Hi All. Parker Newbie Here!

[Jw73]

Just joined this wonderful site. I used to use fountain pens 30 yrs ago at school, and have recently rediscovered them. I've never found a biro I'm totally happy with for work, so I took a punt on a bargain basement fountain pen that I found in a local B&M store for 99 pence! The price included 6 cartridges and 2 ink eraser pens. It writes really smoothly but the build quality of the cap was shocking. Started to split within a few days.

 

I needed an upgrade... Local Wilkinson store had a vector for sale for the bargain sum of around £5.75, so I thought why not! Yes, I know it writes like a fork for some people, but apart from the watery blue ink that was supplied with it, I think it's pretty good as an everyday work pen.

 

Apart from the plastic body, it's a work of art. I work in quality control for an engineering company, so I'm used too being obsessed with pieces of metal... It's a quality workhorse in engineering terms.

Edited March 27, 2015 by Jw73

[Mike 59]

Hi Jw73, The Vector is the cheapest fountain pen in the Parker range, and Wilko's price is around 50% of most other shops, it is a good buy.

There is also an all-metal version of the same pen, and the ink can be changed for another colour, if you either refill the cartridges yourself using a syringe, or buy a Parker cartridge comvertor. (WH Smith, J Lewis, Staples or online dealers.)

Slightly more expensive is the 'Jotter' fountain pen, using the same nib as the Vector. You can find them in most of the Supermarkets in the UK.

[Jw73]

I've just received some blue/black ink, so ill give that a try today

[inkstainedruth]

My first "good" pen was a NOS Vector. It's a little workhorse. I know some people consider them "school pens", but I eventually bought 5 more (including a 4-nib unit calligraphy set).

Yeah, my favorite pen is my 51 Demi Plummer. Yeah, the best nib is the one on my 1990s era Pelikan M400. Yeah, my ebonite Konrad is a perfect size and balance for my hand, even when posted. But that little blue Vector is one I would never give up for any money. Completely dependable, and a sentimental favorite. And, since it's a very wet writer, even though it's an F nib, it does great with really dry inks like iron gall inks.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Jw73]

Thank you Ruth Morrisson for a great in-depth reply! My vector is great for what I need it for. I will purchase a larger, heavier pen at some point, but my little vector is great in it's simplicity. Very clean design and perfect for my job. It's a medium nib running on Parker blue/black permanent ink cartridges, but can still write fine enough for my paperwork needs at work. I'm a leftie too and I've not had a single smudge so the ink dries pretty fast. My father has a vintage Parker that was left to him by his father. He won't pass it on to me yet though! All I know is that it's an orange colour, it's a duofold, has the word curve faintly stamped into the body, and it's possibly from the 1930's!