diamter across widest point of the barrel.

Screw cap.

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.65 mm on the broad stroke. The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

Takes standard euro cartridges or fill from a bottle with converter supplied.

Large plated two tone nib housed in short nib unit to enable grip on barrel section.

Fully engraveable, free if block letter engraving selected. £49 inc.VAT in UK and EU, less for USA but £13.50 P&P.

Gift case and instructions, lighter weight gift box for orders outside UK.

 

MrPen

[Odinz]

Looking forward to seeing the Churchman's Prescriptor, ordered the Parson's just a few days ago and will look forward to ordering the Churchman's Prescriptor as well.

[Lorna Reed]

The All New Italix Churchman's Prescriptor Fountain Pen.

 

A substantial pen, piano lacquer on brass base.

Weighs 45 g.

15 cms long with cap posted, 12 cms long with cap off.

1.5 cms diamter across widest point of the barrel.

Screw cap.

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.65 mm on the broad stroke. The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

Takes standard euro cartridges or fill from a bottle with converter supplied.

Large plated two tone nib housed in short nib unit to enable grip on barrel section.

Fully engraveable, free if block letter engraving selected. £49 inc.VAT in UK and EU, less for USA but £13.50 P&P.

Gift case and instructions, lighter weight gift box for orders outside UK.

 

MrPen

Two questions, if you don't mind Mr. Ford.

The section looks very short. Is it comfortable to hold?

I have two Parson's Essential pens. One came with a Schmidt converter and the other with a no-name converter. The Schmidt converter seems superior to the other one.

What converter is supplied with the Churchmans? Thank you.

[pjford]

The All New Italix Churchman's Prescriptor Fountain Pen.

 

A substantial pen, piano lacquer on brass base.

Weighs 45 g.

15 cms long with cap posted, 12 cms long with cap off.

1.5 cms diamter across widest point of the barrel.

Screw cap.

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.65 mm on the broad stroke. The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

Takes standard euro cartridges or fill from a bottle with converter supplied.

Large plated two tone nib housed in short nib unit to enable grip on barrel section.

Fully engraveable, free if block letter engraving selected. £49 inc.VAT in UK and EU, less for USA but £13.50 P&P.

Gift case and instructions, lighter weight gift box for orders outside UK.

 

MrPen

Two questions, if you don't mind Mr. Ford.

The section looks very short. Is it comfortable to hold?

I have two Parson's Essential pens. One came with a Schmidt converter and the other with a no-name converter. The Schmidt converter seems superior to the other one.

What converter is supplied with the Churchmans? Thank you.

 

Yes, the nib unit is short it is designed so that you grip above the nib unit on the lower part of the barrel section. The converter is a Schmidt converter.

[lemanfan]

At least in my web browser, there is not yet a shopping cart button next to the price for this pen. Is this intentional?

[alc3261]

Try Sheaffer Ink. This pen should flow freely, if it does not, return the nib unit and we will exchange it. MrPen at www.mrpen.co.uk

 

I found the pen really quite "wet" and have resorted to Pharmacist's ink to tame it a bit!!

[Jennings]

Just wanted to add my comments here...I'm sure i've commented on the Parson's Essential previously on another thread, but can't find it. Figured this was the place to put it I read a few reviews on here, and had a couple of FPNers recommend the Parson's Essential, so I took the plunge on the 19 of Sep 2012.

 

Reason for looking for another pen:

- Wanted a daily pen for work forms & notepads that had a bit more of a CI feel to the nib (I love my vintage Conway Stewart cursive nibs, but don't want to hack them about at work).

Reasons for purchase:

- Good comments and reviews on FPN by users.

- Great choice of nibs (including fine italic)

- Cost was good for a pen I hack about at work

Ease of Ordering and Delivery:

Amazingly easy to order...the website is clear, and from all the information there and the ability to phone and chat about it I defy many other companies in this day and age to provide better! Delivery was super-fast, and the pen was dispatched within hours of ordering even though I'd added extra work by selecting a name engraving on the cap. Top marks here!

Pack Impressions:

The logo'd presentation case is great. Sturdy enough for keeping the pen secure and scratch-free. It's also not too large or overblown. Nothing wrong with big, but they are a pain to store unless you have a lot of display space! The pack contained a converter (standard twist-plunger item) and instructions too.

Pen Visual Impressions:

The pen looked sleek and stylish, as I'd expected, with a really glassy shine to the black lacquer. The gold trim sets this off well. I'd describe this as a modern appearance, but nodding to the classic style of the past. I was worried the pen might look a little too modern or synthetic (sometimes things are a little too shiny or synthetic looking to my tastes), but it stays on the right side of classy. The pen's oversize in vintage terms, but a nice modern handfull without being too chunky for my fairly average fingers. It still fits in my pen cases OK, though is a little tight in some designed for sleek/slim items obviously. the nib is a stylish standard German two-tone affair, and the size looks great for the pen style and dimensions.

Weight and Feel in the Hand:

Again much more than vintage celluloid pens, but not overly weighty in modern terms. I grew up using pens with metal barrels to survive the tough pencil case environment, so I don't mind the weight of a brass barrel, but if you have a small hand or need a very light pen then you're probably better off bearing this in mind. I love the fact that the sturdy base materials mean that as a work pen it will stand up well, so top marks for combining class and function in this respect. I use my pens unposted, and the balance is great for me. Posted it's still well balanced though, and doesn't feel like it wants to tip backwards over your hand.

Inking:

Inking the pen is easy - simply push in the converter and twist the end to move the plunger. I gave it a few fill-and-empty flushes in Parker Quink (black) just to make sure the nib and feed were flushed well and primed, and the plunger was freely moving. No problems to report at all. It's worth making sure the converter is firmly fitted to the pen though to avoid leaks and air ingress stopping the flow.

Nib Ride:

As I'd got one of the fairly new nib options that MrPen is offering, do bear in mind other nibs may differ. Mine is the fine italic option, which MrPen grinds in-house from a normal Medium base nib. By his own admission, this resulted initially in a slightly less smooth ride. That's in part due to the cut angle and the stub-like tip. I found a slight tooth to the ride, and a little paper-scraping was felt/heard. Contrary to warranty, and don't try this at home kids warnings, I decided to get some very fine wet-n-dry paper and lightly ran a few figure-of-eight movements until I'd taken the edge off this and smoothed the ride incredibly without changing the italic vibe. I love the stud italic look to the writing with this nib, though it's not the same as my thinner CI Conways and obviosuly doesn't have the same flex. Handy for a rugged daily writer though, even if it's not going to lend itself to an artist's needs. It's also just great to have this nib choice at this price bracket on such a stylish pen.

Ink Flow:

The ink flow is VERY wet. I'm used to having to coax a bit more out of my pens, and having a fair bit of control over the amount of ink laid down on the page. This is useful, as most of my writing is form-filling, note taking, annotation etc. I don't do much free-style on open unlined paper. Thus i like a finer line with a steady but slightly reserved/controlled flow. Out-of-the-box the Parson's made a great free-style pen, provided your paper could cope with the high ink volume and not start blurring lines as it soaked the ink up. I also found the line width to be a little too wide for my smaller general writing style and available space on lined paper or forms. That's OK thoguh...the pen was ace, but when compared with my original plan for usage I needed to make adjustments for me. I moved the nib/feed to restrict the flow a little, and the pen became much more usable for me. It's now smooth and has a more controlled ink flow (although still very wet by my standards - as advertised though!), and is such a smooth and comfortable writer that it has indeed become my daily work general writer. However, I would point out to those with small writing or restricted space on forms etc that even the fine italic is still going to come up on the wide side for them, especially with the good ink flow. I keep a Hero 329 handy with a fine nib just for those tasks still In response to some comments I saw previously that someone had experienced the pen just stopping/running out of ink even though the converted was full. I had this too towards the start, and just put it down to the pen settling down...flushing enough with water then ink will cure this, and mine's been fine since. Make sure you hold it upright to twiddle the converter plunger though, and a little tweek goes a long way!

 

Summary:

- Great looks and a classy rather than cheap vibe

- Fantastic price given the specs, options and engraving

- Great range of nib options: a real credit to MrPen at this price range

- Nib smoothness was OK for the nib type, and can be personalised/made better easily if you know how

- Ink flow was wet, and very free which will suit some styles and uses

 

My Personal thoughts for future developments:

- Offering a true CI nib version

- Flex nib options

- Fine nib option

- More ability to retard ink flow

 

On my own subjective terms I'd rate my experience and the pen as a very commendable eight out of ten - I certainly recommend it, though advise caution if you have a small or spidery syle and if you have restricted space for writing.

[pjford]

We have just introduced an amber and blue version of the Parson's Essential.

[7th Wave]

Finally got around to ordering! I ordered a Black Essential in fine italic and an Amber in Medium Italic...looking forward to getting them both

 

Mike

[Aysedasi]

We have just introduced an amber and blue version of the Parson's Essential.

 

I ordered my amber P.E. yesterday. It arrived today - am I gobsmacked or what? That's the quickest anything I've ever ordered has arrived.

 

The beauty of my pen is that I only paid £2.95 for it as I had just acquired £40 in Amazon discounts that I used for the balance.

 

The pen is very attractive indeed and it writes perfectly for me. I love nibs like this - nibs that thankfully have no flex (which I'm totally hopeless with). A lovely wet line. Nice weight. I shall be using this pen a lot, I suspect.

 

But, having had it in my possession for less than half an hour, I've made a terrible mistake. I let my wife try it...... The last time I did that was with my Sheaffer Cadet with an S1 nib - I've never got it back. She loves the P.E. of course, being as much a sucker for italic nibs as I am. I think I may be ordering another - perhaps the blue one this time......

Edited December 6, 2012 by Aysedasi

[Aysedasi]

If other suggestions as to colours are welcome, I'd love to have one of these in a solid bright scarlet and a solid bright yellow too!

[tinta]

Please excuse me for piling onto an old thread, but.....

Parsons Essential: "made in the Far East & finished in England"

 

Where in the Far East?

 

For me, the place of manufacture of pens (in fact anything) is important.

I love Japanese pens,...but not all things manufactured elsewhere in the "East".

Before I try to get one, please let me know.

 

Thanks; Istvan

[7th Wave]

Umm, don't know tbh. However, you could always email MrPen and ask them I guess. I own 2 at the moment, but plan to get a couple more. They are exceptional pens for the money, wherever they are made. They look great, feel great and write beautifully with a custom ground nib. All for under £50?

[Aysedasi]

I've no idea where they're made. It's a great pen. That's all I need to know.