Do you use a fountain pen?

[Robbo 27]

motco said:

This is what I meant - the asymmetry of the division in the nib tip.



I'd be miffed if it had cost £30 but at less than £2 how can I do more than simply comment?

Bloomin 'Eck.


For others who may not have spotted this, the top of the nib has a small amount more tipping on one side of the slit than the other, I dont think that it will have an effect on the performance of the nib.

I admire your diligence in discovering this, you have an eye for detail.

[Moonshiner]

Hoping for a little help identifying the pens in this job lot I've bought, my thoughts, with my limited knowledge, are from left to right...

1x Parker jotter ballpoint, 2x Vector, 1x jotter fountain, 1x parker 45 chrome, 1x parker 95 chrome, 1x parker 45 gold trim, 1x parker 51, 1x parker 61 and finally 1x parker 45? Any help is greatly appreciated

[ClockworkCupcake]

Nice little job lot! Did you get that in an auction / house clearance / antiques fair?

[Moonshiner]

Auction just hoping someone in the know can help me with the different models, I've had a go but not sure if correct !

[Robbo 27]

Moonshiner said:

Hoping for a little help identifying the pens in this job lot I've bought, my thoughts, with my limited knowledge, are from left to right...

1x Parker jotter ballpoint, 2x Vector, 1x jotter fountain, 1x parker 45 chrome, 1x parker 95 chrome, 1x parker 45 gold trim, 1x parker 51, 1x parker 61 and finally 1x parker 45? Any help is greatly appreciated

Hi Moonshiner

Nice lot

1 A better pen than a Jotter, this is The Parker Classic

2 Vector

3 Vector

4 15, sometimes called a Jotter

5 Parker 45

6 It could be a Parker 95, I need to see the nib, also could be the Arrow, or 88 or a Rialto

7 Parker 45

8 Parker 51, I thought at first that the cap was wrong, from a different model but I am not so sure. Perhaps see if it fits properly, might even be marked 51, there is a slight risk that it is a Parker 21, you need to remove the barrel and see what is written. If you want to post a pic then i am happy to help.

9 Parker 61, if it still has the dart/arrow on the nib section you have done well. all the other pens are as solid as they come, the 61 is more delicate, susceptible to cracks and leaks, but a good one will write better than all the rest of the pens.

10 Parker 45.

If you need any help in getting them working dont hesitate to ask.

There is a brilliant site in helping you identify Parkers,

http://parkerpens.net/

Edited by Robbo 27 on Thursday 23 March 17:38

[Moonshiner]

Thanks a lot Robbo! In regards to the possible Parker 95? does this help at all...


I will take a note of the website you've provided, it will come in useful i'm sure
As to the condition of the items, I will have to wait and see as they're not in my possession as of yet, so fingers crossed!

[Robbo 27]

Moonshiner said:

Thanks a lot Robbo! In regards to the possible Parker 95? does this help at all...


I will take a note of the website you've provided, it will come in useful i'm sure
As to the condition of the items, I will have to wait and see as they're not in my possession as of yet, so fingers crossed!

Yes, its the 95, the best of the options and underrated, future collectors item.

Come back and tell us how you get on.

Almost certainly they will all need a good flush through, the most thorough way of doing this is to use a rubber ear bulb such as this set on ebay for 99p including mailing.

UK chemists typically charge around £5 for 1.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/301851698072?lpid=1...

[Exige77]

No suggestions then for where the "G" in Platignum came from ?

Up until Platignum (Mentor then) the nibs on fountain pens were made from gold or other precious metal which only the wealthy could afford.

Steel was no good as it went rusty.

The founder of the company (forgot his name, sorry) was very interested in this new material some American shaver company was using for their blades. Stainless Steel.

He duly made an arrangement to buy this material and use it to make nibs.

As already mentioned, They tried to register the brand "Platinum" but as the nibs weren't made from Platinum they changed the name slightly and put the "G" from Gillette in the there. I was supposed to be a silent "G".

[Moonshiner]

Robbo 27 said:

Moonshiner said:

Thanks a lot Robbo! In regards to the possible Parker 95? does this help at all...


I will take a note of the website you've provided, it will come in useful i'm sure
As to the condition of the items, I will have to wait and see as they're not in my possession as of yet, so fingers crossed!

Yes, its the 95, the best of the options and underrated, future collectors item.

Come back and tell us how you get on.

Almost certainly they will all need a good flush through, the most thorough way of doing this is to use a rubber ear bulb such as this set on ebay for 99p including mailing.

UK chemists typically charge around £5 for 1.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/301851698072?lpid=1...

Thanks very much, pleased that it's a 95, will be sure to post again with the outcome

[Vroom101]

Exige77 said:

No suggestions then for where the "G" in Platignum came from ?

Up until Platignum (Mentor then) the nibs on fountain pens were made from gold or other precious metal which only the wealthy could afford.

Steel was no good as it went rusty.

The founder of the company (forgot his name, sorry) was very interested in this new material some American shaver company was using for their blades. Stainless Steel.

He duly made an arrangement to buy this material and use it to make nibs.

As already mentioned, They tried to register the brand "Platinum" but as the nibs weren't made from Platinum they changed the name slightly and put the "G" from Gillette in the there. I was supposed to be a silent "G".

How strange! You'd think a company would be able to come up with a new name, rather than just plonk a letter in the middle of a word!

[AlexC1981]

We have a monthly meeting at work where I have to talk through costs for the projects I am involved in with various company directors and the MD. I don't relish talking in front of groups and at some point I look down and notice the Hero 616 has somehow managed to splatter ink over the white boardroom table

First time it's ever done that and I had been using it all day. Luckily Quink Washable Blue wipes off easily with a bit of water and washing up liquid. Perhaps I'll choose something safer next month, like a pencil.

[SystemParanoia]

AlexC1981 said:

We have a monthly meeting at work where I have to talk through costs for the projects I am involved in with various company directors and the MD. I don't relish talking in front of groups and at some point I look down and notice the Hero 616 has somehow managed to splatter ink over the white boardroom table

First time it's ever done that and I had been using it all day. Luckily Quink Washable Blue wipes off easily with a bit of water and washing up liquid. Perhaps I'll choose something safer next month, like a pencil Dip Pen.

Live dangerously!

[AlexC1981]

Next month I won't answer any questions, I'll just sit there holding my pen and glaring at them like this.

[JiggyJaggy]

Was messing around with my iPhone earlier and took this cool pic of my new Porsche TecFlex Fountain Pen. If you click on the image and enlarge you can see the individual strands in the gold/steel weave. Loving this pen!

[Robbo 27]

AlexC1981 said:

We have a monthly meeting at work where I have to talk through costs for the projects I am involved in with various company directors and the MD. I don't relish talking in front of groups and at some point I look down and notice the Hero 616 has somehow managed to splatter ink over the white boardroom table

First time it's ever done that and I had been using it all day. Luckily Quink Washable Blue wipes off easily with a bit of water and washing up liquid. Perhaps I'll choose something safer next month, like a pencil.

I have had Hero 616s in the past and they have all had this problem. I have even been writing with them, lift the pen an inch of the page and see the blob of ink form and drop on the page, then go back to writing normally. I dont think it is a fixable problem, or at least, not worth fixing.

Thankfully your pen was filled with Parker Washable ink, if it had been some Diamine inks then the stain would have been much harder to remove.

I dont know about you but I cannot live with a pen that doesnt do its job, mine went in the bin, life's too short.

Edited by Robbo 27 on Friday 24th March 07:00

[wong]

Exige77 said:

No suggestions then for where the "G" in Platignum came from ?

Up until Platignum (Mentor then) the nibs on fountain pens were made from gold or other precious metal which only the wealthy could afford.

Steel was no good as it went rusty.

The founder of the company (forgot his name, sorry) was very interested in this new material some American shaver company was using for their blades. Stainless Steel.

He duly made an arrangement to buy this material and use it to make nibs.

As already mentioned, They tried to register the brand "Platinum" but as the nibs weren't made from Platinum they changed the name slightly and put the "G" from Gillette in the there. I was supposed to be a silent "G".

And to confuse things further, there is a Japanese Pen Co. called Platinum

[Exige77]

wong said:

And to confuse things further, there is a Japanese Pen Co. called Platinum

Yup, there was a court case in 1990's in China about that.

[AlexC1981]

Robbo 27 said:

I have had Hero 616s in the past and they have all had this problem. I have even been writing with them, lift the pen an inch of the page and see the blob of ink form and drop on the page, then go back to writing normally. I dont think it is a fixable problem, or at least, not worth fixing.

Thankfully your pen was filled with Parker Washable ink, if it had been some Diamine inks then the stain would have been much harder to remove.

I dont know about you but I cannot live with a pen that doesnt do its job, mine went in the bin, life's too short.

Edited by Robbo 27 on Friday 24th March 07:00

I bought a Jinhao 911 to replace it, but the black plastic and brushed steel with a squared off end isn't as nice as the smooth curvy all plastic 616 in teal and the balance isn't the same. I'll just have to splash out for a Parker 51 eventually.

It's funny how you can gel with something even though it isn't particularly logical. My two favourite pens to use are my Parker Classic and Jinhao 159, despite one being very fat and the other very thin. My Cross Century has a similar profile to the Parker Classic, yet doesn't get a look in for some reason.

[ClockworkCupcake]

I've been very impressed with all of my Jinhao pens so far, but less so with the Hero ones. The Hero pens really do feel cheap and nasty.

[Robbo 27]

ClockworkCupcake said:

I've been very impressed with all of my Jinhao pens so far, but less so with the Hero ones. The Hero pens really do feel cheap and nasty.

The Jinhao brand is the only Chinese brand I recommend to people, there is another make called Kaigelu (chinese interpretation of the word kagaroo) that gets good reviews but they are 10x the price of the Jinhao range and at that money you have other options to consider.

I was talking to an expert on China Trade recently and she thought that the days of these impossibly low prices on pens was coming to an end when or if the Chinese government stops subsidising the shipping costs and inflation/prosperity becomes a fact of life in China.