why Made in France Parker 75 feel so flimsy/low quality compared to English and American?

[Hanoi]

I usually buy them in sets with both and pencil and ballpoint.  The mechanical parts don´t feel solid and there seems to be some play and looseness where the sections were fitted together.  

[Mercian]

Mine doesn’t.

 

OK, I only have one US-made 75 FP, one French-made 75 FP, and one French-made 75 BP…

 

 

…but the quality of construction is equally-superb across all of my 75s 🤷‍♂️

[thx1138]

I have dozens of 75's. I can see no quality difference between the US and French (Meru) made pens.

To my eye the gold plated 75's out of Meru are some of the finest workmanship I have seen.

I don't think I have a single UK made Parker 75. If someone has any information on production of 75's at Newhaven I would be very interested to read about it.

[TheRedBeard]

A bit surprised with the topic, too..

All my 75s (both US and French) have the same excellent build quality.

Moreover, I can say the same regarding the ones manufactured in mid/late-60s and early 80s...

 

[TheRedBeard]

6 hours ago, thx1138 said:

...

I don't think I have a single UK made Parker 75. If someone has any information on production of 75's at Newhaven I would be very interested to read about it.

I know about only one particular 75 model made in the UK:

it was Parker 75 Premier Noir - pretty rare model that nowadays fetches quite high price.. 

 

[PithyProlix]

No British 75s and nothing but fountain pens but 3 different US versions, 5 different French versions, plus 2 Premiers and they all seem the same quality, all in all. 

 

BTW, I recently received a silver plated Grain d'Orge CT 75 and, for my taste, it's the best looking 75 I have had so far. 

 

Also BTW: 75s often come up for sale here in Thailand so I suspect it must have been a popular pen here. Many of the French ones have USA nibs - perhaps they are replacement nibs but one would think replacement nibs for French pens would tend to be French since 75 production totally shifted to Meru, yes? Plus I doubt folks were replacing nibs very often. It makes me suspect that many of the French 75s here were manufactured with older stock nibs. 

 

5 hours ago, TheRedBeard said:

I know about only one particular 75 model made in the UK:

it was Parker 75 Premier Noir - pretty rare model that nowadays fetches quite high price.. 

 

I am trying to buy a Premier Noir right now. Now I'm wondering if it could be British. I should know more in a few hours. The nib is French but I have only got a good look at the side of the cap ring that says "PARKER". I'd be curious to know if the British one's nib is also made in the UK.

 

A final BTW: The 75-based Premier has become my favorite Parker model.

[TheRedBeard]

37 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

No British 75s and nothing but fountain pens but 3 different US versions, 5 different French versions, plus 2 Premiers and they all seem the same quality, all in all. 

 

BTW, I recently received a silver plated Grain d'Orge CT 75 and, for my taste, it's the best looking 75 I have had so far. 

 

Also BTW: 75s often come up for sale here in Thailand so I suspect it must have been a popular pen here. Many of the French ones have USA nibs - perhaps they are replacement nibs but one would think replacement nibs for French pens would tend to be French since 75 production totally shifted to Meru, yes? Plus I doubt folks were replacing nibs very often. It makes me suspect that many of the French 75s here were manufactured with older stock nibs. 

 

 

I am trying to buy a Premier Noir right now. Now I'm wondering if it could be British. I should know more in a few hours. The nib is French but I have only got a good look at the side of the cap ring that says "PARKER". I'd be curious to know if the British one's nib is also made in the UK.

 

A final BTW: The 75-based Premier has become my favorite Parker model.

Genuine 75 Premier Noir has to have "Made in UK" inscription on its band.

I don't know about nib . but I guess it should be either US or French one. Most likely 18K French one...

 

 

 

[PithyProlix]

10 minutes ago, TheRedBeard said:

Genuine 75 Premier Noir has to have "Made in UK" inscription on its band.

I don't know about nib . but I guess it should be either US or French one. Most likely 18K French one...

 

This page indicates there are both French and British Premier Noirs. 

https://parker75.com//Reference/75_Branches/Premier.htm

 

I was a bit late on the draw for this one and someone might have beat me to it. I will report back. 

[PithyProlix]

5 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

I was a bit late on the draw for this one and someone might have beat me to it. I will report back. 

 

Got it. Cap band says made in UK. Pretty excited because recently the Premier is the only Parker I have been collecting. I should have it in about two days. 

[thx1138]

Had look at my premiers last night and I found that both black 75 premiers were Newhaven, all the rest of them (BP, FP, AND MP's) were Meru made.

[PithyProlix]

17 minutes ago, thx1138 said:

Had look at my premiers last night and I found that both black 75 premiers were Newhaven, all the rest of them (BP, FP, AND MP's) were Meru made.

 

An FPN friend also purchased a Newhaven 75 Premier Noir today or yesterday. Maybe the Meru 75 Premier Noir is actually the rarer of the two. 😅

 

 

[TheRedBeard]

5 hours ago, thx1138 said:

Had look at my premiers last night and I found that both black 75 premiers were Newhaven, all the rest of them (BP, FP, AND MP's) were Meru made.

That is great  

If those UK-made 75s Premier Noir were NOS/uninked at the time you bought them?

[TheRedBeard]

4 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

An FPN friend also purchased a Newhaven 75 Premier Noir today or yesterday. Maybe the Meru 75 Premier Noir is actually the rarer of the two. 😅

Well... I may admit I have been unlucky enough having come across mostly French ones during last 2+ years...

Anyway, UK-made 75 Premier Noir is more rare than French one here in the UK...

 

[thx1138]

I have a couple of NOS 75 premier ballpoints somewhere. I will have to dig them out and see where they are made.

[thx1138]

Both BP's made in UK, no date code.

[PithyProlix]

8 hours ago, thx1138 said:

Both BP's made in UK, no date code.

 

Both Noir? 

[thx1138]

Yes, I have 2 Noir BP and 2 Noir FP Premiers.

[PithyProlix]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:30 PM, thx1138 said:

Yes, I have 2 Noir BP and 2 Noir FP Premiers.

 

I couldn't find a date code on my fountain pen. Do either of your two fps have a date code, please?

[thx1138]

No date codes on any of my UK 75 premiers.

[PithyProlix]

Getting back to the subject of the post, kind of:

 

The UK Premier Noir seems to have a resin cap and barrel and I presume the French one does too. It's about half the weight of my Premier Grain d'Orge. It even weighs less than my 75s. So, while I don't think it is a flimsy pen, I would understand if someone thought so.