Parker 75 question

[a aa]

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm curious about the overall qualityof the Parker 75. I have never owned one and am thinking of adding one to the collection.

 

Simply put, as a writer, just how good of a pen is the Parker 75?Will it stand comparison with the Pelikans and MBs of the day? Is it worth owning one as a writer, not as a collectible? Is it easy to maintain and keep in good working order? How easy is it to get parts?

 

I have looked at the parker75.com site, of course, and would very much appreciate first-hand user feedback from list members.

 

Also, are there major differences between French and US made variants, and is one better than the other to buy and use?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Regards,

[HDoug]

It's a great writer. For me. The pen itself is smallish by modern standards, but since it's made of metal, a bit heavy-ish too. The section is slim, and has a triangle shape kind of like the Lamy Safari/AL-Stars. One feature that might allow it to be more accommodating than the Lamys is that the angle of rotation of the nib is fully adjustable -- 360 degrees -- so even lefty overwriters can find an angle. I have one that my mom gave to me long ago. Then I lost it for around 20 years, then I recently found it again.

 

Doug

[gyasko]

I like the look, the nibs can be good (the variety is especially nice), and i'm a sucker for metal pens of all sorts, but i have reservations about the 75. I don't think it's made as well as Parkers that came before or after. The section threads can and do wear out, and after a while the nib units sometimes refuse to stay in the section.

 

Some people lay the blame for the LE-style form-over-function at MB's feet, but i think Parker has a few things to answer for. This is where they started to go wrong.

[alastair smith]

I've been using my sterling silver P75 daily since I bought it in 1965 and the only problem I have found was when the nib became loose in the section 20 years ago and had to buy a new section. I think that the quality of the early flat-top pens is better than the newer ones and the ones made in USA are certainly better than the French ones, in my experience. I have around 20 P75s of various vintages and, although the gold-plated and lacquer ones are very attractive, I don't think that they will stand up to the same treatment as the solid silver ones. I have no regrets about buying my 75, it has earned its keep but, I'm afraid, also started me on the slippery slope of fountain-pen acquisition.

 

Best of luck, Alastair

[flodoc]

If I remember correctly, the 75 is the best-selling Parker line of all time. In order to have that kind of record, it had to be of good quality. It was never intended to compete with the MB's or other high-end pens. It was a good mid-priced pen. Now it is usually a great buy because there are so many in circulation, with many being new-old-stock (NOS). My first pen was a 75. It impressed me with its smoothness and durability. The only fly in the ointment is the cap clasps/springs. The cap is snap-on and the clasps can wear or be bent out of shape, resulting in a loose cap. Parker used to repair these at no cost, but they no longer stock these parts for the 75 (so much for a "lifetime" warranty). I still own my original 75 in black lacquer, along with about 60 others in different finishes.

[ASL]

Parker 75s are my Favorite .. they are one of the very best all over parker brands, very reliable, very elegant, plenty of designs, easy to repair, besides it has a good re-sale value if you decide to kick it out... I don't like the recent French ones, I would stronglt recommend Cisele Sterling Silver one Flat head if available.

Cheers

 

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm curious about the overall qualityof the Parker 75. I have never owned one and am thinking of adding one to the collection.

 

Simply put, as a writer, just how good of a pen is the Parker 75?Will it stand comparison with the Pelikans and MBs of the day? Is it worth owning one as a writer, not as a collectible? Is it easy to maintain and keep in good working order? How easy is it to get parts?

 

I have looked at the parker75.com site, of course, and would very much appreciate first-hand user feedback from list members.

 

Also, are there major differences between French and US made variants, and is one better than the other to buy and use?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Regards,

 

[algabatz]

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm curious about the overall qualityof the Parker 75. I have never owned one and am thinking of adding one to the collection.

 

Simply put, as a writer, just how good of a pen is the Parker 75?Will it stand comparison with the Pelikans and MBs of the day? Is it worth owning one as a writer, not as a collectible? Is it easy to maintain and keep in good working order? How easy is it to get parts?

 

I have looked at the parker75.com site, of course, and would very much appreciate first-hand user feedback from list members.

 

Also, are there major differences between French and US made variants, and is one better than the other to buy and use?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Regards,

 

I have been collecting Parker since the 1980's, and I have literally hundreds of all age, size and colour, but I still use my Parker 75 in sterling silver, xfine nib every day. And then I mean EVERY day. Says something, either about me or about the pen, I suppose

 

/Tony

[welch]

I own a Parker 75. The best pen ever. Yes, I have an English Parker 51 that is so smooth it is almost scary...it writes by itself. Other than that single P51, the 75 is the outright best, and my everyday pen.

 

[Glenn-SC]

If I remember correctly, the 75 is the best-selling Parker line of all time.

The pest selling Parker of all time?

Where did you hear this?

I find it hard to believe.

 

I have a flat top and like it very much, it is a very good pen.

[flodoc]

If I remember correctly, the 75 is the best-selling Parker line of all time.

The pest selling Parker of all time?

Where did you hear this?

I find it hard to believe.

 

I have a flat top and like it very much, it is a very good pen.

 

According to Lih-tah Wong at parker75.com, the 75 was produced from 1963 through 1994 with over 10 million units produced. This figure probably includes fountain pens, ball pens, soft-tip pens and mechanical pencils. I do not know how many single model units other manufacturers have produced, but it would be hard to beat those figures. I do not recall where I saw or heard the superlative reference.

 

[HDoug]

Here's an article I just ran into at parkercollector.com. It says that the 45 sold more units, but the 75 was a greater success because it was a hot selling pricier pen.

 

Doug

[Glenn-SC]

According to Lih-tah Wong at parker75.com, the 75 was produced from 1963 through 1994 with over 10 million units produced. This figure probably includes fountain pens, ball pens, soft-tip pens and mechanical pencils. I do not know how many single model units other manufacturers have produced, but it would be hard to beat those figures. I do not recall where I saw or heard the superlative reference.

If you include the FP, BP, RB, and pencil versions then I would guess the Jotter would be the "Best selling Parker of all time"

Which, according to the Parker website, has been in production for over 50 years (since 1954 and is still in production), and, if you believe Wikipedia, has sold over 750 million BP units alone.

 

It would be interesting to know the greatest selling Parker Fountain Pen of all time.

[baz666]

It would be interesting to know the greatest selling Parker Fountain Pen of all time.

 

 

My money would be on the Parker 45 (nice pen)

 

Regards

Paul

[Glenn-SC]

It says that the 45 sold more units, but the 75 was a greater success because it was a hot selling pricier pen.

Now we're into the Number-of-units x Profit-Margin = Success-Rate

 

I wonder where the Duofold or the Vacumatic or the "51" would fall in those calculations?

[gvl]

If I remember correctly, the 75 is the best-selling Parker line of all time.

The pest selling Parker of all time?

Where did you hear this?

I find it hard to believe.

 

I have a flat top and like it very much, it is a very good pen.

 

According to Lih-tah Wong at parker75.com, the 75 was produced from 1963 through 1994 with over 10 million units produced. This figure probably includes fountain pens, ball pens, soft-tip pens and mechanical pencils. I do not know how many single model units other manufacturers have produced, but it would be hard to beat those figures. I do not recall where I saw or heard the superlative reference.

 

The figures for the Parker 51 well exceed this. According to Richard Binder, Parker is believed to have sold between 20 and 50 million “51”s; the exact number is not known because the company apparently stopped counting after the first 12 million!

 

 

[a aa]

Thanks to all who responded to my enquiry.

 

I don't mind small/slim pens at all. Some of my favourite pens might be considered to be small by present day standards: DuPont Classique, Waterman Gentleman, Sailor Magellan.

 

To summarise, is it fair to say that the early, flat top, US made 75 would be the one to go for?

 

 

[Joe in Seattle]

I drooled over the ciselle model when I was in high school, but wrote with Esterbrooks and Sheaffer student pens because that's what I could afford. A few years into my career I bought a Parker ciselle sonnet, but it cost much more than the $30 they sold for when I was in school. It has remained in my rotation for the last 25 years. Somehow the silver takes on a patina of warm comfort with wear. curious that.

[WendyNC]

Thanks to all who responded to my enquiry.

 

I don't mind small/slim pens at all. Some of my favourite pens might be considered to be small by present day standards: DuPont Classique, Waterman Gentleman, Sailor Magellan.

 

To summarise, is it fair to say that the early, flat top, US made 75 would be the one to go for?

 

As I'm sure you saw during your visit to parker75.com, there are two different types of section/feed combinations. The earlier feed, which was in the flat-top pens and some of the transition models, has the full-blown triangular, ribbed section and the straight feed, while the later models have the feather feed and the final version of the section has far less of the shaping and ribbing. Those feeds are not interchangeable, but, as far as I know, all the sections are interchangeable with all the barrels. Because the plastic section threads are the one real weakness of the things, there are more barrels out there than there are sections and swapping occurs. Therefore, simply buying a flat-top will not guarantee that you'll get the earlier US made section and buying a later model will not guarantee the final version French made section.

 

One is not better than the other, except for the aging factor, but rather a matter of personal preference. I own both and prefer the older, more shaped section, but I think that's mostly because it's what I had and used for many years, it's familiar, and as a result I didn't have to fiddle much to get the nib angle right for my use. If you prefer something rounder, go for a newer section.

[a aa]

Thanks for the additional comments. Are there any differences in use between the 14k US and 18k French nibs?

 

 

Thanks to all who responded to my enquiry.

 

I don't mind small/slim pens at all. Some of my favourite pens might be considered to be small by present day standards: DuPont Classique, Waterman Gentleman, Sailor Magellan.

 

To summarise, is it fair to say that the early, flat top, US made 75 would be the one to go for?

 

As I'm sure you saw during your visit to parker75.com, there are two different types of section/feed combinations. The earlier feed, which was in the flat-top pens and some of the transition models, has the full-blown triangular, ribbed section and the straight feed, while the later models have the feather feed and the final version of the section has far less of the shaping and ribbing. Those feeds are not interchangeable, but, as far as I know, all the sections are interchangeable with all the barrels. Because the plastic section threads are the one real weakness of the things, there are more barrels out there than there are sections and swapping occurs. Therefore, simply buying a flat-top will not guarantee that you'll get the earlier US made section and buying a later model will not guarantee the final version French made section.

 

One is not better than the other, except for the aging factor, but rather a matter of personal preference. I own both and prefer the older, more shaped section, but I think that's mostly because it's what I had and used for many years, it's familiar, and as a result I didn't have to fiddle much to get the nib angle right for my use. If you prefer something rounder, go for a newer section.

Edited May 23, 2009 by a aa

[welch]

"Are ther any differences in use between the 14k US and 18k French nibs?"

 

I have the 14K nib, and it is great. I doubt that the exta smidgin of gold-content matters; the overall condition of the nib is all-important.