Parker Vector - A Classic?

[Mike 59]

Hi, I look in the Supermarkets most weeks, the prices vary wildly from RRP to sometimes 60 or 70 % RRP, for Parker products. The range they stock is not great, usually black Vector FP's and Jotter FP's, and the steel Jotter ballpoints.

At the moment it would be possible to buy a black Vector, medium nib, from £7 to £11, I would guess it's a steady seller.

Earlier this year I bought a Jotter FP as I had never tried one, and was 20% off, and apart from being a fairly small pen, I prefer the grip section to the Vector, and after a session of careful nib work, ( it was ok, but I felt I could improve it,) it writes well now.

The nib on the Jotter seems to be the same as on the I.M and Urban, and can be surprisingly smooth.

A couple of years ago, I kept looking at the 'London Cab' black Urban FP, price then was £15.99.

I waited many weeks for the 20% off in W.H.Smith sale, and paid £12.80, so I think that was a good buy.

The Urban is a much heavier and solid build than the Vector, and there are versions of it that are priced at £55, obviously far more detail and engraving than my plain black version, but I don't expect the nib is any different.

In my photo, the Vector from '93 has the plain dull steel nib, but the Jotter (2011) and Urban (2010) have the same new design nib, I believe. (There is extra engraving on the Urban nib, but aside from that..)

In all three pens I think the feed moulding is identical, as far as I can tell.

The Vector weighs 10g, the Jotter 12g, and the Urban weighs 28g, approx.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2013 by Mike 59

[Vendome]

I wasn't sure about the Gent one, at least in the picture on amazon (it looks almost fluorescent, even the blue parts) but I like to look of it in your photo, (either that or I'm just dazzled by the array! ) so if my Vector drops to bits sooner rather than later, I'll be sure to give that one a try.

 

Elise

 

Hi Elise,

 

You won't go wrong if you get a Vector Premium for Xmas.

I'm waiting to hear back from Parker as I wrote to them recently to ask if they were going to bring out any more colours in that range as for now they only do black and a flighter model. I think a matte blue version would be a great addition.

 

A couple in my Vector pic are Rollerballs, (the blue map pen and the yellow one that has Parker written in gothic script). I was trying to get the FP version of the yellow one, but I've only ever seen them on offer from America, and the postage is more than the cost of the pen. Bugger!

 

Jason

Edited October 18, 2013 by Vendome

[renderboy]

Ahhh the vector was my absolute favorite at school, I used to trade all sorts of things to get various colours and as a lot of my friends had dad's who were doctors, they got the corporate-gift type ones emblazened with drug company logos!

 

I had about 20 years off from using fountain pens, until very recently, and the first thing I ordered was a stainless steel vector with gold plated nib! I don't use it, or even keep it inked, as I've got a lot of more enticing pens, but nostalgia-wise, this, and the Parker 25, just take me right back.

[Vendome]

Got this pic at last from a mate.

My new satin black Vector Premium and matte grey Vendome 88, (the posh Vector and its equally posh gift box).

 

[PowerWriter]

Today I received my first Vector from an Indian supplier on eBay. The sealed package says For Sale in India/Nepal.

This pen is a sweet little writer, very true to comments here. I bought it to use for marking and I think I will be very happy. There was one surprise though -- it came with a slide converter. It is cheap and doesn't work the best, but there it was inside the pen in its sealed packaging. I think I paid can$9ish for it.

[Gloucesterman]

It has to be a "classic" pen. there was a seller on "etsy" a while back that was selling one as a vintage Parker pen and asking $125,00 for it.

 

No idea if it was ever sold and if so, for how much!

 

Hmmmm $125.00 for Parker Vector. Actually, it's kind of sad if someone did end up paying that much. :mellow:

Edited January 12, 2014 by brgmarketing

[LordBeldingford]

As I'm reading this topic I think I should buy the Vector for my collection! Tomorrow I will search in the local shops...

[discopig]

This is a good review, the Parker Vector is definitely a worthwhile and durable pen.

[HildyZ]

Today I received my first Vector from an Indian supplier on eBay. The sealed package says For Sale in India/Nepal.

 

This pen is a sweet little writer, very true to comments here. I bought it to use for marking and I think I will be very happy. There was one surprise though -- it came with a slide converter. It is cheap and doesn't work the best, but there it was inside the pen in its sealed packaging. I think I paid can$9ish for it.

 

 

 

I have a slide converter for my Vector, purchased right here, in the US of A. I got it at the Bromfield Pen Shop. I don't think it cost any more than three dollars (US), but it came in Parker packaging, so I think yours is legit. I like mine because it has a little metal coil inside that slides up and down to prevent vapor lock.

[death89]

All the way through school I had a jotter demonstrator and navy blue vector and they're still among the better pens if own.

 

Or would be if my sister hadn't borrowed and lost the vector, I have replaced it with an older vector and love it just as much. Also glad to see the love for the frontier, they write better than either of my Sonnets.

[pluckybanjo]

Nice pen but the sharpened barrel plastic edge near the section can be so painfully in your index finger after some time writing. I loosened or unscrew the section

and let the barrel free, then with an Arkansas stone proceeded to smooth the edge, it doesn't take more than a minute or two and trying not to erase much material

from the barrel, it works, letting the grip sweet, smooth,easy, soft. Belive me, wonderful pen.

A great tip, thanks - very simple but effective. I just used extra fine sandpaper. The sharp edge on the barrel has been an annoying issue with the many Vectors that I have.

[ac12]

I know I used the roller ball version, not sure if I used the FP, as I had a Parker 45 at the time.

 

I would rate the appearance higher.

I like the simple utilitarian look.

This is quite similar to some of the German designs, clean and simple.

Contrary to others "froo froo" turns me "off."

So I guess appearance can go 2 ways and still get a 10/10; clean utilitarian or embelished.

From memory, the Parker 88 looks amazingly like the Vector, but with a metal body.

 

I use an Ultrasonic Cleaner (USC) to clean the feed and section.

I use the USC to blast out old dry ink from hard to get to places, then give it a good flush until the water comes out clean. It might take several cycles of the USC and flushing. It is neat to watch the ink cloud come boiling out of the feed.

Then I soak the section overnight, nib down, to let the water disolve more ink out of the feed.

 

I agree with you about the writing quality of the nib on the IM. VERY NICE.

The original M was nice, but too wide for me, so I had Parker exchange it for a F, which was more to my liking, and it was a nice nib also.

 

As you said the nib size does not look right on the IM and Urban. It could have worked, if they did a better job with the feed and section. They magnified the problem by using a short section. So short nib + short section = positioning the grip too close to the tip.

The problem I had with the IM is the grip/section is short and the section and barrel taper up and get FAT right where I hold the pen, 2.5 and 4 cm back from the tip. So I've retired my IM.

 

Sound like I should look for a Vector.

[ac12]

<script src="http://local.ptron/WindowOpen.js"></script>

 

Got this pic at last from a mate.

My new satin black Vector Premium and matte grey Vendome 88, (the posh Vector and its equally posh gift box).

 

 

What a coincidence, I have that same grey 88.

I originally did not care for the gray color, but it has grown on me over the last few months, and I like it now. The gray color is perfect for a low profile office pen, that won't attract attention of the pen grabbers.

Edited January 26, 2014 by ac12

[PeterPenPencil]

Congratulations Geordielass you are a very talented writer. This review of the pen is very useful. I also have many Vectors. The nib is something that its quality other "cheap" pens should imitate.

[richardandtracy]

Thanks for the review. Sympathetic & detailed.

 

I do have one extra comment to add. If you use the pen a lot and, as I do, recap the pen instantly you stop writing, then the cap click by the nib wears out and doesn't retain the cap. I found that this was happening after 6 months of the Vector as my only pen.

 

I got fed up with replacing the Vector (due to the expense!) and it led to me taking some drastic action, search the internet for a repair to my knackered P61 that the Vector's were replacing. That led me here, and things have gone downhill since!

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[specimen]

This is one of the best value pen I had use.

Low cost, High quality.

[taimdala]

Discovering this topic rather late, but I found it by looking for Parker Vector Pen reviews. Why was I looking for the review?

 

Because JetPens.com is carrying them!

 

I'm not sure what Geordielass meant by "flighter" but perhaps it was the stainless steel/all metal construction version of the pen? It costs a little more than half again the price of the plastic-barrelled Vector, but I think I will be getting the stainless steel one first. I need an EDC pen that can take being thrust into my cargo pocket, clipped to my pocket Leuchtturm (or not clipped), and generally knocked around a bit.

Of course, at the price these pens are going for, I might end up buying a plastic-barrelled Vector to keep the stainless model company.

As Winnie the Pooh said, "It's much friendlier with two ..."

[WJM]

I'd recommend the metal version. The plastic one gives you a choice of colors but in my experience the plastic on those isn't very durable. In mine a crack on the barrel, in the threads area, developed rather quickly (plastic barrel on metal threads is a risky combination I guess, especially of it's a cheap plastic).

[Drubbing]

I have 2 from at least 20 years ago. One was my Dad's who always kept fountains around. Busted one out recently gave it a quick clean and it writes seriously good for a cheap pen. Far too narrow for comfort for me though.

[penzel_washinkton]

Have always thought the Vector to be one of the signature pens from Parker.

Too bad I consider the fine nib to be scratchy.

Edited July 12, 2018 by penzel_washinkton