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Parker Big Red Centennial For $224 On Amazon


katerchen

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Take it over to Silberman Brown in downtown Seattle. He'll do the nib exchange for you if you want a B!

 

 

Thanks for the referral. I didn't state things well. I love the M and don't want to change it and normally I like B's in Jowo or Bock. It's closer to a B than then other M's so right in my sweet spot of what I like. So if some like likes a finer M they might want a F then this nib.

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Anyone know of a place in the DC/MD area that will do nun exchanges?

Maybe ask the Catholic church there whether they run such a programme? ;)

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Mine's in the mail to france for an XXF nib right now.

 

I'll take a pic when it gets back.

 

But rest assured the pen is gorgeous.

 

The fit and finish, and attention to detail are absolutely perfect. There's no rough edges or seams or anything anywhere, and the "imprint" on the barrel is heavy and clear and crisp as all hell.

 

The polishing on the nib and furniture is flawless.

 

It posts, but badly (stupid long). That is my only criticism. I'd have preferred it be a piston or button filler, especially at the $770 MSRP, but fore the $224 I paid, I'm fine with it.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Was just about to post the same. Honeybadgers should set up a camelcamelcamel price watch alert. :)

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I'm gonna have to wait a little longer, I just dropped $250 on a hidden stash of 10 pilot 14k #5 nibs, $170 on a custom eureka and am about to spend another $200-250 on custom grinds for a spencerian pilot metal falcon, XXF aurora optima and reverse architect MB 149.

 

Daddy's all tapped out until the end of the year :P

 

Unless someone wants to buy one and trade me for a Montegrappa nerouno duetto (same $700 MSRP, only inked once and /w box) :lol:

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I sent mine off yesterday arvo to Newell Brands (the local distributor for Parker), and it should be received interstate some time today. I've requested to swap to a Fine Italic nib, as my first preference if it's available, or otherwise an Extra Extra Fine nib. I've also included a sheet of writing samples comparing the out-of-the-box Fine nib with what I consider better nibs for my tastes and preferences. Let's see how long it takes for me to get my pen back, and what Parker will do for me!

Update:

Newell Brands sent me email acknowledging receipt of the pen within half an hour of physical delivery (as far as I can tell from the tracking information). That's great customer service.

It also advised that the nib option I requested is "custom and hand-made in France on demand", and the lead time is up to 3 months. OK, no biggie, and kudos for telling me upfront. I replied and asked which nib options are readily available for exchange (for Australian customers), and which ones are made on demand, so that I can report back on FPN where there has been lots of recent interest and discussion.

The answer I got was, "All our very high end pens require the longer lead time due to nibs being made on request in France. _...‹snip›... All the Duofolds and Premiers are made to order."

 

It doesn't make sense that if someone bought a Parker Duofold Centennial with an M nib wants to exchange it for an F nib will also have to wait up to three months for a new F nib to be made from scratch on demand in France, but oh well.

Edited by A Smug Dill

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I'm very much looking forward to some reviews of the needlepoint nib! And some comparative writing samples between it and some fine Japanese nibs.

Edited by Intensity

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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Anyone know of a US parker retailer I can work with for a new nib?

I purchased mine from AMAZON last year when they were offered @ $229; I merely called Parker USA asked how I could have the nib exchanged & they sent me a label (prepaid) for shipment to them. I requested the nib I wanted & it was then sent to France for the exchange & later returned to me; there was no question about where I had purchased the pen not any request for a receipt of same purchase. I found the process to be quite easy & would hope it would be so for anyone else purchasing one of these pens.

 

If you think about it, Parker has to know AMAZON is offering these pens for sale (how else would they obtain the inventory for sale?) & it might be why they are not making it a complicated process.

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Anyone know of a US parker retailer I can work with for a new nib?

Not if, by "new nib", you mean get a nib other than (regular) Fine or Medium out of the box after you make payment for the pen, or have the nib physically exchanged on the spot with a unit (other than Fine or Medium) already in the retailer's current stock. You're entitled to get the nib exchanged in accordance with Parker's nib exchange programme, but you don't get to dictate how that happens or circumvent Parker's process.

 

If you think about it, Parker has to know AMAZON is offering these pens for sale

I asked Parker's local distributor whether a pen bought from Amazon is eligible for nib exchange. The reply was in the affirmative.

 

Nothing prevents interested shoppers from asking Parker in the US the same question.

 

In any case, prospective customers in the US can order a pen directly from Parker, and there would be absolutely no question about eligibility.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I sent mine off yesterday arvo to Newell Brands (the local distributor for Parker), and it should be received interstate some time today. I've requested to swap to a Fine Italic nib, as my first preference if it's available, or otherwise an Extra Extra Fine nib. I've also included a sheet of writing samples comparing the out-of-the-box Fine nib with what I consider better nibs for my tastes and preferences. Let's see how long it takes for me to get my pen back, and what Parker will do for me!

 

Update:

 

Newell Brands sent me email acknowledging receipt of the pen within half an hour of physical delivery (as far as I can tell from the tracking information). That's great customer service.

 

It also advised that the nib option I requested is "custom and hand-made in France on demand", and the lead time is up to 3 months. OK, no biggie, and kudos for telling me upfront. I replied and asked which nib options are readily available for exchange (for Australian customers), and which ones are made on demand, so that I can report back on FPN where there has been lots of recent interest and discussion.

 

The answer I got was, "All our very high end pens require the longer lead time due to nibs being made on request in France. _...‹snip›... All the Duofolds and Premiers are made to order."

 

It doesn't make sense that if someone bought a Parker Duofold Centennial with an M nib wants to exchange it for an F nib will also have to wait up to three months for a new F nib to be made from scratch on demand in France, but oh well.

 

I doubt someone would have to wait for an M or F swap, since those are the standard production nib. I suspect the F nib that was in mine will go into someone else's.

 

I am really excited to try my needlepoint. And maybe I'll get an OBBB (I would prefer a reverse oblique OBBB though, when I try to rotate pens, I always seem to find outward rotation more comfortable)

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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fun to watch but I can't play this game... shipping to Italy is $128 to $144 depending on the pen finish... :wacko:

 

I don't know how Amazon.it prices products sold by Amazon, but it certainly looks like you can order the pen from Amazon.it with free delivery (on the basis of having Prime membership?) to Italy.

 

When I ordered the pen sold by Amazon US on Amazon.com.au, with "free delivery" because I have Prime membership, the price I paid was effectively Amazon.com's price in US dollars plus about US$7 in shipping, then add 10% Australian GST (Goods and Services Tax) to the whole lot, and then converted to Australian dollars. I also got about 5% "cashback" from a third-party scheme on the purchase.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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