Parker Vector, Unsung Hero?

[Hanoi]

Some of these Parkers are really interesting. I am sure I have seen them before online but never in the flesh. And that´s the hardest part but I do like older pens in general for their lightweight. The post 1990s pens are just super heavy, especially from established makers.

[alexwi]

The Rialto, being made of brass, is certainly much heavier than the vector. I have a rollerball and when I used it, I preferred it unposted, as the posting, being the same as the Vector's, is back-heavy.

 

There are modern pens that are light regardless of material.

 

Alex

[dojocho]

Vectors write like a dream but I do not use them since the grip is too narrow for my hands with a sharp barrel edge. Further, I do not recommend the plastic ones to my students because the barrels are prone to swift cracking if the grip section is screwed too tight. The SS version, however, is as tough as a tank.

I don't consider myself a collector, but I have a red one, still in it's original package. You can't just not have it.

 

grtz,

Hugo

[death89]

I know. It just makes me laugh. I saw lots of Vector Rollerballs with advertising on them. I wonder if someone makes them aftermarket? There's one with vintage Pepsi cans on it that I liked.

 

But I wouldn't want it if it's just someone printing a sticker and wrapping it around the pen barrel and cap.

 

Firstly another vote in favour of Vectors as a starter pen (by the time I'd finished school I had 3 Vectors (Black Calligraphy set plus a Navy and a brighter blue), a steel 15 (actually the remains of two pens, the demonstrator sections last longer than the black in my experience, but the barrels...), a Frontier Flighter and a Black Reflex. The Vectors are still with me now, a crack in the Navy threads has been glued and polished.

 

On the branding front, I used to work in the same building as a lovely gentleman who arranged those sorts of goods for companies as marketing materials and who gave me a fistful as a gift because I had spoken to him about pens in the kitchen. Many were unbranded Parkers, but a couple had a plasticky paint which I presume might be heat set on or something. They were very durable. The surprise which leaves me gobsmacked to this day is that there was not only a branded black Arrow GT and an engraved 95 Flighter, but a 95 Insignia with a BP logo on the clip (figures I guess and was easily removed with no damage, though I regret this a little now). Other branded Parkers gathered by myself or my family seem to use a similar plasticky paint or laser etching/engraving. I've never seen a sticker one from any brand.

[NumberSix]

 

Firstly another vote in favour of Vectors as a starter pen (by the time I'd finished school I had 3 Vectors (Black Calligraphy set plus a Navy and a brighter blue), a steel 15 (actually the remains of two pens, the demonstrator sections last longer than the black in my experience, but the barrels...), a Frontier Flighter and a Black Reflex. The Vectors are still with me now, a crack in the Navy threads has been glued and polished.

 

On the branding front, I used to work in the same building as a lovely gentleman who arranged those sorts of goods for companies as marketing materials and who gave me a fistful as a gift because I had spoken to him about pens in the kitchen. Many were unbranded Parkers, but a couple had a plasticky paint which I presume might be heat set on or something. They were very durable. The surprise which leaves me gobsmacked to this day is that there was not only a branded black Arrow GT and an engraved 95 Flighter, but a 95 Insignia with a BP logo on the clip (figures I guess and was easily removed with no damage, though I regret this a little now). Other branded Parkers gathered by myself or my family seem to use a similar plasticky paint or laser etching/engraving. I've never seen a sticker one from any brand.

 

So, what you're saying is, if I want that Pepsi Vector RB, it's probably well-made enough to have?

 

Don't tell me that!

[death89]

 

So, what you're saying is, if I want that Pepsi Vector RB, it's probably well-made enough to have?

 

Don't tell me that!

Is that what I said? Oops 😂

 

Edit to say, I can post pictures later of what happens when that plastic does start to wear if that helps!?

Edited July 1, 2020 by death89

[inkstainedruth]

 

So, what you're saying is, if I want that Pepsi Vector RB, it's probably well-made enough to have?

 

That would entirely your decision. Me? I don't do rollerballs, except for the black Uniballs I use for inking some drawings. But if there was a Coke a Cola Vector that was an FP I'd be going "Hmmmm... Do I have the budget for that?" (I'd also like one of the Batman pens, but not at the prices I'm seeing on the Bay of Evil...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[alexwi]

That would entirely your decision. Me? I don't do rollerballs....

Converting a rollerball Vector into a fountain pen's a pizza cake.

 

Alex

[death89]

I'd also note in the Vector's favour, I've nabbed one of the 16 cartridge, Teal Vector sets to give to my son once he's allowed to use it at school. Can't beat £7 at Tesco for something nice to start him off!

[gammada]

My last pen before I quit writing altogether (became a full digital drone), was a Parker Vector in SS guise. It was given to me as a gift in 2005 and the minute it ran out of ink, the minute I put it inside it's plastic box, and put it away inside a drawer never to see the light of day until 2013. When I finally put the pen out of its misery, I discovered that it came equipped with a slide converter, so I just bought a bottle of Quink, sucked some ink into it, and it wrote perfectly!

 

So yeah, here's another vote for this magnificent pen!

 

BTW I found the catalog for a big stationery wholesaler that has been around for many decades. Listed on it are some quite interesting Vectors like a special series dedicated to Mexico, an Americana edition, a lacque blue GT (I assume a Rialto), some Abstract, Digital and BW models, Geometric editions and some dedicated to Indian tribes of the US. Tomorrow I will find out if they still have stock of them.

 

Last time I went there, I scored some rare Parker 25 matte white pens, a Parker 15 black matte GT (UK made), and some pencils from various lines. Wish me luck!

[death89]

My last pen before I quit writing altogether (became a full digital drone), was a Parker Vector in SS guise. It was given to me as a gift in 2005 and the minute it ran out of ink, the minute I put it inside it's plastic box, and put it away inside a drawer never to see the light of day until 2013. When I finally put the pen out of its misery, I discovered that it came equipped with a slide converter, so I just bought a bottle of Quink, sucked some ink into it, and it wrote perfectly!

 

So yeah, here's another vote for this magnificent pen!

 

BTW I found the catalog for a big stationery wholesaler that has been around for many decades. Listed on it are some quite interesting Vectors like a special series dedicated to Mexico, an Americana edition, a lacque blue GT (I assume a Rialto), some Abstract, Digital and BW models, Geometric editions and some dedicated to Indian tribes of the US. Tomorrow I will find out if they still have stock of them.

 

Last time I went there, I scored some rare Parker 25 matte white pens, a Parker 15 black matte GT (UK made), and some pencils from various lines. Wish me luck!

Good luck!

[bajajoaquin]

I know this is a bit of a zombie thread, and I’m new here, but isn’t resurrecting zombies the hallmark of a noob?

 

My first fountain pen as a teenager was a stainless Vector 20+ years ago (more plus than I’d like to admit). It was stolen from work and I didn’t know the model so I searched on and off for one for years. I recently found them again and bought two. 
 

I have no idea if my “original” pen was nicer than current production, but I’m just as happy with them now as then. I think the simple, yet unusual, cylindrical design is a classic. 

[Olya]

7 hours ago, bajajoaquin said:

I know this is a bit of a zombie thread, and I’m new here, but isn’t resurrecting zombies the hallmark of a noob?

 

My first fountain pen as a teenager was a stainless Vector 20+ years ago (more plus than I’d like to admit). It was stolen from work and I didn’t know the model so I searched on and off for one for years. I recently found them again and bought two. 
 

I have no idea if my “original” pen was nicer than current production, but I’m just as happy with them now as then. I think the simple, yet unusual, cylindrical design is a classic. 

That depends on the rules and tone of a forum, many long time members here resurrect threads when searching for something and being in the same boat as a previous poster, it especially makes sense when a previous thread isn't very long.

 

Having the same topic 7x and in each 5 posts seems like a bit of a digital waste to me...

Like starting 7 notebooks on the same topic each containing 5 sentences or pages..

[NumberSix]

On 12/10/2020 at 10:31 PM, bajajoaquin said:

I know this is a bit of a zombie thread, and I’m new here, but isn’t resurrecting zombies the hallmark of a noob?

 

 

It depends on the thread, IMO. Something like this one is about a specific type of pen. Whatever it started as, it became a general discussion about the Vector. There's another one like it about the Parker 21. 

 

I would always prefer a thread like this one gets resurrected instead of a new one being started. Besides, a few months is nothing on a forum that has threads from over a decade ago!

 

Welcome! 😃

[Ferocity]

I've got a rollerball and a fountain pen vector, and I gotta tell ya... I'd be devastated if either of them went missing. 

Sad as it may be, my Parker Vector fountain pen was at one point MY ALL TIME BEST Most nicest writing fountain pen; FOR REAL. The rollerball is just a nice built in U.S.A. pen that I don't particular want to part ways with = )

[inkstainedruth]

I can see where a Vector might be too skinny a pen for some people (if they have large hands).  I certainly would not want to write "The Great American Novel" with one because even MY girly hands would cramp up.  

But for the people who sneer at them as being "school pens"?  Them's fightin' words.  
My Vectors are inexpensive little workhorses.  They come in lots of designs and colors, and are inexpensive (even the older ones).  Most of mine are UK production, with one or two that are US-made (still in the blister packs when I got them) and one re-issued French-made one (because purple ).  I even have a four nib unit calligraphy set (the shipping cost more than the set did).  

I do sort of draw the line on the prices for the more "desirable" designs/sets.  As in, it's a Parker Vector!  I'm not paying the prices I've seen on the Bay of Evil for a "Batman" or "J'taime" or the Looney Toons Tasmanian devil pen (although I did buy one for a friend a few years ago because, well, she NEEDED one  -- and also had lost the pen collection I didn't know she had, in a fire).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[FredRydr]

A Parker Vector was my first fountain pen decades ago.  Much more recently, I wanted another for nostalgia  and ordered one through Amazon.  With ink ready to go, I applied a bit of pressure on paper and it actually came apart in my hand.  The stamped threads were beyond hope and contributed to the crack in the soft plastic, and the Vector was proclaimed junk.  Either Vectors aren't made the way they used to, or my fond recollection is misplaced.  

[inkstainedruth]

YIKES!  

The only one where I've had any sort of problem with like that is my first one -- it eventually cracked at the threading (and I then discovered that the cobalt blue was apparently a rarer color.  That was partly why I bought the translucent blue rollerball (for which I think I paid a buck at a pen show a few years ago) -- to have a temporary replacement barrel until I could actually track down another cobalt blue one, or a another cobalt blue pen.  Although I had something similar with a $5 US 1980s Pelikano -- another pen that is probably looked down at as a "school pen").

In the case of that cobalt blue Vector, I was being sentimental -- it was my first "good pen" (after a couple of Parker Reflexes that both had the rubberized grip disintegrate on me).  And was the only FP pen I used for several years (a daily writer for my morning pages journal -- it didn't occur to me to use a fountain pen for anything else back then).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth