Side by Side Comparison of: Parker vs Pilot

This stuff is as good as any designer ink out there. If you just want a good, standard, black ink then this is most definitely the way to go. It costs less than most other name brand inks. Not to mention that fact that I've tried black inks from other more expensive manufactures and still I feel that this black is more impressive looking on paper than all the rest of them every time I use it. If you need a perfectly functional, truly black ink, you certainly can't go wrong with this one.

I bought a fountain pen not realizing that they make them now to actually use ink and not the old ink cartridges I used years ago. And you would think I could go to an office supply store and find ink, but I couldn't. I couldn't find it anywhere. So....Amazon to the rescue.There are some very expensive inks out there and names I don't recognize. But Parker - there's a name I know! I think the last bottle of ink I saw from 40 years ago was probably Parker. And the price was great. And I wasn't disappointed. Great ink and still a standard all these years latter.

I have some fountain pens that write incredibly wet, and thought I'd try a different ink (I was using Hero carbon black ink). Parker Quink did help immensely; the ink flow is much drier than the Hero ink, but still wet enough to prevent hard starting or give any feedback on the page. This is also a much cleaner ink than the cheaper Hero ink, as is doesn't stain the inner parts of the pen, and there is no nib creep at all. When it comes time to disassemble your pen for cleaning, luke warm water will remove any dried ink or stains.I've noticed there is some shading in this ink, but it's nothing I find unwelcome. In all cases of shading, it looks more like a blue-black than black, and I personally tune my pens to write a bit dry anyway, so many users may not even see shading. Overall, good performance and value.

I'm not sure if this is the case with all Parker pens, but mine was shipped with the kind of converter that slides up to load. I bought this converter, because I could never fill the sliding one all the way, it always got airlocked and it was generally a pain to use.This one fills without an air bubble, or a very small air bubble and it turns exceedingly smoothly. Very rarely, however, the nib gets a little dry when you are half full or less, but you actually can just twist the handle a few times with the nib upward and you're back in the game. With the slider one, I couldn't do this without splashing ink everywhere. This one has much better control.

I use this ink in my Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen and it writes exceptionally well. Very dark, black ink. Not too much grey in it. Very good price for the amount of ink you get. I have only used this ink in my Pilot pen for a few days but seems like it is going to work perfectly in this pen!

I have good fountain pens and like a strong bright blue ink. From the available brands, I took this one after comparisons and it is very good. It also washes off your hands if you get stained during filling. The size (despite the various brands calling it oz or ml) is about the same.

I've ordered these fountain pens multiple times. They are really fun to write with. They have bright colors, and a nice easy flow. I let people try them out all the time and everyone always loves them. If you are thinking about trying fountain pens, these are a wonderful place to start. I actually prefer them to some of the other fancier / more expensive refillable pens I have purchased. They last a really long time, they dry quickly, the nub isn't too scratchy.Just try them!

Loved the black ones so much I purchased the ones in color. Had a friend try one and she bought the same ones I did. I have done calligraphy in the past....semi-professionally and for fun. I love writing with fountain pens. So...I grade papers with these pens, write notes, doodle. I love these!

This multi pack has a Greta range of colours and I've had no issues with the flow,of ink and precision of the nibs which is unusual for a disposable fountain pen. I've been using these in line with some copy books to improve my handwriting and have found they work really well on the smooth paper.

I love fountain pens, but don't leave my nice ones out on my desk any more. All it takes is one person borrowing and breaking an expensive fountain pen to change your habits (DAMHIKT). But that means when I want to write a quick note, I have to use a ballpoint "guest pen".These Varsity pens are a great compromise. They let you use and loan out real fountain pens in circumstances where you wouldn't use your nice pens. And they write well and come in a great array of colors.They keep their ink wet for months at a time without any care, and the fun colors are great for notes at your desk or in meetings. And if you're talking with someone and they're curious about fountain pens, give 'em one! At this price, why not?I like writing with these pens and I like letting others write with them. In terms of nib size, they're between a European Fine and Medium nib. They are dependable writers, and excellent for the money.

I grew up in England, where fountain pens are much more common. Living in America now, I've often found myself missing writing with fountain pens, so when I found out that the Varsity pens were so affordable, I instantly searched for them on Amazon and made the purchase.I am happy to say that I am not disappointed at all! They are great little pens that write smoothly right out of the package, and feel very comfortable in the hand. I even noticed that my 'old hand-writing' even came back, and I've been finding excuses to write things just because I get a genuine joy from writing with a 'real' pen!The varsity pens are just plain awesome. They bring joy back to writing, and are obviously made with high-standards. I highly recommend them, even over some that are quadruple the price!

These pens flow ink incredibly smoothly. Far more smoothly than just about anything else I have used. The only pen that comes close has been the gel ink from the G2 pens, but those pens seem to frequently have hiccups in some manner. These pens do not tend to skip nearly as much as other pens I have used.Now, if you are not used to fountain pens, there is a bit of a learning curve to position the nib correctly. They also will pool ink in one spot and bleed through the paper if they are simply left in one position for too long, due to the capillary action of the pen. The inks come in a variety of colors and flow well. Ink dry time is a bit longer than average.If you are looking to try out fountain pens inexpensively, this seems like a good option to add some variety and to try something different. Give them a try and you might find you prefer them to the standard fare.

This is a pretty good amount of ink for not much money. It isn't a joy to write with; it doesn't dazzle (whatever that means); it fades a little with time; it's a little bland...BUTIt's washable, cheap, abundant. Most importantly, it's like the old nylon belt I'm wearing right now: I got it at Goodwill for $1, and it's so reliable that only as I began to write this review did I even remember the old fresh-dog-poop-brown nylon belt currently holding my pants up. This is the most salient feature of reliability. Just get a bottle for back-up or something.It's also classic Parker Quink. Why do you hate America? (I think it's French actually), but still.

Works as expected and seems to be a high quality product. I was a little surprised that it didn't seem to hold as much ink as I would have expected, but that might speak more to my expectations than the product.

Nothing exciting here, but it works. Not nearly as deep of a black as the Pilot blacks. But it dries a little faster. Using it on cheap paper (Field Notes) it has noticeably less feathering and less bleed-through than other inks, meaning this is a good ink for using on cheap paper.

I received this bottle in the mail this morning, so take this review with a grain of salt (aka I don't yet know if the ink dries up in the nib like people say). But I have a few observations right off the bat!I'm using this ink with a pilot metropolitan, if that changes anything. One thing I noticed right away after my first time writing is that the ink does appear slightly blue like people claim it does. However, I'm a person who is very sensitive to colors, so that being said, if you aren't comparing it to another black ink, you would probably still assume it is black upon first glance. It isn't glaringly obviously blue, but it is more of a stormy grey, kind of like the color of the Pacific Ocean during winter.However, one thing to note is that this blue tinge only is obvious on warm-colored off-white paper (creamy like Moleskine). I tried the ink on one of my bright white sketch papers, and it looked excellent, very pigmented and undeniably black. The first paper I wrote a sample on was cheap, warm-toned journal paper, and the second sample I wrote was on higher quality paper (not made for fountain pens, but still, sketch/drawing paper). Maybe it has to do with the absorbency of the paper, and maybe it has to do with the undertones of the paper, but either way, since I'll be using this more for sketching, I'm satisfied with this ink. I don't regret purchasing it, even if there probably are blacker inks out there.

(Black ink) A little bit light, but that's the trade-off for a low viscosity that means my pen will write right off the bat every time. Still looks good, and dries quickly. Another reviewer noted that Jinhao pens s/he had that were troublesome worked great once switching to this ink, and that was my experience too. It wasn't the pen, it was the cheap Jinhao ink.

The ink looks bluish when swirled around the top of the bottle, but does come out black. I wish the bottle had an inkwell to help fill the pens like my last expensive bottle of ink did, because right now you just have to dunk them in there. But it looks the same as the expensive ink when you write, so I guess I can't complain.

I bought these to use at work as an alternative to the work-provided ballpoint pens that are hard on my hands. I wanted something that I wouldn't worry about if someone picked it up. These pens aren't a substitute for a better quality non-disposable fountain pen but they work well enough for everyday writing. They have a medium point which is closer to broad point on poorer quality paper. Paper quality makes a big difference with these pens. I would have preferred fine point but these are okay. The pens write well right out of the package. I haven't had any problem with the ink drying if I set them down uncapped for a few minutes. The nibs are a little scratchy but not so much that it annoys me. I will probably save some of the brighter colors for greeting cards and holiday letters. Overall, these are good, functional everyday fountain pens that I don't need to worry about if I lose them.

I really like the size of these, but expected more of a fountain pen. Instead, it is more of a set of miniature cartridge pens, which are truly nice, but not what I expected. The nibs are pointed so that writing with them is just like writing with a regular pen. I have used fountain pens before and loved how the writing looks when using them, but these don't have the flatness to the nib that a real fountain pen would have. So, I gave them to my daughter who is using them for her notes and also for details in her adult coloring books.I would give a 5 but I felt deceived by the description and the picture on the package.

A friend pointed these out to me because I love pens and fountain pens are super cool to use. I like the variety of colors that the pens offer and the ink is of high quality. The ink can bleed, but I had no interruption in marking so I found that nice. Because it is a fountain pen, be prepared to have ink marks on your fingers... so if you have a problem with that, these are not the pens to use, especially if you hold the pen near the actual point, because constant pressure on the side will cause ink to leak onto your fingers. Despite pen stains, which I really do not mind, I think these are a fun disposable option to step up your pen game without spending a ton on the really pricey fountain pens.

These are actually pretty great, I'm still surprised at how well they work! I had damaged my first fountain pen ever and got these to hold me over until I could get more. They had some postive things to say about them on Gouletpens YouTube videos, too. I like them a lot, they're so smooth! The nib is about a Medium or so, good for most uses that don't require a fine nib. The thing is, they're a good way to find out if you like fountain pens, but if my daughter used them as a first try, she'd hate them, (she's an ef nib kinda gal) so just be aware of that part.

I work with senior citizens (I'm 25) and they always comment on how long it has been since they've seen a fountain pen. I highly suggest anyone working with this population use a fountain pen for the conversations it starts. The downside is that as these seniors age, some of them forget that fountain pens must be held at a certain angle for the nib as opposed to ballpoint pens which can write at any angle. I no longer use the pen when I need signatures from seniors, but only when taking notes with them.This is my first fountain pen. It is a joy to write with it compared to ballpoint. However I will not be buying it again because it is very short in length and therefore not as comfortable for me to hold; it bleeds a lot of ink and is not as fine of a point as I would like; some ink smears and spreads under the capped area and holding the pen becomes slightly sticky if not cleaned.I plan on buying a different fountain pen next time, but for the price this is a fun pen.

I've been using these Pilot disposable pens for some years now. My regular pen is a high end Cross Townsend that cost several hundred dollars. However, there are many times in document mark-up or sketching or brainstorming that I want to work in different colors. I don't go "color" enough to justify the expense of dedicated pens or ink nor do I like to give up the comfort and control of a fountain pen.These fit the bill just right. No, they do not right as well as a $250 fine writing instrument. However, they are far, far better than using regular ballpoint or roller point pens. They are stainless steel nibs with a medium point. As such there is a bit of scratch-scratch as you write, however, the ink flow is smooth and there is no spatter.The inks are nice and bright. Drying time is reasonable. They use Pilot inks, obviously, so that says enough there. Though not the Noodler's I use in my primary pen, they are good inks.If you are a fountain pen user and want a pen for occasional color or if you just want to experience a fountain pen inexpensively, these are a good choice.

I like this ink so far, but it was too bad Fedex destroyed my packaging and tried to tape a soggy, partially disintegrated box back up. The packaging melted and the cap came loose so half the ink was all over the inside of the box. It got on the waterproof backpack I ordered. Let's say I won't have to worry about this ink coming off.

It does the job, however it does look like the black ink is a little light I don't know if the mixture or if this due to when it was shipped (temperature) that caused the ink to feel like its broken but it does work.

Not the greatest ink.This ink is very sticky, very, very sticky. It will not flow through the pen quickly enough to keep up with your writing, meaning that by using a converter, you will have to sometimes twist it down to make sure the ink is traveling to the feather, or you have to tap against it like a doctor does with a needle so that the ink will flow quickly enough. Writing with it is also somewhat exhausting as it doesn't have that "flow" that one would normally wish for his fountain pen ink to have. I recommend this ink for either very smooth pens that might be able to make up for its shortcommings somewhat, or for pens who are so scratchy anyway, that this ink will not make a difference to the writing.Otherwise, a decent ink. Doesn't look that brilliant, but it gets the job done. $8 for 2 oz is a good deal, but if you really want to write, get some waterman ink.

I write in a daily journal and switched over to a fountain pen awhile back. The cartridge in my Lamy Safari lasted quite awhile but it was blue and I didn't want to use that for my daily entries. So after it was gone I switched over to a converter and bottle ink. This ink is VERY FAINT! It's possible it's the paper in my Moleskine but as heavy and full the lines were with the cartridge this ink is just the opposite. I even went through scores of YouTube videos to see if there was a step I was missing in filling the converter, there wasn't. If I'd have read further in the reviews I'd have seen that it is not a permanent ink and can be washed with just warm soapy water.TL;DR It's a decent ink but will not leave a heavy line when you write.

Thank you very much for this lovely package, someone must have very carefully wrapped the fragile box so that it does not fall apart. I know this is a special treat for me, thank you very much, I would prefer being treated as an ordinary customer rather than a special one.The ink itself seems ordinary though, bit lighter than I thought, but that's expected.

Right up front I admit to not being a fountain pen expert, but I do love the couple that I have. This ink is a nice color, though it's not an extremely dark blue. But it seems to dry up in the nib really quickly (even overnight) and sometimes I even have to use water to get it going again. It also blurs very easily and quickly if the paper gets damp at all. It does seem to last reasonably well; I get about 2 weeks of use out of each cartridge, doing a moderate amount of writing at work. I'll probably buy them again, since they fit my specific pen, but I could wish they were somewhat better.

They are nice to write with - no hiccups or having to scribble/shake to get ink flowing. But they put out a LOT of ink. These will be awful on any paper lighter than 80gsm -- writing on a standard office pad has bleed-through to the next page. They are not as fine-tipped as some other fountain pens, so keep that in mind; a thick line and heavy ink limit the options for use. The colors are nice and bright - not faded at all - so that's a plus. All in all, three stars. If a very fine point were offered, I'd buy them in a heartbeat.

Smooth and fluid, but not a pen to use for calligraphy or formal script as the nib is not versatile enough to create the varied line widths. Even when varying my stroke in multiple ways, I was not able to repeatedly achieve the thin, elegant lines of formal script. The pens tend to write with a medium line, despite varying angles and pressure. Still, they are very smooth and fluid and good for routine, daily note taking etc.

I bought these as something fun to write with during the day but the ink seems to dry too fast in the tip. I need to write things down every few minutes and I find myself having to put the cap back on each time to prevent having to scribble a few times to get the ink flowing. I probably wouldn't buy these again for that reason however the do write very well and was surprised at the quality.

I'm looking for a replacement for my Berol Fontaine, which I've had for years and must be getting low on ink by now. They don't make that one any more and I gave these a try. Nice pens, but the point is not as fine as I'd wanted. My husband took them to use for his art projects.

I've had these for like two weeks and take really good care in making sure they don't dry out. I have other refillable fountain pens so I'm aware they can get dry and clogged - but I make sure they're capped and keep moisture in the tip. The black color has already dried up and will not write anymore. I don't do too much writing, just mainly writing checks and an occasional letter. I use the colors for doing my lecture notes. They're great pens and make writing so much easier. The consistency just isn't great and they're not that old at all and I've already lost use of the black.

I had a few of these in "old style" that I came across in a desk drawer. Had forgotten how cool they were for writing. (I'm a pen freak.) I was leaving for two months on a work assignment, and decided to enjoy using them again in the new assignment.I was disappointed to find that they are smaller, do not write nearly as smoothly, and have a finer nub than the old ones.Then only time I am even semi-satisfied with their performance is when I am writing on porous paper.So overall I have to say that I feel I tossed out some good money on these. I should have bought some new gel pens, or something ... because these definitely are of lesser quality than Pilot Varsity Fountain Pens used to be even just a few years back.Pretty disappointing.

Ink works fine but packaging was awful. Box the ink was in was old and torn and the lid was broken on the side but the ink thank goodness didn't pour out.

I dont like it because it dries up too fast.If i dont use my fountain pen for 1 day, i have to play with it to get it to work again.

This is too transparent. Compared to much cheaper inks, this feels like watered down ink. The package is horrible, nothing tells me this isn't fake, bottle has no safety seal and the box is a joke flimsy and opened. Will not buy again, spend extra on better quality ink, or less on still better quality ink.

I seldom post negative reviews.. and honestly this ink could work in some pens. I had a nitemare though in a nice pen....It is FAST drying... and I now will use it sparingly in only the safest and tested inexpensive pens. Trashing an expensive pen and having to do a complete cleaning and worrying about if the pen will write again is a nerve wracking experience..It is a washable ink, that is fast drying and reasonable on poorer paper. If you want thisI would say this is fine and a value, but take care if you have a nicer pen as I asked my Fountain pen friends and they report other horror stories of this ink clogging., For me, it was skip, not ink skip shack swear etc...Previously and now again this pen writes effortlessly.... but not with this very suspect ink.But if you are using a steel nib in a med with a often used pen, I loaded two JinHo 450 value pens and they seem to be fine with it..... buyer beware

I'd already bought 4 bottles of Park Quink black, worked perfectly each time. However my recent bottle of ink is REALLY blue. Checked if I had accidentally ordered blue-black, nope I had ordered black. Also the ink isn't saturated enough and bleeds on page (compared with my old drawings I had done with quink black WITH THE SAME PEN) Not sure if they changed the way they make the ink, or if I just happened to get a bad bottle.

Maybe Parker changed their "blue". I realized that once I got the package the packaging was different but I used to buy them in France and just assumed it was the difference of country. However now that I compare my previous notes with the new ink it is a completely different shade of blue. Much much lighter and gets even lighter as it dries.

DRIED OUT QUICKLY. WOULD NOT BUY AGAIN.

These pens are okay. If you happen to get ink on your hand, don't plan on it coming off anytime soon! I was expecting the tip to be like an actual fountain tip pen used for calligraphy, but it only writes with one standard width. On the other hand the colors are bright and very pretty.

I am so disappointed by these. Mainly because I expected a fountain pen to write better than a gel pen. I tried all of the colors and they all write the same. It depends on how you hold it to get the flow you need, but I would be happy if the flow felt comfortable. One of the angles was so heavy that the ink seems to leak out. I preferred writing with the heavier ink but it doesn't even feel nice to write with because it's choppy. You'll see what I mean if you try it.

I was disappointed by these; it's possible I am just not a fountain pen fan. The black one was completely empty, and the other two wrote such fat lines that they were not suitable for my purpose. If you love ballpoint or gel pens, tread carefully - these might not be for you ;)

I started using the Platinum preppy which I loved. I read that these were a good pen also so I purchased them. These came and wrote great for a while then the blue started getting really scratchy on the paper and the ink wont flow out of it. You have to write fast or the ink will soak through the paper or make blotchy spots if the pen stops for even a fraction of a second. I prefer the Platinum Preppy 0.03 MM compared to this 0.05

I am a pen fanatic and love fountain pens, however these pens do not writ like fountain pens. They write more like Crayola thin tip magic markers. The colors are very vibrant, but they write very thick, and bleed on most paper. I have thousands of pens, and unless you are just wanting a fancy expensive Crayola marker, I would not recommend them. Also if you lay to down for just a minute or two with the top off, it will dry very quickly.

Standard international converter sent when purchasing a "Parker Converter". Does not work with pens notes in item description and no returns authorized. Stay away. Buy vintage Parker's not the new pens.

This is by far the most terrible and disappointing product I've ever purchased in my entire life. If you're seeking a blank ink that not only appears light gray on paper, but also clogs your (expensive) fountain pen, this is the ink for you. I would be embarrassed to use this ink on any document and I'm hoping it didn't damage my pen. Spend the extra ten bucks to buy a quality ink and spare yourself the distress: DO NOT BUY THIS INK.

I can only speak for myself: this ink sucks!! It jams in my Pilot pen, so badly that I can't write at all! Unless you want to waste time unblocking your pen when you are studying, DO NOT buy it.

the ink is very sticky, so it get stuck in the pen making it unable to write many times, would not recommend it to anybody with fountain pens.

Looks good, looks like it would work but I can not get it to work. I swapped it out, I filled it no problem but in the pen it does not work. I tried to screw in the plunger to get some ink out and it comes out but will not write at all. Not sure what else to do

This thing got broken in no time and ink is constantly leaking. I tried to fix it using tape.

I thought I would be receiving a fine point pen. They're medium point

I don't understand why Amazon only lets you buy one of these. And then you can never buy another one again. Legit; a limit of one per customer ??? Makes zero sense.

They leaked on the first day of use.

The blue pen is dry after about a half-dozen uses for about five minutes apiece. Disappointing.

These were some of the worst pens I've ever written with. The ink just bleed out in globs... no good.

I was disappointed when I receive it. I was supposed to get new product but it's been slightly used. And you can tell from the ink inside the pen and the seal is off.