Mini-Collections and Under-appreciated Pens: The Parker Sonnet

February 24, 2021

I’m making more of an effort to sort and organize my pen collection these days. After a decade in the hobby, I’ve accumulated a lot, with varying degrees of intention. While I’m far from a single-purpose collector - for example, I don’t have a specific pen or brand that I collect exclusively - I do have several major themes around which I’ve build an eclectic group of pens. I’ve written about a few of these before: I have a soft spot for “near-vintage” Waterman, as well as celluloid pens in general. Neither is a particularly surprising focus for someone seriously into fountain pens, and wouldn’t appear out of place at a pen show or meetup. What is surprising, however, even to me, is the extent to which I’ve built up “mini collections” of under-appreciated pens that don’t attract much attention as everyday writers, much less the focus of collections. One such pen is the Parker Sonnet.

I currently only have three Sonnets in my personal collection, though I’ve owned many more. Why do I like this pen so much? For one thing, I consider the Parker Sonnet to be a modern classic. It’s been around for decades now, and the shape recalls the vintage Parker Vacumatic Majors from the 1930s. Vintage Vacumatics are among the most comfortable pens to write with - they fit the hand well when posted, as does the modern Sonnet. While Parker (rightfully) has taken flack over the years for allowing quality control to slide, a properly tuned Sonnet nib makes for an exceptional everyday writer, and the most recent Sonnets I’ve acquired have written perfectly out of the box. (I will note that these have been the gold-nib versions. I cannot speak to the steel.)

Sometimes a brand’s heritage isn’t immediately obvious. Parker has never “reissued” the Vacumatic - at least not to my knowledge - but a similar writing experience lives on in the Sonnet.

Building on the piece I wrote last week, which offered my first impressions of Parker’s recently released “Next Generation” Parker 51, I do believe that the level of vitriol directed at the modern Parker Pen Company is unwarranted and unfair. Sure, much of it can be written off as your typical internet snark, but even setting that aside, people really seem to relish hating Parker, and hold it to a much higher standard than other companies. For example, I’ve not found Parker nibs to be less reliable than those released by Visconti, which often charges twice as much money. A Parker Sonnet with a gold nib will run you anywhere from $250-400, with the higher end of that price range covering the chiseled sterling silver models. Even if you factor in $20-25 for a nib tuning, I have a hard time viewing the Sonnet as a bad value, especially given that you can often find them on sale or the secondary market. Hunting Sonnets at pen shows can be especially rewarding, as many people pass them up in favor of trendier pens and vendors are often willing to unload them at a discount. (Side Note: A few years ago, I criticized Parker for trying to push up the retail price of the Sonnet to its current level. Given the degree to which pen prices have risen industry-wide over the past five years, this was hasty and probably unfair. A gold nib Sonnet is less expensive than many steel-nib pens these days.)

Currently, the Parker Sonnets in my collection include two pens from the now-discontinued “Great Expectations” special edition series: the “Subtle Big Red,” which I previously reviewed, and another matte black version which I believe was called “Secret Shell Black.” Just recently I also added the “SE18 Journey Blue” pen to my collection, which was the last one in stock at Appelboom and seems like it will make a nice companion to my Traveler’s Notebook. The extra fine 18k nib is sublime.

If I must say so, the blue “Journey” looks good on the blue Traveler’s Notebook!

I’m interested in hearing more about this concept of “mini-collections.” Do you all have any side interests apart from your primary focus (if you collect at all)? In addition to the Sonnets, I have managed to get my hands on all of the special Lamy 2000 releases (with the exception of the red one that cost like $18,000), most of the Lamy Studio special releases, and a handful of Leonardo Momento Zero Grandes. The fascinating part about this for me, personally, is that it was largely unintentional, and as I focus on paring down my pens going forward, I may see what happens if I do spend some time focusing more on the “collecting” aspect of the hobby and building out some of these interests. (While still using my pens, of course!)

The SE18 “Journey” edition spoke to me because I have a degree in international relations/foreign service, so while the etching might be considered superfluous or even “too busy” to some, I like it.

First Impressions: Hands On with the New Parker 51 Fountain Pen

February 20, 2021

It’s here! After much anticipation (and a few weather delays), yesterday I received one of the new Parker 51 fountain pens, which I first previewed in a (admittedly opinionated) post last year. I plan to review this pen in two parts: a “first impressions” post and a follow-up post after a longer period of use that will evaluate things such as build quality and reliability. While I of course will comment on how the pen compares to a vintage 51, please be advised that I ultimately plan to evaluate this pen on its own merits, as a functional writing instrument - NOT based solely on its faithfulness to the original design or from the perspective of a vintage pen collector looking for a modern replica. That’s never been my expectation for this particular pen, nor do I believe that Parker is targeting the vintage pen enthusiast market segment with this release. If that’s what you’re looking for from this pen, you will be disappointed (and in all likelihood have decided you dislike this pen already, without ever picking one up, so there’s no need to read further).

With that said, here we go!

First Impressions Out of the Box

I received a Burgundy/Chrome Parker 51 with a steel nib, which shipped from Appelboom in Parker’s standard pen box. While the presentation is nothing fancy, it’s quality packaging appropriate to the price point of this pen (approximately $109 USD MSRP / $89 USD street price). Visually, Parker has done a nice job recreating the look of the vintage 51, at least with the cap on.

Once you start to handle the pen, however, you immediately realize the various differences. Keep in mind that I have not had a chance to evaluate the more expensive gold-nib version, so I can’t speak to that particular pen. That said, the less expensive “Next Generation” Parker 51 definitely feels more akin to the “Super 21,” Parker’s lower-priced pen that sold alongside the Parker 51. While I would NOT say it feels cheap, the resin/plastic lacks the warmth of the original 51, which wasn’t unexpected since most pen companies have long since moved on from vintage materials to keep production costs down, especially at this price point. With only a day or so in-hand, there’s no way to evaluate long-term durability and the possibility of any brittleness, cracking, etc., which will require one or more follow-up reviews.

The most divisive aspect of the new design is Parker’s decision to incorporate a threaded cap in lieu of the traditional friction fit/clutch cap. While I think I prefer the vintage cap to the current design, I don’t consider it a deal breaker. (Certain well-regarded Wing Sung clones have also used threaded caps.) One concern I do have involves the combination of metal cap threads and plastic barrel threads, which already feel a bit gritty. Will metal-on-plastic wear the threads down over time? Possibly. Another thing to track.

The second most controversial design choice was Parker’s decision to go with a cartridge-converter filling system rather than a vintage-style aerometric or vacumatic filling system. I still don’t understand this critique, and have never considered it a realistic expectation for this reissue because Parker is a mass-market company that hasn’t made these filling systems in decades. While I enjoy vintage filling systems as much as anyone, cartridge-converter remains the standard for modern pen companies since the ease of use broadens its appeal, and the same mechanism can be employed across all of Parker’s various product lines. I also don’t see this particular point affecting sales of this pen. Vintage pen aficionados are going to buy vintage 51s. This pen is plainly intended for either (1) new customers or (2) those, like myself, who enjoy vintage-inspired design, and even the occasional vintage pen, but perhaps want something less “precious” to carry around with them and use on a daily basis.

Nib and Writing Experience

Finally, we get to the part that I care most about, and which pleasantly surprised me: the nib and the writing experience. One thing I love about the original Parker 51 is the ergonomics of the pen, which was designed with daily use in mind. While I don’t have a vintage 51 currently in my possession to do a direct comparison, Parker appears to have maintained the original proportions, and this pen is a very comfortable, balanced writer even with the metal cap posted on a plastic barrel. The medium stainless steel nib is also quite smooth - better, in fact, than the steel nibs on vintage Super 21s and 51 Specials (the steel-nib vintage 51s) I have had in my collection in the past. The pen wrote immediately out of the box, with no skipping or hard starting after I left it sitting overnight and picked it up again in the morning. While this seems unremarkable, it’s a common problem with many modern pens, including those that sell at much higher price points.

Honestly, I was prepared for this pen to be a scratchy, dry writer that skips and hard starts. It’s none of those things. This stainless steel medium nib writes a reliably wet, traditional medium line, so regardless of how you may feel about the “re… — Honestly, I was prepared for this pen to be a scratchy, dry writer that skips and hard starts. It’s none of those things. This stainless steel medium nib writes a reliably wet, traditional medium line, so regardless of how you may feel about the “reissue” aspect, this pen does what a pen is supposed to do.

Value

I can only offer preliminary thoughts here, since one component of value is quality and durability, and this is a “first impressions” review. Based on my experience so far, though, I don’t have an issue with the $89 street price for this pen, which is comparable to similar offerings by other companies. The inevitable comparisons will be to (1) buying a vintage Parker 51 on the secondary market; and (2) buying a Parker 51 “clone” from companies such as Wing Sung or Hero. So many different factors go into personal purchasing decisions that it’s not fruitful to comment extensively on either argument. I will say, however, that I find these to be apples-to-oranges comparisons. Someone looking to purchase this particular pen is not necessarily looking to buy vintage, nor should they drop $150+ on a vintage pen unless they understand the implications of caring for and maintaining a pen that hasn’t been manufactured in more than half a century. Yes, vintage 51s are remarkably durable, but they do break and wear out, and you’re on your own in terms of manufacturer and/or dealer support. With respect to the “clones,” I’ve had great ones, and I’ve had bad ones. I will say that now that Parker has resumed making modern 51s themselves, I personally would prefer to support the owner of the actual design rather than those who arguably are misappropriating others’ intellectual property.

Overall Takeaways

After years of declining quality control and less-than-exciting designs, Parker has made a sincere effort to turn things around and release better pens with more interesting designs. The last several Parkers I have purchased have actually been nice writers. (I have a few modern Sonnets and a modern Duofold in my collection.) Continuing this trend, the steel-nib version of the “Next Generation” Parker 51 pleasantly surprised me. Frankly, while I tried to be optimistic and was happy to see Parker take a risky move in reissuing this pen, I wasn’t expecting much. At the end of the day, however, they seem to have delivered, especially relative to my expectations, and if Parker continues with the “51” line and introduces new colors, cap designs, etc., they could really have something interesting on their hands. Granted, I’m not as emotionally invested in this as some people apparently are, which allows me to evaluate the pen on its own merits. I do believe there is a market for a modern 51: The reality is that vintage Parker 51s will start to age significantly in the coming years, and while they are quality writing instruments of exceptional durability and longevity, they won’t last forever. They will become more scarce, and more expensive to both purchase and repair. While the vintage pens will always have their fans, and many will settle for nothing less than the original, that doesn’t mean that Parker shouldn’t offer another option. Stay tuned for a follow up!

Editor’s Note: I understand that this pen has generated strong opinions. That said, we need to keep things in perspective and the comments civil. I actively moderate the comments on this site, and reserve the right to reject any comments that contain obscenities, personal attacks on other commenters, and anything which, in my discretion, crosses the line from civil discourse, polite disagreement, and even gently poking fun at me and my opinions, into trolling or general nastiness. That is not the community I want to build here. Thanks for your understanding.

Introducing the Caran d'Ache Léman Fountain Pen (in "Klein Blue" Lacquer!)

February 6, 2021

This morning I’m introducing the latest Caran d’Ache + Klein Blue collaboration product that’s made its way into The T.G.S. Curated Shop - the Caran d’Ache Léman Fountain Pen in the signature Klein Blue lacquer. I’ll confess - I’ve been more than a bit nervous in advance of this launch, as it’s my first foray into (1) stocking a limited edition fountain pen and (2) a high-end one at that, but after getting my hands on the other Klein Blue products I’ve fallen in love with this shade of ultramarine to such a degree that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

The Caran d’Ache Léman is, by most accounts, unfortunately overlooked by the U.S. community of fountain pen enthusiasts. Similar to pens from other European brands such as modern Waterman, S.T. Dupont, and Otto Hutt, which focus on a more understated design, the Léman tends to fly under the radar despite many characteristics that warrant closer consideration. Let’s take a look.

By today’s standards, the Léman is a moderately sized fountain pen, measuring 5.5” capped, 5” uncapped/unposted, and 6.25” posted. Proportions-wise, it feels similar in hand to the Otto Hutt Design 06 or the Montegrappa Passione, with slightly more heft and a longer section. The body of the pen is lacquered brass, so the Léman has some weight to it, but it’s balanced to the point where I personally did not have issues writing with the pen posted or unposted. Like the Otto Hutt Design 06, the section has a concave hourglass shape to it, though as I mentioned, the Léman’s section is longer and the shape less pronounced, offering a bit more room to adjust your grip on this pen.

The Léman comes equipped with a rhodium-plated 18k gold nib, which writes a moderately wet line with just a touch of feedback that I found pleasant. The cartridge-converter filling system accepts both the included Caran d’Ache converter, as well as short international cartridges.

The Caran d’Ache Léman fountain pen shown here next to the Otto Hutt Design 06.

The Caran d’Ache Léman Klein Blue Limited Edition Gift Set

I’m pleased to offer the Caran d’Ache Léman in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, in the limited edition Klein Blue finish. Due to the limited nature of this release, I was only able to procure two pens for sale, both with 18k medium nibs. Each pen ships in a gift box, with 50ml bottle of Caran d’Ache Chromatics limited edition Ultramarine ink. These are priced at $640 per set, which will include fully insured shipping. You can check out the rest of the Caran d’Ache + Klein Blue products I have available here.

Sales through the T.G.S. Curated Shop are how I plan to support this website going forward. As such, if I am posting information about a product I sell, that fact will be plainly disclosed, much as I disclose sponsor/affiliate relationships.

Accutron-Esterbrook-Camden-Collaboration

Accutron x Esterbrook Camden: A Heritage Brand Collaboration

February 3, 2021

What I refer to as “heritage brands” have taken off in recent years, and in the pen world, Esterbrook serves as the best example of a brand resurrection done correctly. While I certainly can’t speak for everyone, I’ve personally enjoyed both the Estie (Esterbrook’s first release), and the Camden (the second). This past year, Esterbrook has begun issuing both pens in special and limited edition finishes, and recently announced an exclusive collaboration with another heritage brand, watch company Accutron.

Those who follow the watch world may be familiar with Accutron, a line of watches formerly manufactured by Bulova and recently relaunched as a separate company by the Citizen Group. You can read more about both vintage and modern Accutron watches on dedicated watch sites such as Hodinkee, and the story behind the development of the technology is fascinating. Short version: Accutron watches bridged the gap between traditional mechanical watches and modern quartz watches, introducing a unique “tuning fork” movement that was one of the first mass-market electronic watches available. The vintage Accutron pictured here belonged to my father, and dates from the early 1970s.

Vintage-Accutron-Esterbrook-Camden-Comparison

To commemorate the release of the new Accutron watches, the company has partnered with Esterbrook and other American boutique brands to offer special release products that compliment the new lines, including a green Esterbrook Camden. While clearly an Esterbrook fountain pen (and marketed as such), the Esterbrook branding has been replaced by Accutron’s, including the Accutron “tuning fork” logo on the cap finial and engraving around the base of the cap.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As I noted in my original review of the Camden, Esterbrook fountain pens make excellent writers, and the Camden is no exception. The dark green color on this pen is stunning. That said, accessibility on this particular release will be limited. The Accutron Camden limited edition is priced at $295, approximately $100 more than the MSRP on a standard Esterbrook Camden, and from what I can tell, is currently available exclusively from Accutron dealers. Clearly, this pen is targeted towards the Accutron collector and enthusiast, and if you are looking for a fountain pen to match your new electrostatic Spaceview watch, the two will pair together nicely. Most interesting to me about this collaboration, however, are Esterbrook’s emergence as a higher profile presence outside the niche of fountain pen enthusiasts, and the convergence of the watch and pen communities. As a small-scale watch collector, I’ve always believed that pens and watches complement each other, and two companies with similar histories successfully embracing the overlap in their customer bases should generate a lot of excitement about similar collaborations in the future.

Disclaimer: I received the pen featured in this review from Esterbrook and Accutron for review purposes, free of charge. This post does not contain affiliate links.

First Impressions: Scribo Feel Fountain Pen

January 16, 2021

The other day I took an initial look at the line of inks by Scrittura Bolognese, otherwise known as Scribo, a new Italian pen company helmed by former employees of OMAS. The inks are quite good, both in terms of performance and presentation, and the Scribo ink bottle is one of the best designs I have used. But what about Scribo pens? Today, I offer my initial thoughts on Scribo's flagship fountain pen, the "Feel".

Scribo adopted the slogan "Feel the Writing," and while maybe a touch cheesy, it fits, because the Scribo Feel is an extraordinarily comfortable pen. Per Scribo's website, each pen is turned by hand from a single bar of resin, and features several well-conceived design touches intended to maximize writing comfort.

The body of the pen evokes a Doric column, fluted with twelve facets around the cap, grip section, barrel, and blind cap/piston. I found that the fluting/facets enhance my grip on the pen, giving me greater control over my writing. The texture is subtle, not sharp, especially on the section where it appears only at the end closest to the nib, allowing you to adjust the writing angle of the nib to your preference. While I would characterize the Scribo Feel as an oversized pen, approximately the same size as an Opus 88 Omar and slightly larger than a Montblanc 149, the contoured shape keeps it from feeling unwieldy. While I love both the Omar and the 149, I'd actually give the slight edge to Scribo in terms of comfort.

Scribo-Feel-Fountain-Pen-Scribo-branding

I have mixed feelings about the decision to engrave Scribo's slogan, "Feel the Writing," on the cap band. At the $500+ price point, I would have strongly preferred that Scribo simply continue the coin-edge band all the way around.

The Scribo Feel (center) compared against the Montblanc 149 (left) and Opus 88 Omar (right).

The major selling point for those contemplating a Scribo, however, is the nib. On its website, Scribo expressly states that the company fits its pens with "the same nib used by OMAS." While I've only owned two OMAS pens, and neither stuck because the nibs wrote far too wet for my taste, the 18k ruthenium-plated nib on this Scribo Feel writes perfectly. I knew up front that Scribo uses ebonite feeds, so I opted for an extra-fine which was the right call. Despite the fact that the pen is a wet writer, the nib still maintains a true extra-fine line on quality paper. Currently, Scribo offers two nib options: an 18k non-flexible nib in EF, F, M, and B; and a 14k "flexible" nib in the same sizes. I’m not a flex-nib person, so this was an easy choice for me.

The nib on my pen wrote perfectly out of the box. Towards the end, OMAS suffered from quality control issues on its nibs, and both of mine needed tuning badly. I've heard only good things about Scribo, however. Writing sample shown here is done on M… — The nib on my pen wrote perfectly out of the box. Towards the end, OMAS suffered from quality control issues on its nibs, and both of mine needed tuning badly. I've heard only good things about Scribo, however. Writing sample shown here is done on Midori MD Cotton Paper.

Finally, while I normally don't get worked up over packaging or promotional "add-ons" such as free pen sleeves or pen cases - most freebies that manufacturers throw in are cheap and don't hold up well to actual use - the Scribo Feel ships with a cotton and leather pen wrap that to me represents added value. It seems quite durable and may see some use.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If this pen is any indication, Scribo has a bright future and I look forward to seeing whether they release new models. While they have dabbled in other designs, including some extremely high-end limited editions and a collaboration with UK retailer Write Here, the Feel is the only standard model currently offered. Recently, Scribo has focused on expanding the range of materials and trim options in the Feel lineup.

I purchased the pen featured in this review from Appelboom Pens in the Netherlands. The specific model pictured here is the Scribo Feel in Grey-Blue with ruthenium trim, which retails for between $650-750. Like the OMAS pens that preceded them, these certainly are not inexpensive writing instruments, and the offbeat design may limit the appeal of this particular model. That said, the Scribo Feel is a well-built luxury fountain pen with a lot to offer, and compares favorably with competition from Aurora, Visconti, Montegrappa, Montblanc, and the limited edition offerings from Leonardo. Scribo is firmly on my radar and I plan to follow the brand closely in the year to come.

Disclaimer: I acquired the pen in question from Appelboom, using credit generated through the Appelboom affiliate program. The links in this post are NOT affiliate links, as I am moving away from an affiliate revenue model going forward.