Is it worth it? Parker offered me a 50% discount on a Sonnet Cisele

[Darthagnon]

I contacted Parker about getting a replacement lid for my Vector and Rubbermaid-Newell support basically said "Send us a photo. Oops, no can do, no spare parts. I can, however, offer you a special 50% discount on any of our subsidiary products." (This includes Parker, Rotring, Waterman, Papermate, etc. etc.) So I looked around, and their current top of the range, the Parker Sonnet Cisele fountain (gold/silver) is covered by the 50% discount offer, so could get one for 186.50 GBP. 

 

I believe the term is "grail pen". The discount is valid for a couple months. Is it worth it? Are modern Sonnets, especially the Cisele ones, good pens? Do they tend to hold value, e.g. is it resellable for no loss? Or should I just forget it? I've seen fake Cisele Sonnets from China on eBay for 10 GBP, and also have no idea if modern Rubbermaid Parker is still up to scratch... (I've been able to compare older and modern Vectors, where the older ones look just a little nicer/tougher).

[bunnspecial]

I only have one Sonnet, an older Moonstone one, but I have to admit to not particularly taking to it. The only modern Parker I like(and I REALLY like it) is the Duofold.

 

If it were me and I were in the market for a sterling silver Cisele pen, I'd hop on Ebay or one of the dealers and grab a 75. IMO, it's more of a classic than the Sonnet, is where Parker first debuted/originated that pattern, I think the nibs are better than the Sonnet nibs(opinion), and you can probably find one for half the price you've stated the Sonnet would cost you.

[Olya]

Imo modern Watermans are better than modern Parkers.

 

Yes, they belong to the same parent company and yes, the pens are fairly similar (sometimes even exactly the same, see: the long existing Waterman Allure/Graduate and the "new" Parker Vector XL), but in my (to be fair, limited) experience, Watermans are the better pens.

 

My main problems with Parker have been the by now famous dry out issues, which some Parkers have, and I have experienced this with their Sonnets and new IMs. Frankly, I find the Jotters and Vectors to be better, just too thin (and I don't like metal sections).

 

Waterman has the further advantage of using international standard carts, so several brands of carts and converters will fit.

 

You have some time to decide and ultimately the heart wants what it wants, but my advice is to go with Waterman.

[Darthagnon]

Thank you for the advice! Did some eBay searching, was enlightening.

 

I don't know anything about Waterman pens, but it's very telling if Jotters/Vectors are better (I have several). I guess appearance is something, and Cisele looks lovely; couldn't see any Watermans that looked comparable.

 

After looking around on eBay for a bit, the Parker offer is a lot less appealing. Vintage (i.e. superior to new) Parker 75 and Parker Sonnets in Cisele are easily available at or just below 186.50 GBP; guess that means Parker is selling new at 2x market value, and they were very quick to offer a 50% discount. Also means that, when the time comes, with a bit of searching, I can get a better deal on an older silver pen. I don't really need a new pen at the moment; don't use what I've got enough. Feels a shame to let the discount go to waste, but eh... No idea if it's transferrable; I'll ask (e.g. if it's just a checkout code), so maybe I could pass it on to someone else who would use it.