Parker Jotter London Architecture Red Chrome Edition Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Parker Jotter is an iconic classic that is both easily recognizable and unassuming. If you've never owned one, then you've probably seen one out in the wild. They're available all over the place, from our favorite retailers to big-box local stores. But, just like every popular pen out there, special editions are a fairly common occurrence. The latest special edition to cross my desk is the Parker Jotter London Architecture Red Chrome edition.

Even though this is a special edition, you immediately know that it's a Jotter. The red upper body has a great candy apple sheen , and the grip section has an ornate argyle pattern that gives the body a nice texture and visual interest. Apart from the color and unique texture, the pen is a standard Jotter. The clip is the usual Parker arrow design, and the only branding is found on the clip assembly around the body.

One of the things I associate instantly with the Parker Jotter is the unique "ker-thunk" that the click mechanism produces. When you want the room to know that you're using a pen, this is the one to get their attention. One of the other things I associate with the Parker Jotter is the character Boris Grishenko from GoldenEye and his amazing pen twirling skills. I'm pretty sure that's a Parker Jotter used in the scene, but I can't be sure since Boris is just so good at pen acrobatics.

Once you get down to the writing portion of this pen, you're greeted with the understated (yet reliable) Parker Quinkflow refill in blue. I always have mixed feelings about the Parker Jotter refills, mostly due to the fact that they can be a bit finicky when first starting to use them. After the ink starts flowing, though, they usually perform great. They're not on the same level as a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000, but they're pretty darn close. For a refill that the manufacturer makes and includes with the pen, it's a great choice. Of course, since this is a Jotter, you have many, many refill choices if the Quinkflow refill isn't for you.

Overall, the Parker Jotter London Architecture Red Chrome edition is a great addition to the Parker lineup. It's not terribly expensive, and, at $25, it's only a few bucks more than a standard Jotter. If this catches your eye, pick one up before they're gone.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Jotter - History Of An Icon

One of the blind spots in the knowledge base contained between my ears is pen history. I'm up to speed on the modern pen market, but anything earlier than the 1980's I'm digging for information and hitting up my pen friends. Information isn't always easy to come by, so getting to check out a great reference book like Jotter - History of an Icon is a treat. My thanks to Pen Addict reader Todd for letting me borrow this amazing book.

What you will find within the 330 pages of this book is the story of the Parker Jotter, from its creation, through its heyday, to its current status up to 2010. The pictures alone are worth the price of admission, showing rare and unique images of the Jotter that I had no idea even existed. The Jotter was completely ingrained into society in the late 50's and 60's and it is cool to see the crazy designs and uses the Parker company came up with. You weren't Don Draper unless you left a branded Jotter behind for your customers.

The only downside of this book is it is tough to come by. There look to be a couple of sources here and here if you want to try and hunt one down. It will run you around $70, which is more than fair considering how well done it is. I enjoyed my time with it and when I start my pen library it will be on the short list for sure.

Parker Jotter 60th Anniversary Ballpoint Pen Review

I had a bad time with my first Parker Jotter. Readers had been on me for years to review it and I kept putting it off for one reason or another. Mostly because I kept forgetting to order one. When I finally got it in hand I was not impressed. The ballpoint ink cartridge was terrible, and while yes, I could swap it out for a superior refill, the as-sold impression was not a good one.

Enter the Parker Jotter 60th Anniversary Ballpoint Pen.

Hesitant is how I would describe myself adding this pen to my cart at JetPens. I'm open to second chances though, and really, who could pass up these great barrel colors reminiscent of the heydey of the Jotter. This is a classic pen, recognizable anywhere. Even Don Draper would approve.

I approve this time around too. After using the blue 1.0 mm refill in this model I'm starting to wonder if the 1.0 mm black refill in my first Jotter was a dud. It was horribly scratchy and felt like the tip was diggining into the page. The refill in the 60th Anniversary model was smooth, solid, and clean. Pretty much everything you could ask for in a standard ballpoint refill.

Deciding on which barrel color to go with was not an easy task. I opted for Gray Green, but Pink and Coral were both options, and Whiteness may be the most classic of them all. The Gray Green looks great in person, and all the pens ship in a nice two-tone box, making it perfect for giving to your favorite stationery challenged friend.

All in all, the Parker 60th Anniversary Jotter is an excellent pen. Does it write as well as a Jetstream? No. Is it as good a value as an Acroball? No. But the Jotter has that little something extra that is hard to pinpoint. It's been around for 60 years for a reason, right?

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)