Parker 105 Opinions?

[The Blue Knight]

I recently was fortunate enough to come across a Parker 105 Flighter at a reasonable price in Mint condition. I bought it as it seemed interesting.

 

It first off strikes me as a pen that doesn't seem Parker like in the sense the design is quite sterile and utilitarian similar to the pens Lamy pumps out and rotring and Pelikan once did. Also it at least in the case of the cap it has an uncanny resemblance to the modern premiere. I do wonder weather it's short production run of 3 years is due to it wasn't Parker enough to be successful or were there other reasons?

 

It's a model that's rarely mentioned however I was wondering if people were generally a fan of the pen or considered it to be an ugly experiment like the Parker Connect fountain pen?

Edited November 15, 2019 by The Blue Knight

[senzen]

I have no experience with it, have only come across the gold model, and since I don't like gold pens that was the end of my interest. Now that I see the steel version I kinda like it, but there would need to be way more info on it, such as

 

• Diameter at the section,
• length,
• comfort,
• reliability,
• smoothness of the nib,
• how inks come out (my 75 makes inks come out lighter, which I like for some of them),
• comparisons with more known entities like the 75 and Sonnet. I really like my second hand Milleraies 75, have long despised my two Sonnets bought new some time ago.

 

The 105 reminds me of the Vector and 25, which I don't like. At current ebay prices for the steel version you could get a nice 75 Ciselé, a very classy and reliable pen... Unless you really, really appreciate rarity. So please let us know how it goes!

[christof]

The 105 is an outstanding pen which I specially like

because of its cool design. The bark-like surface is just amazing!

 

Parker 105 von -C.M.Z-

 

It's well made of high quality and the gold nib is soft and smooth.

 

c.

[thx1138]

I have both the gold and the flighter model, they are both beautifully made and very nice to write with. The gold nib in the gold pen is especially smooth and slightly "soft" to write with.

[thx1138]

My small collection of Parker 105 pens.

From the left,

Two ballpoints

Gold with medium nib

Flighter with fine nib

Flighter with broad nib.

 

The broad steel nib is super smooth as is the medium gold nib. I haven't had a chance to try the fine yet.

The ballpoint pens are capped, the caps being off for the photo.

Edited November 20, 2019 by thx1138

[mitto]

Peautiful pens.

[donnweinberg]

Gorgeous pens. I read about this model on some of the historical pen sites. I'd like to have one, and maybe I'll look for one.

[donnweinberg]

Well, I purchased one on Ebay last night, from a U.K. seller. It has the original owner's three initials inscribed on it, so the price, all-in with shipping, was $252 USD. A good buy, I hope.

[Matlock]

Well, I purchased one on Ebay last night, from a U.K. seller. It has the original owner's three initials inscribed on it, so the price, all-in with shipping, was $252 USD. A good buy, I hope.

 

Even given the initials that is a very good price for a rather rare pen.

[donnweinberg]

And I thereafter purchased the commemorative "Charles & Diane Wedding" version for $400 (with tax and shipping $439), which was a considerably better price than others offered on Ebay. It comes with a modest-sized box sporting a commemorative plaque on it. Here's a professionally shot photo of the gold bark Parker 105 fountain pen (not mine).

 

 

Here are some shots that I took of the commemorative FP and packaging that I now have:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[donnweinberg]

The photos above might have given the false impression that the special edition number did not look professional. That impression is from the angle of those photos. Here's one that shows clearly that the '0483' number is well done:

 

[donnweinberg]

I tried to place a regular Parker cartridge into my first Parker 105, the non-commemorative one that I have not pictured above. The pen came with a mostly empty short cartridge still in it, and I told the seller about that, as he should have cleaned the pen before sending it from the U.K. I did a thorough cleaning myself. The seller graciously agreed and apologized. Well, today I discovered that the short cartridge's ink-full twin also is in the pen barrel, but wedged deeply into the bottom of the barrel. Therefore, the regular Parker cartridge, inserted into the section by me, won't fit into the barrel. I've tried using a thin metal wedge and lightly dropping the barrel onto its open end, to try to loosen and remove the offending cartridge, but to no avail. Any recommendations -- other than giving up and buying short Parker cartridges?

[Matlock]

I tried to place a regular Parker cartridge into my first Parker 105, the non-commemorative one that I have not pictured above. The pen came with a mostly empty short cartridge still in it, and I told the seller about that, as he should have cleaned the pen before sending it from the U.K. I did a thorough cleaning myself. The seller graciously agreed and apologized. Well, today I discovered that the short cartridge's ink-full twin also is in the pen barrel, but wedged deeply into the bottom of the barrel. Therefore, the regular Parker cartridge, inserted into the section by me, won't fit into the barrel. I've tried using a thin metal wedge and lightly dropping the barrel onto its open end, to try to loosen and remove the offending cartridge, but to no avail. Any recommendations -- other than giving up and buying short Parker cartridges?

 

Try a bradawl but be careful as this will release the ink from the cartridge.

[mitto]

You need something like this to remove the stuck cartridge.

 

[donnweinberg]

Thanks.

[AL01]

You can also use a pair of tweezers,(preferably the ones that are skinny; usually intended diamonds and watchmaking), but your pen very nice, so only try tweezers as a last resort...

 

Twisting motions work the best for international cartridges, but since your pen has Parker cartridge, I think the tool mitto recommended would work by mostly pulling, (since the Parker carts are made out of a much harder plastic than most international carts.)

[donnweinberg]

I sincerely appreciate all of your prompt recommendations. Here's what was done to remove the cartridge: My son-in-law, who is quite handy and has many tools, used an appropriate-sized screw with relatively thick screw ridges. He screwed the screw into the back of the cartridge (which was tip down, as would be expected) and pulled up the screw (now attached to the cartridge) with another tool. The cartridge was so old that most of its ink already had evaporated, so when the screw went into the back end and was pulled upward with the cartridge, no ink spilled out. Now everything with this pen is as it should be.

[Matlock]

I sincerely appreciate all of your prompt recommendations. Here's what was done to remove the cartridge: My son-in-law, who is quite handy and has many tools, used an appropriate-sized screw with relatively thick screw ridges. He screwed the screw into the back of the cartridge (which was tip down, as would be expected) and pulled up the screw (now attached to the cartridge) with another tool. The cartridge was so old that most of its ink already had evaporated, so when the screw went into the back end and was pulled upward with the cartridge, no ink spilled out. Now everything with this pen is as it should be.

 

Pleased that you solved the problem.

[senzen]

Finally got one, gorgeous design, seems to get along with Ama Iro; seems to have a medium nib, very smooth.

[donnweinberg]

As posted above last year, I have two of the gold-bark Parker 105 fountain pens.  Since posting last year, I thoroughly cleaned the pen, let it dry, put a Parker cartridge into the pen, and wrote with it.  The pen is quite a looker, but I am not impressed with the way the pen writes. The nib feels too stiff, and the flow is a bit limited.  I may try again in the future, but I'm treating the pen as more a collector's item than a good writer.