Is My Parker Frontier From Ebay Fake?

[Niclas1805]

Hello users of The Fountain Pen Network!

 

My name i Niclas, and i'm a new TFPN user from Denmark.

A couple of days ago, i decided to order my first fountain pen, a Parker Frontier with stainless stell barrell, gold plated nib and clip.

I did a search on eBay a found a UK seller with 100% positive feedback - and ordered two pens.

 

When i received them, i must say that i was a little disappointed with the built quality.

Firstly, i've read that the grip parts should be made of rubber. Mine came with a plain plastic grip, which feels fairly cheap.

 

Also the steel barrel feels incredibly thin and hollow. And there is no "Frontier" engraving on the cap, just the Parker logo and on the other side it says: "I-A".

 

I also expected the pen to come with a stock blue ink cartridge, but i received it with the refill converter.

The packaging was a small metal box with a plastic lid. Nothing more.

 

 

What would you guys say? It this a genuine pen or a replica/fake?

 

I've taken some photos of the pen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ron Z]

The pen isn't a fake. The Frontier is/was at the lower end of Parker's lineup. That is to say it is a rather inexpensive, and inexpensively made pen, so the metal will be thinner, the plating not especially heavy and all that... and it is unlikely that someone would go to the expense of making fake versions of the pen.

[Niclas1805]

I just think its weird that it varies to much from the pens i've seen in reviews and video's.

 

No rubber grip, no "Frontier" or "Made in UK" engraving on the cap. And as far as i know it should come i a different packaging.

[polaris]

The Parker Frontier is now made under license by Luxor in India.

 

Luxor Website

 

The original Frontier was first made in Janesville with production switching to Newhaven when the US facilities closed in 1999.

 

The Frontier was discontinued by Sanford in 2012 and is now produced under license in India. This is the reason your pen shows the new Parker logo and has no country of origin on it. There are a lot of Indian sellers on eBay... You can even get a full matte black version of the Frontier, a model which was never previously offered!

 

Looking at the pictures the quality does seem to have dropped a little from my USA and UK made Frontiers.

[Flounder]

That's news to me about continued production by Luxor.

 

I'd like to thank Niklasfor bringing this to my attention, if for some reason I had to replace my Frontiers, I'd be quite disappointed if that arrived in the mail. I've really grown to appreciate the rubberised coating on the Frontier's section.

 

The very top of the cap looks different to the UK Frontier too. Also, the UK Frontiers I've seen with that later nib etching have a stylised P above the word Parker on the nib, rather than the bow and arrow, though I haven't seen that many.

[Niclas1805]

That explains a lot..

 

I've decided to return all the pens i bought (2 fountains and 3 rollerballs), and find some UK pens. I've contacted some sellers, that still sells the UK version.

 

I would like to thank you guys for the help.