Parker Size Refill Recommendations Please - Schmidt easyFlow 9000 Fits, but 5888 Doesn't

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penicillin

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I buy pen kits at Rockler and a few from Penn State. They take Parker-size refills. (Yeah, the Slimlines take Cross-size refills, but let's not worry about them.) Most are ballpoint refills, but one of my personal favorites, the "Slimline Pro" comes with an unlabeled Parker-size "gel" refill:

https://www.rockler.com/slimline-pro-gel-click-pen-hardware-kit-24k-gold

I decided to order several Parker-size "premium" refills for my pens, especially the gel pens, which run out of ink more quickly than others. I decided to order some Schmidt easyFlow 9000 ballpoint refills and also some Schmidt 5888 rollerball refills. They arrived yesterday, and I learned that the easyFlow 9000 refills fit all of my Parker-size pen kits perfectly. They write well, but ...

-> To my surprise, the Schmidt 5888 rollerball refills are too long and have a larger diameter. They are NOT Parker-size.

Here are my questions:

Are "gel" and "rollerball" refills two different names for equivalent pen refill types?

-> If gel and rollerball are equivalent, then which Parker-size premium refill do you recommend for gel/rollerball?

... or ...

-> If they are not equivalent, can you recommend separate Parker-size premium refills - one for gel, one for rollerball?

Can I do anything with the 5888 refills, other than give them to someone else?
 
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Chasper

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Gel and rollerball are not equivalent. Gel is a type of ink that you will find in some ballpoints.

Ballpoint ink is oil based, it will not dry out in normal use if it is left un-retracted.
Rollerball ink is water based, it will dry out if left exposed for a day or two. Rollerball pens are always capped pens, the cap keeps them from drying out. 5888 refills are for rollerballs which are an entirely different type of pen.

Gel ink in a ball point does feel a somewhat like a rollerball, but it is still a ballpoint.

If you want a high quality gel ballpoint refill, the Parker Gel is outstanding, there are generic versions that are reasonably good as well.
 

More4dan

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An exception is the Pilot G2 rollerball that works in a click pen without a cap. I use these in my kitless click pens. Lengths and tip diameters are different for Parker and rollerball cartridges.


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TonyL

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An exception is the Pilot G2 rollerball that works in a click pen without a cap. I use these in my kitless click pens. Lengths and tip diameters are different for Parker and rollerball cartridges.


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Hi Dan. Kindly clarify...where else (besides a rollerball) does a Pilot G2 fit/work? Thank you.
 

Chasper

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The Pilot G2 is not a rollerball, it is a ballpoint. the ink is oil based, it will not dry out. I have dozens of them in with my refill storage and none of them are capped, they last at least a couple years without drying out. A Pilot G2 does write like a rollerball, better than most of them in fact. I use them often in rollerballs, no modification required. I have cut G2s down to make them fit a Parker size ballpoint, and have made longer ballpoints to use them, but they are still ballpoints.

G2 hint: buy Pilot G2 pens, they are cheaper than G2 refills and with the pen you get a spring that works better than most rollerball springs.
 
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More4dan

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The Pilot G2 is not a rollerball, it is a ballpoint. the ink is oil based, it will not dry out. I have dozens of them in with my refill storage and none of them are capped, they last at least a couple years without drying out. A Pilot G2 does write like a rollerball, better than most of them in fact. I use them often in rollerballs, no modification required. I have cut G2s down to make them fit a Parker size ballpoint, and have made longer ballpoints to use them, but they are still ballpoints.

G2 hint: buy Pilot G2 pens, they are cheaper than G2 refills and with the pen you get a spring that works better than most rollerball springs.

Thanks for the clarification on the G2, does write like a rollerball though. I too buy the pens instead of the refills for the same reasons.

Danny


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