Im looking at getting one do you like these ?are they converter filled?
Are they MIC?

Happy New Year
JB

Hi, a Parker 45 is a great pen! Very durable and it writes well. The 45 can use a converter or a cartridge. Overall an excellent pen for the price.

I have two 45s and like them. They are cartridge or converter. I don't know what "MIC" is.

A Parker 45 is a good reliable everyday pen. They are the ones I take with me on business trips out of town. The pen goes in my carry-on with a single unpierced cartridge in it. Spare cartridges go in checked luggage. On the flight home, I just replace the pierced cartridge that's in the pen with an unpierced one before going through security. The reason for this procedure is that I don't have to worry about leaks, don't have to worry about the pen being stolen out of the checked luggage, and I don't have to worry about TSA making me throw away the whole pen. (Yes, I worry too much. But I haven't lost a pen yet on a trip.)

Added: Now that you've explained that "MIC" means "Made In China" I can answer. No. Parker 45s currently are made in England. Older ones may have been made in the US as well.

[QUOTE]I don't know what "MIC" is. From Bill the editor
Made in China

I have a few 45's. They are reliable and write well, on one condition: they tend to dry out if not used regularly. If I leave one inked for days without using it, it will be hard to start when I come back to it because some of the ink has evaporated.

In my experience, 45's tend to write a wide line.

What is MIC?

Hi,

They are fairly good, or shall I say, just ok.

These are made in the United Kingdom.

Dillon

They are very good writing basic inexpensive fountain pens... and if you purchase a solid gold nib from Parker (they still have them in stock) you will see a world of difference in the writing quality.
I prefer the slide convertors on these pens.... you get a better fill and flush...
Just make sure you fully flush out the nib assembly before filling with ink.

Parker no longer has a Chinese manufacturing facility. I believe all pens are now made either in England or France

My humble NOS 45 is the most reliable writer I have (so far). Has not skipped on even one single initial downstroke, which all my other pens seem to do.

Re: the gold nib, what is the best way to get in touch with Parker (Sanford?) to inquire about this--to call the Parker service centre in Janesville?

ETA: Answered my own question!. Second post down.

Hi,

I do have a nice almost new Parker 45 with a 14K gold nib. It was an extra-fine nib, and though better than Pelikans, it was a bit of a headache to adjust. I will put it up on the Marketplace soon.

Katya, I just sent you a PM with Parker's contact info.

Dillon

Thank you Dillon! I'll keep an eye on the Marketplace for that pen, too.

Yup, 1-800-BEST-PEN, that's it. They'll take a credit card right over the phone. I've had excellent experiences dealing with the Janesville people.

And the 45 is a wicked good pen. I have six 45s and one of the Eversharp siblings. This is my coolest 45:



Here's a 45 that's a little more typical in appearance, athough there aren't a whole raft of Vermilion ones floating around.



The final version, called the 45 Special GT, is a little different to the older styling, but it's the same inside, and it's also a good performer.

Despite the negative comments I have gotten by "experts" about the 45 (and I am glad that Richard is not one of those) I have a 45 with an XF gold nib that has remained constantly inked for ten years in spite of having one of the finest writing XF "51"s on the planet (in my opinion), and quite a few magnificant vintage flex nib pens and a to die for Sailor in my pen case. Pens come and go but the 45 is never leaving my pocket. An interesting aside about the 45s XF nib. It writes wider horizontally than vertically, almost imperceptably, but I can tell the difference. The true test of any pen is how well it writes. Price, nib material, may impact how you feel about your pen but the nib meeting the surface of the paper is the true test of a fountain pen.

John

Love my Parker 45s. Older ones are so cheap on eBay I wouldn't bother buying a new one (the new clips are poor!). Don't forget that these pens have interchangeable nibs.. I replaced a poor nib on one with a gold fine from Mr.Binder himself.

For my hands, 45s are the most comfortable for longer writing sessions. As with all pens, a good nib makes all the difference.

I bought the latest model 45 Red Special GT. It was an OK pen for the price (10 € or 15 $) but the nib, which was F was more like double broad and it skipped heavily if not held in a very narrow angle. My review can be read here:

Parker 45 Red Special GT

I've written thousands of pages with a 45 and Quink washable blue over the years. The children now use them at school in preference to the Frontiers which none of them liked at all - they really like the 45's though. The 45 is such an easy pen to clean and repair too. While the newer pens can have variable quality nibs like much of Parker's production it is a pen that really takes some beating for everyday use.

My only experience with a 45 is with a chisel nib like the first one in Richard's pics above (I believe it is marked "C". I tried it recently but it is so wet as to just look like a broad nib with no narrow horizontal line, so I was disappointed with that aspect. But that's just one pen and one nib, so I appreciate the positive reviews above.... I still think the less expensive older Parkers and Sheaffers are better made than many newer pens....

Steve

I got my first 45 as a gift in 1965, used it for many years until losing it in a move in college in the 70's. The new ones don't have the samel elegance with that melted-looking clip and the couple I've bought don't seem to write as well. Still an elegant pen, not having to copy someone else's design.

After reading this thread, I rescued my flighter 45 from the back shelf and inked it up (I found it came with 2 ink converters--one in the pen and one stowed inside the box!).

WOW! This fine nib writes incredibly smooth. And it's very angle versatile--you can really write at 90 degrees. Plus, flipping the pen on its back allows you to write XXF--seriously so, because the ink keeps feeding.

After this wonderful test ride, I took out my favorite 51 and... well, I'm ashamed to admit it--the 45 felt slightly better to me somehow. I'm beginning to think that the inherent extra flex due to the wider nib design has an edge over the narrower 51 nib. It's just the right flex also--not too much... enough to cushion the pressure so that the pen glides smoothly with light effort.

I know--if I were to get my 51 nib specially tuned, it could probably compete quite nicely with the 45. But the 45 is all set to go right out of the box, plus the nibs interchange so easily. Alas, if only they had that wonderful vintage look of the 51. The 45 hasn't changed much over the years, so given that the production ended mid 2006, the earliest models don't look vintage at all! Still... I think I'm going to put the 45 in rotation more often.

Anyway, getting back to the topic, I'd prefer a vintage 45 over a new one. I'll bet the 60's models are the best... I don't have experience with the later ones. I wonder if there's a few "dead years" for the 45 to avoid?

The current ones (still available in Europe) are made of cheap plastic and feel like a toy. Fine nibs are ridiculously broad and do not write well unless held in very narrow angle.

Frontiers are also showing signs of weakened construction. My first one, made in USA 1996 is made of durable steel&plastic and the cap snaps firmly when closed. But my latest Frontier made in UK in 2005 is made of much cheaper & lighter materials and the cap is too loose.

I do think that my older Parker 45's work better in many ways than the 51's I have (at least I prefer the feel of the way they write). I also agree that the current production is no so good - its a bit hit and miss getting a good nib. Interestingly, replacement nibs (probably older stock) seem better and more consistent. The plastic does seem to have changed - better to go for the Flighter version - its still a good pen though. All cheaper Parker pens feel to be of cheaper construction somehow - are they outsourcing the part production I wonder?

Overall I agree with LapsangS. I am underwhelmed by my 45. It feels cheap, and is sensitive to position relative to the paper. When held at the correct angle it is a great writer, and it does lay down a wet and somewhat broad line.

I honestly don't think it is a bad pen, but I have several other pens that cost the same or less, which feel better made, and are less picky about how they are held.

Just tried a few of my 45's at different angles and the earlier ones do seem far better - the new ones are the worst for writing away from the optimum angle

Currently am using my 45. I think that it is probably from 96 or 97. For me, it is a good pen for general writing, meaning writing on to Xerox paper, random notepad, Post-It notes etc. It performs well under the abusive conditions that is my workplace (It is a lab), and I don't have to worry about it too much. It is also the same with my other pen.

Of course, I am a 45 fan and collector, so please take this post with large doses of iodized salt!

I do agree that the most recent production plastic 45s, the ones with the modified clip styling and the black domed cap jewel, do appear to be made of less substantial plastic that previous versions. I would also say that the Flighter version of the 45 is perhaps one of the nicest ways to experience a 45.

Many, many nib sizes were made and some folks contend that the steel nibs for the 45 are actually nicer than the gold ones (they were made in 10K, 12K, and 14K gold and in the final years, in gold plated steel).

Parker made economy and student pens almost the very beginning but only the 45 was made for over 40 years and I think that itself speaks to its enduring qualities.

Dan

The 45 is a much better pen than the Frontier, Jotter, Reflex etc and really can't be any more expensive to make so why are not Parker still producing and marketing it in a big way? t is an ideal pen for school use. I suspect it will make a comeback.

Mmmmm

Different strokes for different folks (sorry about the pun - oops)


Like jonhr55 mine to is from 1965 and is a Flighter. 9

I must disagree with Oldgriz and Lapsangs (just for once!)
Mine had a gold nib that I did not like (did not write at all well!) and so it stayed in a draw since I nicked it off Dad.
Last week I saw some steel nibs on ebay. Swapped over the nibs and now it is back in rotation.

Also in last six months I outed a gold Prelude nib in favour of a steel that I was more happy with.

Not having a pop though - my best ever nib so far is the gold medium on my Sonnets that I've used continuosly for eight years and treat almost better than my car or anything else I own :bunny1:

Back to the point though I don;t believe the modern 45's are a touch on the originals but are a good start to encourage new users to the FP world!
Armchop

edited cos I can neither tipe nor spel

I´ve got a few 45´s (half a dozen, I guess). The number speaks by itself - I obviously like the pen. I don´t see much difference between gold nibs or steel ones, though, or between old nibs and new ones. The ones I´ve tried all wrote well. I find they´re all good serviceable pens, easy to clean and service, easy to swap parts (I can´t anymore remember which part was originally in which pen, since I have tried all possible permutations), with good nibs. Nothing fancy, but very good. One thing I notice though - most of the nibs I´ve tried have a very definite sweet spot, and have to be held at a very specific angle - if you miss the proper angle, the nib scratches. They are rather unforgiving pens in that respect.

Unfortunately, Parker has dropped the 45 from production. 2006 was the last year it was made.

Dan

Is the "Lady" Parker 45 seen as desirable in the collector arena?

I saw a silver one go for a whopping $62 without a box, but then a gold one MIB go for only a hair over $33. I'd thought of getting one, noting the unusual "barber pole" textured pattern. But alas, there's no clip--not a practical pen to carry around.

Any comments/opinions on the Parker 45 Lady?