# A new wrinkle in the Parker refill problem



## mick (Nov 19, 2008)

Just a little FYI for all you Cigar pen makers out there

I know it's been discussed before about genuine Parker refills sometimes binding when being extended because of overly thick plating inside some cigar nibs. I ran into a NEW problem with a repeat customer. A few days before the big show we did week before last she called me and told me she had a problem with 2 Cigar pens she had bought last year. Said the refills weren't extending all the way. I thought to myself...."this is an easy fix. Asked if she was coming to this years show and she said she'd bring the pens with her.
 The day she brought them (she had a total of 5 of my pens in her purse....did I mention she was a very steady customer....lol) I made sure I had extra nibs and also a small jewelers file to ream the nibs out. I took a few minutes to take one apart and guess what ....no excess plating inside. The refill slides all the way out. I put the pen back together and the refill doesn't come out enough so I take it back out and compare it to one of the original no name refills that come with the kits. The Parker was noticeably shorter. I'm not talking 1/8 or anything like that but a few hundredths anyway. Enough that she wrote at enough of an angle that the side of the pen would occassionaly drag.(I watched her write). Anyway I took the pens home and shortened the lower barrels just enough to allow the refill to come out far enough for her to write comfortably. Problem solved but now I keep an orginal Parker laying on my assembly table now as soon as the pens assembled I try it to make sure the lower barrel is short enough. And to think I once had to really watch when a I squared the ends so I WOULDN'T get them too short...lol :biggrin:


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## Rick_G (Nov 19, 2008)

something to keep in mind thanks.


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## joeatact (Nov 20, 2008)

I had a simular problem with genuine cross refills in my slim lines. So I now use one to adjust the extension length then use the standard refill that comes with the kit. No more problems in that area.


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## redfishsc (Nov 22, 2008)

EXACTLY.


Excellent info, glad you brought it up. 

What MFR were your kits from?


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## mick (Nov 23, 2008)

redfishsc said:


> EXACTLY.
> 
> 
> Excellent info, glad you brought it up.
> ...


 
Redfish,
they were all Berea cigars from AS


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