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Best Parker Pen?


freshcinnamon

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Hi,

 

I have a selection of Parkers vintage and modern, but I have soft spot for the Vacumatics, especially the Azure ans Burgundy Pearl when properly restored they hold a lot of ink and write very well.

 

Andy

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If price really doesn't matter... B)

 

 

I'd say: take a nice vintage Parker 25, with the whole range of nib widths (XF, F, B, B and Italic). :lol:

 

But these P25's being my personal favorite and collection, I just might be a tiny little bit prejudiced, I admit.

Yet, it is a sturdy, reliable workhorse. No glitter and glamour, no status, but hey - glitter and glamour are scratchy on paper and status is bad ink, isn't it? Personally, I'd go for a vintage matte black but the stainless steel is just as fine.

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The Parker 51 Is the the best pen ever produced.

Regards,

 

Pickwick Pensfan

 

:)

this year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people.

~ C.S. Lewis

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No price limit? If I had the choice, I'd get the Mandarin Parker Senior Duofold, which may easily run into the low $1000s for a nice, uncracked, restored example. These frequently come up on eBay, but are highly sought after, driving prices way out of proportion. Next on the list would be the "Big Red" Senior Duofold, which would run in the mid hundreds. Thompson makes replicas of these two pens, using vintage and modern parts. A (very) distant third and fourth would be the Senior Vacumatics, followed by the Parker 51. As beautiful as these two pens are, their beauty is pale in comparison to a vintage Duofold. Very reliable, durable writers they are, though. A nice example of each can easily go for under $100. Just my $0.02.

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why not a mint duofold centennial 1st generation with a M nib (if you like this size) the green color is very nice.

 

good luck.

Nib (re)plating: please visit www.Dutchpen.com

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Another vote for the modern Duofold Centennial - the fine Italic nib in one of my several examples is the most impressive (and expressive) cursive Italic nib that I've ever used :cloud9:

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Hi Pjay,

 

Where could I get one of those nibs, or any italic, for a Centennial please?

 

Cheers,

 

Adam

 

 

Another vote for the modern Duofold Centennial - the fine Italic nib in one of my several examples is the most impressive (and expressive) cursive Italic nib that I've ever used :cloud9:

Cheers,

 

“It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness

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No price limit? A Parker 51 with a good nib.

 

Sometimes the best is not the most expensive.

Edited by welch

Washington Nationals 2019: the fight for .500; "stay in the fight"; WON the fight

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My first Parker was a Parker 45 with a medium nib I bought when I was in High School and later changed to an italic nib- a nice pen but too slim for my liking now. I have never written with a Parker 51 so cannot comment on them. In recent years I have bought 3 new modern Duofold Centennials with different nibs, limited and standard edition. I am also in agreement that the Parker italic nibs are some of the best off the shelf nibs you will find. The smoothest modern nibs I find are the current series of centennials. You can get very good prices from JML "Penseller from France" via ebay.

 

Rational for choosing a Duofold centennial;

1. larger sized pen (though slimmer than a MB149)

2. uses both cartridge (great for travelling) and converter (great for using esoteric inks)

3. look smart - come in other (patterened) colours than black

4. many limited editions available for the different look

5. large selection of aaccesible nibs

6. nibs that work = joy to write with

7. once you get bitten with the Duofold bug you will want to purchase more

 

At the end of the day if the pen works and you enjoy writing with it with inks that you like then you have made a great purchase!

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If you have small hands, a 61 with either capillary or cartridge/converter fill would be like a 51, but with probably better ergonomics. I would take the cartridge/converter option for easier cleaning.

 

However, if size and money are no objects, I would also recommend whatever modern Duofold looks best to you. I find pens with open nibs are easier to keep on an optimal alignment with the paper when I'm writing.

 

I agree with an earlier post that Parkers from dirt cheap to expensive seem to be great writers. The durability changes with price.

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Another vote for the 51, here. :thumbup:

 

I daresay they write as well as my Montblancs... oh... did I just dare say that? :roflmho:

Edited by Sunflowers
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And another vote for the Parker 51! Rock solid, dependable, beautiful and they always put a smile on my face...what more could anyone ask for in a pen?

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice." -John Calvin

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Sooooo many good choices. I have had very good luck with the less expensive line (I have financial limits which I hope to expand in time).

 

My latest acquisitions which wrote as well and as reliably as so many others, including a 51 desk pen, are a Parker Arrow, a Sonnet and a Frontier. The price range of the three was $12 to $38 and they are all bulletproof. Of equal reliability and uniquely pleasing in their own right are my Insignia, my 21s and my Jotters (fountain pens, not ball points).

 

The best Parker is any reliable Parker. I hope one day to understand the fierce loyalty to the 51 pocket model pens, the Vacumatics and the Duofolds. Until then, I remain a fan of them all.

[color=#444444][size=2][left]In this age of text, twitter, skype and email, receiving a good old-fashioned hand-written letter feels just like a warm hug.[/left][/size][/color][img]http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5642/postcardde9.png[/img]

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It's so hard to pick just one... so I won't. I'll mention 4. :roflmho:

 

My favorite Parkers that I own are my Parker 45, Parker 51, Parker Challenger and Parker Vacumatic Major.

Derek's Pens and Pencils

I am always looking for new penpals! Send me a pm if you'd like to exchange correspondence. :)

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