I love classy black pens with shiny gold trim....
In the previous blog post, I mentioned that the pens in my Sonnenleder leather pen/pencil case were new(ish) acquisitions, so I thought I'd tell you a bit more about them today...
(~please click on images to enlarge~)
This is a Parker '95' anodized Black Matte fountain pen I bought from the good folks at Nikaido in Richmond (Steveston) last week. It's a gently-used second-hand pen, but it doesn't even have a scratch on it.
The '95' was only made for six years (1988 -1994) and was preceded by a similar Parker model called the 'Arrow'. The original price tag for the '95' was $55 USD, but I got my near-mint example for $24.50 CAD. My '95' was made in France and has the date code IL on its cap; this represents a manufacturing date of the 3rd quarter of 1993.
It's not a long pen, but it posts deeply and securely, and measures a nice 14 cm long when posted. Uncapped (nib tip to barrel end), it's slightly under 12 cm in length, so it's more comfortable for me to use posted, due to my hand size.
The total weight of this slender, painted brass pen is a mere 18 grams (with no converter or cartridge in place), with the cap weighing 9 grams. Although the cap is fully half the weight of the pen, I don't find the pen to be back-heavy when posted; I tend to hold my fountain pens slightly higher up the section, though.
Parker pens can be easily identified by their arrow-shaped clips (the first of which was patented in 1932). Unlike the Parker 'Arrow's smooth clip, the Parker '95' clip (above) is engraved with very fine feathers that add a degree of refinement to the pen. Both the '95' and 'Arrow' were considered entry-level pens, but the '95's engraved clip, dished painted cap and barrel ends, and stepped cap top make it the more elegant-looking of the two Parker models.
In addition to its lovely clip, another detail that drew me to pen was its unusual nib design. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary semi-hooded nib....
...but in profile, you can see that it's actually a tubular, wrap-around nib. The 23K gold-plated steel nib isn't marked with a nib width, but I suspect mine is a Medium. It's a smooth, wet writer, and I've had no flow/start-up issues with it so far. The pen takes a Parker converter or Parker's proprietary ink cartridges, but Aurora cartridges/converters will also work in it, I believe.
Above: My Sheaffer '100' ballpoint in glossy black lacquer with gold-coloured trim (top) and my Parker 'Jotter Premium' ballpoint in "Bond Street Black Gold".
The 'Jotter Premium' series came out in 2010 and was inspired by places in London, England. The line was discontinued several years ago, so it was a bit of a challenge to complete my collection; I managed to do it after I acquired the very last pen I needed (the one above) from Amazon.com last year. The Sheaffer was purchased from London Drugs via their website (www.londondrugs.com) and I was able to pick it up at my local LD branch a few hours later.
The Sheaffer weighs 29 grams and uses a twist mechanism, whereas the Parker weighs only 14 grams and uses a clicker mechanism . Both pens are handsome, reliable, smooth-writing ballpoints that I really enjoy using, both for the way they feel in the hand, as well as their classy yet understated appearance.
(photos & review by Maja)
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