Parker 75 - Insignia M Nib

[watch_art]

Ahh - the Parker 75. I remember when I first heard about these. It was during benchmark testing at the first school I worked at. I taught K-6 art, but that week I worked with the ISS teacher with a handful of limited english learners (or whatever the correct title is) (and honestly - these kids were very smart - could read just fine - I don't know why they needed us in there with them - really good kids - anyways... ). During our scheduled snack and bathroom breaks we got to know each other pretty well (me and the other teacher - I can't remember his name). He was quite the pencil nerd. I asked him if he collected or used mechanical pencils. "Those are so pedestrian" he said, but when I gave him an old green striated Sheaffer Balance pencil, he nearly shed a tear. "This is exactly like the one my mother used when I was a boy."

 

Anyways - all that week I brought in all of my different fountain pens to share with him and he brought in cool pencil stuff. I'd bring everything from my Pilot 78G and Lamy Safari, to my Pilot Custom 742 with FA nib. That was the only one that impressed him. Then he told me about a Parker 75 he was given when he retired from an oil company in Texas years before. He didn't use it much, but he liked it. A sterling silver Ciselle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had only been into fountain pens for a few months at that point and had to look up the 75 that evening. I wasn't too impressed at the time, but I was still figuring out what I liked. The Pilot Custom 742 was bought on credit and was way too rich for my blood at the time, but I wanted to try something "expensive and nice". I didn't care for it enough to keep it. Traded it for a Bexley 10th with 18k fine nib. Fantastic pen and I MISS IT.

It's funny how your views on expense and cost change over time and with your ability to afford those things. I remember thinking $40 was high, then $65, then $120. $200 for the Custom 742 (which was hard for me to swallow - it didn't seem worth it - at least in hindsight). Now though, depending on what it is, $300 seems like an easy price to deal with, give or take a few bucks.

 

So the 75 - I can't remember ever giving it a second thought or even wanting one until this last year at school. It's no secret to my students that I love fountain pens. When they dig through old magazines for collages or ideas to draw from, they pull fountain pen ads for me. I hang every one up on the walls in my class. One day a student brought me a 75 ad and something about it just struck me. I was in love! I had to find one for my own. And thus the search began. I didn't look hard, but I would look at them on ebay and the last Dallas and Arkasnas shows I went to.

 

 

 

I only ever saw limited editions at the shows - like the Spanish Treasure - or boxed sets that were too expensive for me, or on ebay they would go too far north of $100. So about a year of half hearted looking and finally I found it! Only 10 minutes left to go and it sat at around $40! I put a bid of $100 and got it! Wow! Then it went up to $70 something, then $83. I put in a new top bid of $120, but it never moved. I got it for $83 and shipping! What a deal!

 

The description called it a gold Ciselle, but it's an Insignia. The main difference, I think, being how deeply the lines are engraved. The insignia lines are quite shallow.

 

Appearance/Design

This is one of the later models - according to Parker75.com - It has the long arrow on the clip and the text on the cap is opposite the clip. It's also got dished tassies on cap and barrel ends.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction/Quality -

Very well made. Nothing cracked, loose, or broken. No shrinkage or slipping around, nothing falling off.

Either it wasn't used much or it was very well taken care of.

 

Weight/Dimensions -

A very short pen - better for me when posted.

It's not too heavy - not too light, but it's not exactly "just right" either. I think the shaped grip is at fault here. I love the Lamy Grip, but this thing is quite a bit slimmer than a Safari.

I think I'd enjoy using it more if the section was round like the 45 (that I love so much!). The grip wants me to hold the pen more upright, too, it seems. That makes it a tad heavy when posted, but it's just so darn short unposted.

 

Nib -

Very sweet medium. Very smooth with great flow. Needed NO adjustment or tuning at all. I also really like the adjustable gimmick. Very nice. I'm still trying to figure out exactly where I want it though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filling/Cleaning

Your standard c/c - easily the easiest type to clean easily. Easily!

 

Good stuff. I need to pick up a converter for it from my favorite pen store - Vanness - so I'm not stuck with these stupid carts. I've never been a cart fan.

 

Cost -

$83

That's good if you ask me. I'm tickled pink.

 

Conclusion -

I'm gonna keep it - but I'd go after another 45 before I looked for anymore 75s. The grip just isn't speaking to me.

In fact, I've already got a couple more 45s on the way. Another flighter and hopefully an olive green...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brian C]

I like everything about that pen except the section shape, the metal at the end of the section, the feed, and the nib. Otherwise it's beautiful. I don't like a pen that tells me where to hold it.

[parban]

You can easily switch to rounder version of the grip section with thick stem feed nib, as you dont like this grip section.I personally like the triangular grip.Just a golden ring instead of the silver coloured one in grip section would look better as the silver colour is a slight mismatch here.

[watch_art]

There are round sections? Really? I want one!

[Vendome]

To me, the 75 is the King of Parker writing instruments. A top executive pen!

 

I was gutted when they stopped being made in the mid 90s as I used to upgrade my Parkers along the years to the next model up, so I never had the opportunity of buying a brand new one from my local pen shop. Its replacement, the Sonnet, does not have the same class as the 75.

 

Watch-art

 

Going off Tony F's excellent site, the 3 sided gripping section was changed to the rounded design in 1991, 3 years before the model stopped being produced.

 

http://www.parkerpens.net/parker75.html

 

Jason

[jameswatts]

A Parker 75 was the first pen I set out to buy -- however, I went looking right around the time that the Sonnet was first released, as the successor to the 75. Bought one of the first Sonnets, and loved it. Took me another 5 years to get a 75 -- A France-made "Grain d'Orge" with a fine nib. Still have it, need to add it to the rotation now...