I have a Parker 100 and like it a lot. My fine nib seems to run one size wider laying down a medium line. Is that true of Parkers in general? Thus if I want a fine nib I should get an extra fine? Is nib width a function of the Parker model? Do Duofolds run wider than Sonnets, Latitude or Frontiers etc. or are nibs consistently wider across the entire line of pens vs. Pelikans? --- Thanks.

IMHO, modern Parker nibs do run one notch wider than you would expect. I haven't seen any difference between models in this regard. I don't know when this change over happened, but it definitely wasn't the case as late as the late-1970s with the Parker 75.

I have several modern Parker Duofolds, and they all run wide. The mediums are like broads, and the fines are like mediums.

I only have a couple of newer Parkers. Love the way the look, never use them because i really dislike how wide and stiff they are.

It might be the ink. I never noticed my Parker Vector (F) writing wide until I filled it with PR Velvet Black, which seems to be much more free-flowing than the Quink Black.

As a general rule, UK and Europe made Parker nibs run wider than US made nibs, by about half to a full nib size. So if you want a true fine nib like an old Parker "51" or Vacumatic, the closest you can get is a current XF nib, but then this can vary from sample to sample. There have been tales recounted here about people returning pens several times until they got the ONE they were happy with.

The best advice might be to buy from a good retailer who will test the nib before they ship it out.

Jim

My fine Sonnet is no wider than my fine M800.

I have several modern medium Parkers from across the price range and none of them seem surprisingly wide compared to my other modern medium pens (Cross, Conway Stewart, Waterman), with the exception of a Rialto which is considerably wider than the others.