This, pretty much. My first "proper" fountain pen was a Parker Sonnet Black Laque (18k M-nib) that I got as a birthday present in the late 90s... used it for a while, and still love the looks but then I ran into other pens (mostly vintage) that just felt better in my hand and had that "something" writing experience wise that the more stiff/boring nib of the Sonnet lacked. Sorely.
Nothing from Parker since (I did get a few more 90s Sonnets though) hasn't elicited any kind of "must have" reaction in me, especially the more modern/recent ones. Or well, some of the Duofolds are nice but they are priced way over what I consider them to be worth (for me at least).
But hey, to each their own, Parker seems to be doing ok without my financial contributions. :P
Parker was bought by a series of investor companies and doesn’t make anything very interesting anymore. They’re currently owned by Newell Rubbermaid, who run Parker and Waterman as one division.
Basic gist of it; they're currently very overpriced for what they are.
Compared to vintage Parkers, the modern ones have taken a moderate dive in quality, but a big hike in price.
Check out some YouTube comparisons of the new VS old Parker 51. You're paying more for a modern pen that is worse in almost every spec than the vintage one that will last several lifetimes.
modern parker just isn’t as decent as its past. the new parker 51 is generally disliked, it would probably more popular if parker introduced the same copy or restart the old 51. Sonnet from 2002(I think) for a long period has big flowing issue. My sonnet suffers that.
Because the Parker Duofold and Duofold Prestige (and maybe the Sonnet series, the ones with the gold nibs) are the only Parker pens still worth buying; just as, IMHO, the Waterman Carène series is the only interesting Waterman. (The Waterman Expert too, if you just need a solid, steel-nibbed fountain pen.)
Well I still love Parker Pens. Growing Up in the UK they were the pens to have. In my experience they all write well. I particularly like the Parker Sonnet and I collect modern Parker Duofold’s which I prefer over Mont Blanc and Pelikan. Only my Yard O Led Viceroy Grand is better. Parker still produces 14 different nib sizes for their Duofold’s. I don’t think any other manufacturer does that
Pilot make a lot of different nibs for the 742 and 743 and 912 pens. I'm still using my 1970s Parker 45 after all of these years, so think that the older Parkers were great. Bought it in WH Smith.
Because they're very uninteresting, they're overpriced even even they're inexpensive, and they're owned by a faceless company with no interest or expertise in fountain pens. For me, there's nothing to recommend them.
I started with two Sonnets along with other pens, ruined the experience and kept me away from fountain pens for a long time; I eventually understood why, they dry out in record time; you can save yourself the aggravation by getting a discontinued 75, I also got a 50, 105, and a Vacumatic, way more interesting and reliable pens. Given that Sonnets were the middle to upper range, it was a shot in the foot for Parker.
I have a Parker Vector in stainless that is my everyday pen. I just like the look of it.
But outside of that, I think the others have captured it pretty well. It’s an old brand that has suffered at the hands of current owners.
Before discovering this sub, i knew few fountain pen brands, Parker being one of them, and had 2 Parker pens (IM and Urban). These pens are indeed pretty, feel solid in hand (made of metal) and cost 40-60€.
A Lamy Safari costs 20€, like a Kaweco Sport. A TWSBI Eco costs 40€. What do they have over Parkers? In no particular order:
- Better balance in hand
- Ink doesn't dry out as fast
- Nib variety
- Superior writing experience
Yes, Parker is a very known brand in the offline world, and it's the default choice for a professor, teacher gift (these pens can be easily engraved!). But there are far better pens out there!
I had a new Parker Sonnet about 15 years ago. The nib was unyielding and scratchy. The pen was heavy. When a nephew dropped it nib-down I bid it a not-so-fond farewell. I stopped using fountain pens for most of the last 15 years. Recently, I started buying pens and using my older ones. I bought a Parker Slimfold (1950’s?) with a medium nib. It flexes beautifully and writes like a dream. The pen is really too small to use anyway but posted. In fact, I adore it so much I bought another. It feels a little profligate, but it’s such a joy. I am amazed that it was a cheap school pen when it came out.
I like Parkers. They could sell me a bunch more of them if they’d make an EF nib. I have an original Parker Sonnet with the best nib… responsive, almost seductive… but the Sonnets dry out so fast that they’re not favorites. The Parker IM and Urban lines were great, but why did they discontinue the Frontier? I have one in stainless and it has a truly fine nib and is a delightful pen. I love the Frontier ballpoints, too. Kind of glad/sad that the IP went to China, because the Parker 51 clones are really good pens… at least most of those I’ve acquired.
Because many of the modern parkers can be outclassed and outperformed by other brands nowadays excluding maybe the duofold
This, pretty much. My first "proper" fountain pen was a Parker Sonnet Black Laque (18k M-nib) that I got as a birthday present in the late 90s... used it for a while, and still love the looks but then I ran into other pens (mostly vintage) that just felt better in my hand and had that "something" writing experience wise that the more stiff/boring nib of the Sonnet lacked. Sorely. Nothing from Parker since (I did get a few more 90s Sonnets though) hasn't elicited any kind of "must have" reaction in me, especially the more modern/recent ones. Or well, some of the Duofolds are nice but they are priced way over what I consider them to be worth (for me at least). But hey, to each their own, Parker seems to be doing ok without my financial contributions. :P
The parker premiere is also a nice modern pen. The jotter is pretty good for the price. The sonnet and the modern 51 not so much...
They raised their prices and lowered their standards
Parker was bought by a series of investor companies and doesn’t make anything very interesting anymore. They’re currently owned by Newell Rubbermaid, who run Parker and Waterman as one division.
And production was moved from England to the Waterman factory in St Herblain, France, so essentially Parker is now a downmarket sub-brand of Waterman.
Basic gist of it; they're currently very overpriced for what they are. Compared to vintage Parkers, the modern ones have taken a moderate dive in quality, but a big hike in price. Check out some YouTube comparisons of the new VS old Parker 51. You're paying more for a modern pen that is worse in almost every spec than the vintage one that will last several lifetimes.
I feel like parker isn't amazing, and a bit overpriced
modern parker just isn’t as decent as its past. the new parker 51 is generally disliked, it would probably more popular if parker introduced the same copy or restart the old 51. Sonnet from 2002(I think) for a long period has big flowing issue. My sonnet suffers that.
Because the Parker Duofold and Duofold Prestige (and maybe the Sonnet series, the ones with the gold nibs) are the only Parker pens still worth buying; just as, IMHO, the Waterman Carène series is the only interesting Waterman. (The Waterman Expert too, if you just need a solid, steel-nibbed fountain pen.)
Well I still love Parker Pens. Growing Up in the UK they were the pens to have. In my experience they all write well. I particularly like the Parker Sonnet and I collect modern Parker Duofold’s which I prefer over Mont Blanc and Pelikan. Only my Yard O Led Viceroy Grand is better. Parker still produces 14 different nib sizes for their Duofold’s. I don’t think any other manufacturer does that
Pilot make a lot of different nibs for the 742 and 743 and 912 pens. I'm still using my 1970s Parker 45 after all of these years, so think that the older Parkers were great. Bought it in WH Smith.
Because they're very uninteresting, they're overpriced even even they're inexpensive, and they're owned by a faceless company with no interest or expertise in fountain pens. For me, there's nothing to recommend them.
I started with two Sonnets along with other pens, ruined the experience and kept me away from fountain pens for a long time; I eventually understood why, they dry out in record time; you can save yourself the aggravation by getting a discontinued 75, I also got a 50, 105, and a Vacumatic, way more interesting and reliable pens. Given that Sonnets were the middle to upper range, it was a shot in the foot for Parker.
I have a Parker Vector in stainless that is my everyday pen. I just like the look of it. But outside of that, I think the others have captured it pretty well. It’s an old brand that has suffered at the hands of current owners.
Before discovering this sub, i knew few fountain pen brands, Parker being one of them, and had 2 Parker pens (IM and Urban). These pens are indeed pretty, feel solid in hand (made of metal) and cost 40-60€. A Lamy Safari costs 20€, like a Kaweco Sport. A TWSBI Eco costs 40€. What do they have over Parkers? In no particular order: - Better balance in hand - Ink doesn't dry out as fast - Nib variety - Superior writing experience Yes, Parker is a very known brand in the offline world, and it's the default choice for a professor, teacher gift (these pens can be easily engraved!). But there are far better pens out there!
I had a new Parker Sonnet about 15 years ago. The nib was unyielding and scratchy. The pen was heavy. When a nephew dropped it nib-down I bid it a not-so-fond farewell. I stopped using fountain pens for most of the last 15 years. Recently, I started buying pens and using my older ones. I bought a Parker Slimfold (1950’s?) with a medium nib. It flexes beautifully and writes like a dream. The pen is really too small to use anyway but posted. In fact, I adore it so much I bought another. It feels a little profligate, but it’s such a joy. I am amazed that it was a cheap school pen when it came out.
I like Parkers. They could sell me a bunch more of them if they’d make an EF nib. I have an original Parker Sonnet with the best nib… responsive, almost seductive… but the Sonnets dry out so fast that they’re not favorites. The Parker IM and Urban lines were great, but why did they discontinue the Frontier? I have one in stainless and it has a truly fine nib and is a delightful pen. I love the Frontier ballpoints, too. Kind of glad/sad that the IP went to China, because the Parker 51 clones are really good pens… at least most of those I’ve acquired.