Posts filed under Parker

Parker Vector Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

Parker is undoubtedly one of the great legacy penmakers, so it makes sense that they should have their own entry-level fountain pen. The Vector has been around for a long time, and some fresh new colors have brought it back into the spotlight. It's fun and inexpensive and functional--but I don't think it stands up very well against its competitors. There are a lot of good quality affordable fountain pens, now. We're in a golden age of pens and it's easy to be spoiled for choice.

The Vector is a slim, lightweight fountain pen with a plastic body and metal accents. The grip section and bottom cap where the pen posts are a brushed gunmetal color, and the clip is chrome in the shape of the classic Parker arrow. The grip section is long and slim. The nib is plain stainless steel over a smooth feed.

My first thought, when I lifted the pen from its box, was, "Is this a disposable fountain pen?" That's not a good sign, probably, because, no--it's not. But the plastic it's made of feels like it is. Maybe it's the snap cap with a lack of cap band, but it reminds me a bit of a Crayola marker. It feels like it's not meant to last. For a $12 pen I'm not expecting an heirloom, of course, but it wasn't a good first impression.

The $12 price tag is a little misleading, as well, because the pen doesn't come with a converter. That's a separate $9.25. So, $21.25 is closer to the real cost. When compared with other beginner pens that come with converters, this feels like it's priced a bit high for this quality.

The writing experience hasn't been very impressive, either. It does write, and the Parker blue ink it comes with is beautiful and well behaved, but I'd want to buy a bottle and put it in a different pen. The nib isn't too scratchy, but I had some drying issues and the feed seemed to struggle to keep the flow going when writing for longer periods. The grip section is also uncomfortable. It isn't shaped at all and it's slick, so I was constantly having to readjust my grip. The plastic edge where the body meets the section is also quite sharp. There's no smoothing or band there, so it's just raw plastic.

All told, there isn't much about this pen that would move me to recommend it, even for a beginner. The Pilot Metropolitan is ultimately less expensive and much better quality. Parker makes some really fantastic fountain pens, but this one doesn't seem to fit the brand. Perhaps my expectations are playing a role in my disappointment here, but I don't see myself reaching for this pen.

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Posted on August 2, 2018 by Sarah Read and filed under Parker, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

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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Posted on June 20, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Parker, Jotter, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Parker Premier Monochrome Titanium PVD Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I have never owned or even tested a modern Parker fountain pen. I once owned a Parker 51 in Cedar, but I could never get that pen flushed out, and I eventually sold it.

So, I wasn’t at all sure what to expect from a modern Parker, like this Parker Premier Monochrome Titanium model. This pen arrived in a black clamshell box with black velveteen lining. The black velvet really shows off the silver finish on this pen. Included with the pen are a box of blue Parker cartridges, a converter, a polishing cloth, and a booklet.

I must say that this pen is absolutely gorgeous. The titanium PVD finish is etched and that gives the pen a semi-matte look.

The barrel is adorned with triple sets of engraved rings—two sets on the grip and one at the base of the barrel. The rings make the design interesting without overwhelming the classic lines of the pen. Plus, the grooves on the grip provide some texture so your fingers don’t slip as much.

The snap cap has matching rings on the finial and cap ring. Plus, the Parker logo, name, and the word “France” are engraved on the cap ring. This is pretty low-key branding, and it suits the pen. The clip is a classic Parker arrow design. It flexes well and will clip easily to a shirt pocket or pad of paper.

The pen is postable, but as usual, I find posting throws off the balance too much to make it practical, especially since this pen is fairly weighty. The Premier is a medium-sized pen. It is 5 inches uncapped, 6.2 inches posted, and 5.5 inches capped. It weighs a total of 45 grams.

You can fill the pen with the supplied Parker cartridges or with the converter. The converter is an especially nice model with metal fittings. It holds .5ml of ink.

The nib is a Ruthenium-plated 18k gold medium, and it writes beautifully. It is engraved with Parker’s arrow design.

It has a little give to it, so it doesn’t write like a nail. It offers a tiny bit of line variation.

I used this pen to take notes during my Honors Old Testament oral final. While the students responded to my questions, I wrote their responses as quickly as I could. The nib kept up with me, and never missed a stroke. I was very impressed as I wrote constantly for an hour and a half with no problems whatsoever.

One thing I don’t like about this pen is the metal grip. Even with the engraved rings, my fingers slipped when they got warm and sweaty. This is simply unavoidable with a metal grip. Still, I found the Parker’s grip to be much better than smooth metal grips. I never had to wipe my fingers off in order to keep writing.

The only other minor quibble I have is that ink gets caught in the engraved rings when you fill the pen. This isn’t a major problem, but you do have to clean out the rings if you fill the converter via the nib. You can avoid this by simply filling the converter and inserting it into the pen.

I fell in love with this Parker Premier. It convinced me that I need a modern Parker in my life. I’m looking for one with a non-metal grip so my fingers won’t slip as much.

If you are looking for a classic modern pen that writes beautifully and exudes professionalism, the Parker Premier in titanium is an excellent choice. You can purchase this pen from Goldspot Pens for $419.95 (current sale price).

Pros

The Parker Premier in titanium is an elegant, professional looking fountain pen. I particularly like the etched/matte exterior.
Although I normally prefer screw-on caps, the snap cap on the Premier attaches firmly to the barrel, and it does not rattle or rotate loosely.
The pen is hefty, but I found it completely comfortable while writing constantly for an hour and a half.
The nib is fantastic. It is smooth and has a bit of bounce to it.

Cons

Because the grip is metal, it can get slippery if your fingers sweat like mine do.
Ink can get caught in the engraved rings on the grip when you fill the pen.
This pen is expensive, retailing for $525.00. Goldspot is currently offering it at a sale price, but it is out of stock. I read elsewhere that this pen is no longer being produced. So it may be difficult to get your hands on this exact model.

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

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