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A Wing Of Flighters


richardandtracy

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What's the definition of a "Flighter"?

I've taken it at the widest definition, that of a stainless steel barrel & cap. If my memory still serves me, the only models actually called 'Flighter' by Parker were the P51 'Flighter' and the P61 'Jet Flighter'.

 

Thank you all for your comments. I rather feel I haven't done the pens justice, being a bit brief on each, but I think the review works reasonably well as a comparison.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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Richard

 

Thanks for a fascinating review. I have a Parker 75 flighter, which I can recommend highly. You should add one to your collection.

 

With regard to your remarks about modern Parkers, I also have a Parker 51 special, the 2002 model, and find that it only writes well on good quality paper. I don't see myself as a nib expert and would be grateful for a non-technical solution

 

Chaim

Chaim Seymour

David Elazar 8

Givat Shemuel

Israel

54032

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What's the definition of a "Flighter"?

I've taken it at the widest definition, that of a stainless steel barrel & cap. If my memory still serves me, the only models actually called 'Flighter' by Parker were the P51 'Flighter' and the P61 'Jet Flighter'.

 

Thank you all for your comments. I rather feel I haven't done the pens justice, being a bit brief on each, but I think the review works reasonably well as a comparison.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

The 1978 Parker Catalogs (obtained via PAC) shows the 25, 45, 75, and 180 all had models that were designated as Flighters. I so I don't think the term is as restrictive as you make it out to be. I really admire your flight collection though. Even though I'm relatively new at this, I'm current growing a budding flighter collection myself. (And as far as my flighters are concerned, I also use the loose definition, since it is the aesthetics that I'm after.)

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I have the rollerball version of the Latitude. I got 3 different colors for about $20 each from some seller who must have grabbed a pile from a warehouse sale. For $20 they are nice, but I think the MSRP is supposed to be $70, and for that much they look slightly cheesy (a beautiful Sonnet is only $85). The black one has a small greenish color when viewed in the wrong light, and the rings on the cap are poorly machined and not really gold but just bare tarnished brass.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Flighters in my collection:

 

(Parker)

15

21

25

45

50

61

75

95

180

Sonnet

Vector

 

(Other Stainless Steel Flighter look alikes)

Hero 100

Hero 850

Shaeffer Targa

Shaeffer No Nonsense

Waterman Hemisphere

Mohammad Salahuddin Ayubi

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  • 5 months later...

The Sonnet you have included in your pictures is absolutely stunning. I love the graphite color of the body. Is that particular pen still available for purchase by Parker? I didn't know the Sonnet was available in that finish.

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. ~Francis Bacon

Pens: Waterman Hemisphere M, TWSBI 530 Diamond M/EF, J.Herbin Glass Dip, Esterbrook J F, Montblanc 146 LeGrand M, Lamy 2000 M, TWSBI 540 Diamond Smoke F

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very nice collection!

http://i.imgur.com/EZMTw.gif "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored" -Aldous Huxley

 

Parker 45 F, Lamy Safari EF, Lamy 2000 F, TWSBI Diamond 530 F, Reform 1745 F, Hero 616 F, Pilot Varsity F, Pilot 78g F,

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Nice comparitive review. Is there nothing to be said for nibs designed to be smooth on garbage office paper, post it notes, wall calendars and the back of hands? There's a reason my Frontier (which seems to be the only one that left the factory with an immortal cap) gets more use than my Targa 1001 or 45 flighter!

Latest pen related post @ flounders-mindthots.blogspot.com : vintage Pilot Elite Pocket Pen review

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Great review and nice pens! Thoroughly enjoyed reading the review.

-WontonST

www.sanjosecalligraphy.com

www.wontonst.info

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Thanks for this great comparison! I would love to get a Parker "51" Flighter if opportunity ever came my way.

 

Regards,

777

Keep your eyes open. They show up, but not often.

 

I had to spend the day with my 1951 "51" Flighter today in honor of this thread. Then wrote a real letter just for the fun of it!

MB JFK BB; 100th Anniversary M; Dumas M FP/BP/MP set; Fitzgerald M FP/BP/MP set; Jules Verne BB; Bernstein F; Shaw B; Schiller M; yellow gold/pearl Bohème Pirouette Lilas (custom MB-fitted EF); gold 744-N flexy OBB; 136 flexy OB; 236 flexy OBB; silver pinstripe Le Grand B; 149 F x2; 149 M; 147 F; 146 OB; 146 M; 146 F; 145P M; 162 RB
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Added two more to the collection since....Frontier and Classic (similar to 180). Waiting for my Urban from Greece.

 

Will take a picture of all of them together for you guys. Also, communicated with a member (Chris Olsen) who has a complete Parker collection in the US...i.e. every flighter made by parker... Now thats something.

Mohammad Salahuddin Ayubi

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

Flighters in my collection:

 

(Parker)

15

21

25

45

50

61

75

95

180

Sonnet

Vector

 

(Other Stainless Steel Flighter look alikes)

Hero 100

Hero 850

Shaeffer Targa

Shaeffer No Nonsense

Waterman Hemisphere

 

 

I dont collect Fighter's like you do MSA, but I have the following in my collectioin:

  1. 15 / Jotter
  2. Frontiers x 2
  3. 45s x 4
  4. IM Gunmetal finish so that does not count
  5. Urban
  6. 21

others:

 

 

  1. Waterman Hemisphere
  2. Waterman Laureat
  3. Jinhao no name

and Richard, an excellent review, a wealth of useful info for reference.

 

 

Edited by jslallar

Enjoy your pens

Have a nice day

Junaid

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It is such a wonderful review, it should be pinned.

 

It is a Flighter's reference.

 

Personnaly, I am in love with Parker 75's.

 

Before the pen buying moratorium, I got myself a Studio Flighter and a blue one.

 

Come to think of it, my pens are either Flighter/Stainless Steel style or colorful acrylics in girly colors. :)

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

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Some new flighers added to my collection:

 

51

65

Arrow

Urban

Frontier

Jotter

 

Missing....105, 35.

 

Regards

Mohammad Salahuddin Ayubi

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Bought my second Frontier Flighter SS in J.Lewis, in the 'red tag' sale, for £12,(August '11.) Only fault I could find was a slight rough edge around both the open end of the cap and also the open end of the barrel. A few minutes work by turning the parts on a piece of rough cardboard, and it took the rough edge away. Shouldn't have to do the work for them, but I know it's a basically a good design, and probably should cost more. After I used all the Quink in the supplied cartrdge, I filled it with black Sheaffer 'Skrip', and it writes as well as anything I've used.

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  • 1 month later...

Flighters in my collection

 

Parker Classic Flighter GT

Parker 51 Mk III Flighter CT

Platinum PE-500

Reform Basic

Hero 5020

 

future plans:

 

Pelikan Signum P560

Sheaffer Targa 1001

Parker 61 Jet Flighter GT

Parker 51 Mk I Flighter GT

Parker 105

Look at my horse, my horse is amazing!!!

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