Premium Parker Vectors

[Alexandar]

Hello friends. I have recently purchased on eBay from seller in UK those two Parker Vector premium fountain pens. They came without box. The date code is N. and there isn't country of manufacture mark. Parker logo is Parker arrow, not the P with an arrow used in the beginning of this century by Newel Rubbermaid.I would like to know if those are genuine Parker Vectors or fake ones. If those are genuine, I would like to know the country of manufacture. Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Mark from Yorkshire]

From UK standpoint I would say fake. Looks more like a Fabre castle grip from photos or similar 

[Alexandar]

11 hours ago, Mark from Yorkshire said:

From UK standpoint I would say fake. Looks more like a Fabre castle grip from photos or similar 

It is Parker Vector, but I'm not sure if those are original Parker products or fake. According to date code they are made in either 2009 or 2019. If those are made in 2019, they are made in France or China. My Parker IM that I have purchased directly from the Parker Pen company with a discount because they couldn't repair some old pens does have date code, but doesn't have country of manufacture. I think that after 2011 when UK Parker factory was closed some Parker pens are made in China or India. That is probably the case with Parker Vector and IM.

Edited March 2, 2024 by Alexandar

[Mark from Yorkshire]

23 minutes ago, Alexandar said:

It is Parker Vector, but I'm not sure if those are original Parker products or fake. According to date code they are made in either 2009 or 2019. If those are made in 2019, they are made in France or China. My Parker IM that I have purchased directly from the Parker Pen company with a discount because they couldn't repair some old pens does have date code, but doesn't have country of manufacture. I think that after 2011 when UK Parker factory was closed some Parker pens are made in China or India. That is probably the case with Parker Vector and IM.

To be fair, I was looking at the cap. I suspect it is Chinese, going by what you have said. I thought the cap looked like the Fabre castle grip model. I forgot that Parker had, pens made under licence in India Luxor I think

[Alexandar]

3 hours ago, Mark from Yorkshire said:

To be fair, I was looking at the cap. I suspect it is Chinese, going by what you have said. I thought the cap looked like the Fabre castle grip model. I forgot that Parker had, pens made under licence in India Luxor I think

So we can conclude that those Vectors are genuine Parker products made in China. BTW, Vectors made under license by Luxor, India arie only Vectors in production. Currently Parker makes only Vector XL which is rebranded Waterman Alure that uses Parker cartridges and converters.

[Mark from Yorkshire]

The standard vector is or was still available in uk. 🇬🇧 WHSmith sold them. Looks like they may have finally discontinued them

[Alexandar]

6 hours ago, Mark from Yorkshire said:

The standard vector is or was still available in uk. 🇬🇧 WHSmith sold them. Looks like they may have finally discontinued them

I have sent an email to Newell brands with a question wether the classic Parker Vector is still in production and they have confirmed that it isn't in production. They have also said that the old stock is still available in shops and online. Parker pens made by Luxor are meant to be for sale only in India and Nepal, but they are available on eBay and they are good and inexpensive pens.

[inkstainedruth]

Did they say when they stopped production?  Because a couple of years ago I got what was supposed to be a French production re-issue (there were, as I recall, several different colors, and I got th purple one.  Don't like it quite as well as the Newhaven plant UK Vectors, but it's a decent writer.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Alexandar]

13 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Did they say when they stopped production?  Because a couple of years ago I got what was supposed to be a French production re-issue (there were, as I recall, several different colors, and I got th purple one.  Don't like it quite as well as the Newhaven plant UK Vectors, but it's a decent writer.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I didn't ask them, so they don't say... 

I too have black plastic french made Vector with date code IIIA and I share your opinion about it. I bought it in 2018 along with Parker Jotter fountain pen from 2001. I suppose the date code on the Vector is for 2012. So, it's safe to say that the production of Vector fountain pen stopped between 2012 and 2018. I suppose Parker is concentrating on more upscale pens like Urban and IM which from 2018 are sharing the same new nib.

[Alexandar]

I will have to correct myself. The classic Parker Vector is still in production. Here's the answer to my question:

Please kindly note that the Vector model in the classic version (and not only XL) is still being manufactured. 

 

Unfortunately as the Vector model has so many variations, it is difficult for me to provide you with a specific answer without the description of a particular model. The availability also may vary according to the market.

 

 

Very much hoping this information proves somehow helpful.

And about my two Parker Vector premium fountain pens they seem to be original Parker products made in France in 2009. According to other email those specific models were made till 2016. The Parker name is written as ParkeR, same as on other Parker Vector made in France purchased from stationery shop that is authorized dealer for Parker products. 

[Olya]

The Vector model is no longer produced, it has been discontinued a while ago (with the introduction of the "Vector XL" which is basically a Waterman Allure / Graduate?), it is not listed on their website

 

https://www.parkerpen.com/collections/?prefn1=writingType&prefv1=Fountain Pen&start=0&sz=48&initialCGID=parker-collections&view=product

 

At best it's still in production elsewhere, like the Frontier is still made by Luxor in India (I think).

[Alexandar]

33 minutes ago, Olya said:

The Vector model is no longer produced, it has been discontinued a while ago (with the introduction of the "Vector XL" which is basically a Waterman Allure / Graduate?), it is not listed on their website

 

https://www.parkerpen.com/collections/?prefn1=writingType&prefv1=Fountain Pen&start=0&sz=48&initialCGID=parker-collections&view=product

 

At best it's still in production elsewhere, like the Frontier is still made by Luxor in India (I think).

Well, I don't know what they are thinking with: The availability also may vary according to the market. Here in shops in Prilep, Macedonia there are a few Parker Vector ballpoints, but I think they are old stock. I think I saw several Vector fountain pens in shop in our capital Skopje a year ago, but I can't tell for sure if they are old stock too since the shop was closed. As for Luxor made Vectors and Frontiers, they are supposed to be for sale in India and Nepal only, but they are widely available on eBay. I think that epoxy coated Frontier from Luxor is the best Frontier and it's cheap.

[Olya]

16 hours ago, Alexandar said:

Well, I don't know what they are thinking with: The availability also may vary according to the market. Here in shops in Prilep, Macedonia there are a few Parker Vector ballpoints, but I think they are old stock. I think I saw several Vector fountain pens in shop in our capital Skopje a year ago, but I can't tell for sure if they are old stock too since the shop was closed. As for Luxor made Vectors and Frontiers, they are supposed to be for sale in India and Nepal only, but they are widely available on eBay. I think that epoxy coated Frontier from Luxor is the best Frontier and it's cheap.

That's old stock then, once gone, that'll be it. They are definitely no longer making it. I had one Luxor made Jotter and it's to date the only Jotter, which fell apart. Sample size minimal, but there it is.

[Alexandar]

It seems that the classic Parker Vector is really discontinued. I have found this thread on FPN from the end of 2022 with reply from Newell to my email:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/253904-parker-vector-a-classic/page/6/#comments