Parker Premier-Monochrome Black

[perth]

I've had this pen for over a year. Bought at a Parker kiosk at a large department store in Bangkok.

Note: When there are 2 rating, the top is for my satisfaction, while the lower is for how much it could do, for that particular category. For example, I might be extremely satisfied with a stiff nib (5/5) but the lower rating would be (1/5) since it couldn’t flex at all. The ratings are not included in the final score.

 

Initial Impressions

Box and Instructions (5/10)

The pen came in a "deluxe" Parker box. Made of cardboard, it was fine. Not as good as one would expect from the price, but it was definitely better than a lot of other pens at a similar price point. The instructions weren’t exactly clear and have no meaningful text. A new user would not understand fully how it was to be filled and used. I didn't expect much from it, since Parker isn't known much anymore for being masters of their craft.

 

Aesthetics (17/20)

I loved the colour of the pen. The "charcoal"/dark grey colour was much more subtle and sophisticated than a flat black would have been. Plus, the texturing gave it a personal feel, since you would be able to very easily see your fingerprints on the matte, but slightly shiny surface. The nib was strange, as it seemed to change colour depending on the light. The first time I looked at it, I was quite disappointed at how light coloured it was; nearly a light grey which didn't exactly match the rest of the pen. In a different light, however, the nib was much darker, and more attractive as the black nib became the centre of attention when looking at the pen.

 

Parker's detailing was subtle, with nods to their heritage with the Parker Arrow on the nib, albeit in an abstract, modern form which I thought was very appropriate for the pen. The cap and barrel has a set of indentations throughout, at the top, cap ring, and the end piece which created a consistent and complete feel. The clip, however, looked as if it came out of nowhere. Instead of being placed next to the top "rings", there was a gap which ruined the consistency of the design.

 

Initial Feel (10/10)

The hefty pen had great balance posted or unposted. The step between the barrel and grip was very soft and didn't affect my grip. The surface was matte, yet had an element of shine to it. I have no idea what the grip is made of, but it felt very solid and did not heat up or cool down dramatically like a metal grip would have.

 

Filling (6/10)

A proprietary Parker twist converter was included. It worked fine, and seemed fairly high quality. Initially, I could not get the pen to write for more than a paragraph without it starting to skip, but I soaked the converter overnight and the problem went away. It didn't hold a remarkable amount of ink, but was still very reliable and fit well after the first fill.

 

Performance

Smoothness

(9/10) Satisfaction

(10/10) Rating

This pen is, to my experience, the smoothest nib I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. Being a broad-like medium, it was smooth to the point of seeming like a baby-bottom. But since it never skipped, I doubt this. To date, this and my Pilot Justus 95 sets the standard for smoothness that other pens are compared to. There is not a hint of tooth or scratchiness, and is one of my silent nibs.

 

Personally, the smoothness makes it somewhat uncomfortable when used on very smooth paper.

 

Flexibility

(3/5) Satisfaction

(1/5) Rating

There was the tiniest bit of line variation, which, coming from an 18K nib, was pretty disappointing but expected nowadays. However, the nib was already quite broad, so this didn’t affect the overall line width much. I could get more variation with a steel nib.

 

Flow

(10/10) Satisfaction

(7/10) Rating

Even without a breather hole, this pen has never let me down. I have never needed to re-trace a letter, even though the nib was smooth to the point that I thought it HAD to be a baby-bottom. The pen starts up every time I use it, up to 2 weeks, even though the flow is fairly moderate and not a gusher. It never skips, and lays down a solid line that dries relatively quickly.

 

General reliability (16/20)

I am greatly impressed by the reliability of the entire system. Since it’s a C/C, there’s not much that could go wrong. I’ve used the pen daily for months on end, including over 10 exams and countless essays. I am happy to report that the worst I have experienced with this pen was the initial hard start, which while worse than most other pens (I had to soak the converter to get a decent flow) the problem never came back. However, this is an issue, and the score has been assigned accordingly.

Construction and Ergonomics

Fit (6/10)

In general, the pen works as it should, with the exception of a less-than-sturdy cap. It doesn’t close with a satisfying click, and can easily make a full turn with minimal effort. This makes the score lower than for the rest of the pen, in terms of how components fit.

 

Clip (6/10)

The clip is stiff, but slides on pockets easily and stays there. However, the placement of the clip on the cap is an aesthetic issue, which detracts from the otherwise solid score. The matte finish was rather different, and felt finer than the rest of the pen.

 

Posting (9/10)

The pen posts very comfortably, although the balance does hint at a change towards the rear. This is barely an issue due to the fact that the cap itself isn’t that heavy compared to the pen, and it posts quite deep.

 

Miscellaneous (Extra thoughts)

Value for money (8/10)

From my usage, it’s a pen that works when you need it to. The design is sleek and modern, and much more interesting than the rest of the Parker line. I bought this pen on discount, for about $290, in my local currency. For what I’ve paid, I’m not disappointed at all.

 

Innovation (3/5)

Parker isn’t exactly being innovative, given the C/C system and a lack of stunning design features. However, a new and somewhat original design was a surprise, since most Parkers since then have been reissues of the same, overused Sonnet/IM/Urban ranges.

 

Image and Advertising (1/5)

It’s fairly unknown on the internet, and doesn’t seem to have an interest or following even though the Parker website uses features it quite a lot. In my country, it was virtually unknown, since at the time of my purchase, the 5^th Technology was being heavily marketed.

 

Buying experience (2/5)

The experience was pretty standard. Although there was no issues, the saleswoman didn’t seem to prioritise a $400 pen over another customer trying out a Jotter ballpoint.

 

Total (111/150)=74%

Although this pen has a rather average score, I do love writing with it. It’s been a workhorse for me, and the nail of a nib performs accordingly. The pen lacks in the finer details, such as the positioning of the clip and the fact that the converter was anything but flawless when I first got it.

 

I have gone through many exams with this pen, and it has some nostalgic value to it. This is also the pen that had a fountain pen hater rethink his position on the whole issue. It’s quite an humble pen, but it’s served me well and will continue to do so in the years to come.

 

[usk15]

Good review and nice pictures.

It look very sleek and modern, but i don't like the price range.

[The Blue Knight]

Great review, just the right amount of detail.

[perth]

Good review and nice pictures.

It look very sleek and modern, but i don't like the price range.

Thank you. You are right in that the price is on the higher side for what it's offering.

Great review, just the right amount of detail.

Thank you!

[mallymal1]

I like the fact that you have been using this pen for a year, and then given us a review.

 

Excellent.

 

Thank you very much.

[perth]

I like the fact that you have been using this pen for a year, and then given us a review.

 

Excellent.

 

Thank you very much.

Haha, I've actually just come around to writing reviews. I'm hoping to have at least a period of 3 months before I review a pen, but since I've been a bit late cataloguing my collection, quite a few of them are candidates. Thank you!

[4lex]

Thanks for the review. You are not the only one that does it but I can never understand why test or rate a nib for flexibility if it is not a flex or semi flex nib. Its a bit like testing the car for flying.

[Dr. Saleem Ali]

Thanks for ur nice review.I didagree with ur comment on the clip.The pen is well-designed .Its quite hefty and high-priced wherever I tried to buy.

[ericlevine]

Nice review. I looked at the Luxury Brown edition but it was too high priced. When I saw it online for only around $250 I jumped. That was closeoout since they revamped the design, putting in a screw cap and sleeking the shape.

 

After 9 months use, the cap is still tight and doesn't wander. Possibly lucky.

 

The one thing I don't agree with is the separation of the clip from the top rings. I prefer that look of separate elements and think that was very deliberate.