The Parker 45 has a classic design, it has not seen much change in the last 40 years (except for this version, with the "updated" clip and new cap jewel). And of course I like that design, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it,
. However, I was dissappointed by the finish of the pen, some details make it look very cheap. That's a shame, because otherwise the pen is very nice.
2. Appearance & Finish 5/10
The stainless steel looks nice and modern. There are some things however, wich I don't like. For instance, the gold-colored thing at the end of the grip, where the cap snaps on, is not so well finished. I have a picture included to illustrate what I mean. Also, when you close the pen, there is a tiny space left between barrel and cap. you have to press a bit harder to "really" close the pen . positive about this slip-on cap is that it's probably more durable than a standard snap-on cap, it probably won't become loose over time.
3. Design/Size/Weight 8/10
The design of this pen is an updated version of the Parker 45 design, wich originated I believe in the sixties. The pen is 13,75 cm long when closed, and 15,00 cm when the cap is posted at the end of the pen. The pen weighs 16 grams (measured on my kitchen weigher).
4. Nib design & Performance 7/10
The pen writes rather broad for a medium nibbed pen, and wet too, but I like it. It writes very smooth, but not as silky smooth as my Parker Frontier. The pen came with a converter (the slide converter with a ball inside).
5. Filling system
Cartridge/convertor fill
6. Cost/Value
My pens were about 15 euro a piece, a reasonable price I think.
7. Overall Opinion/Conclusion 7/10
The pen looks very nice, and writes nice too. The classic design is appealing, but the pen hasn't the "quality-feeling" some pens have. A few details make it look a bit cheap.
Some aditional pictures...
