Genuine?

[eriksinea]

Hello,

 

I am new here, and my English is not that good, sorry for that.

 

I have bought 2 parker Jotter pens at Ebay, but I am wondering if these pens are fake or not.

The top is different to other Jotters I have.

 

The picture of the top I have attached.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Best regards, Erik

[nxn96]

The rounded top of the cap and stylized/cursive "P" imprint seem consistent with Jotters I have of reasonably recent vintage. I would guess this is genuine. Did it come with a Parker refill? If so, the combination of the two should suggest you've got a genuine Parker.

[Bearcat]

Just compared it to the Made in UK Jotter in my pocket and it looks good to me!

[FOX]

These pens only cost around $5 retail at office supply stores, why would anyone buy one on eBay?

 

Any why would anyone counterfeit a pen that only costs $5 for a real one?

 

[Joane]

Looks totally authentic to me.

[eriksinea]

Hello,

 

Wow, what an answers!

Thank you very much!

 

I don't know where to buy these for only 5 dollar.

 

But I am glad to hear that is it a genuine pen!

 

Regards Erik

[Silvermink]

Any why would anyone counterfeit a pen that only costs $5 for a real one?

 

Ask the people who counterfeit Heros...

[eriksinea]

But I've got still one question: since when has Parker changed the cap of the Jotter? Because my "old" Jotters all have another kind of cap.

[eriksinea]

Nobody?

[79spitfire]

The difference is in where the pen was made, UK ones have a rounded button with a P type emblem, USA made have a flat button with a recess and the arrow emblem.

[eriksinea]

The difference is in where the pen was made, UK ones have a rounded button with a P type emblem, USA made have a flat button with a recess and the arrow emblem.

 

Ok, thank you

[jgoodwin1]

The difference is in where the pen was made, UK ones have a rounded button with a P type emblem, USA made have a flat button with a recess and the arrow emblem.

 

Ok, thank you

 

Plus, USA Jotters had rounded clicker from 1954 to 1980 when it became stamped clicker until production shifted over to the UK in 1999. In 2006, the clicker became a rounded clicker with the stamped "p" on it. It is a genuine article you have.

 

For more information, you may be interested in the clips of various Jotters. 1954 Jotters had trough clip with rubberized body. 1956-57 Jotters had ballclip with flat clip. Thereafter 1958 to present Jotters had arrow clips like the one you have.

 

Main issue with Jotter clips is the tightness of the clip. If you have a thick shirt pocket, your clip will lose some of its tightness and eventually become loose when clipped to a thin shirt pocket. People have been known to clip Jotters to t hick notebooks, binders, thick coat pockets all help make the Jotter clip looser. Collectors prize tight Jotter clips as they search Ebay. Most preferred way of buying a collectible Jotter is at a Pen show when you can affix the Jotter to your thin shirt pocket to see how tight the clip is. Ebay pictures do not show the entire story as far as the tighness of the clip.

 

Finally, you will want to look at the bushing inside the clicker. Jotters from 1954 to 1980 had brass bushings which are yellow. Jotters made thereafter, including the 2010 Jotter have plastic bushings. Collectors like brass bushings.

 

Good luck on your Jotter!

 

James

[eriksinea]

The difference is in where the pen was made, UK ones have a rounded button with a P type emblem, USA made have a flat button with a recess and the arrow emblem.

 

Ok, thank you

 

Plus, USA Jotters had rounded clicker from 1954 to 1980 when it became stamped clicker until production shifted over to the UK in 1999. In 2006, the clicker became a rounded clicker with the stamped "p" on it. It is a genuine article you have.

 

For more information, you may be interested in the clips of various Jotters. 1954 Jotters had trough clip with rubberized body. 1956-57 Jotters had ballclip with flat clip. Thereafter 1958 to present Jotters had arrow clips like the one you have.

 

Main issue with Jotter clips is the tightness of the clip. If you have a thick shirt pocket, your clip will lose some of its tightness and eventually become loose when clipped to a thin shirt pocket. People have been known to clip Jotters to t hick notebooks, binders, thick coat pockets all help make the Jotter clip looser. Collectors prize tight Jotter clips as they search Ebay. Most preferred way of buying a collectible Jotter is at a Pen show when you can affix the Jotter to your thin shirt pocket to see how tight the clip is. Ebay pictures do not show the entire story as far as the tighness of the clip.

 

Finally, you will want to look at the bushing inside the clicker. Jotters from 1954 to 1980 had brass bushings which are yellow. Jotters made thereafter, including the 2010 Jotter have plastic bushings. Collectors like brass bushings.

 

Good luck on your Jotter!

 

James

 

Wow thanks for your explanation! I like this kind of information!

[Limenweim]

And I always thought Jotters are too cheap to make counterfeiting worth it! =P

[Joane]

I confess I laughed when I saw the subject of this thread, but I stand chastised. After reading a few posts I am totally impressed by the detailed knowledge of Jotter construction and design over time and by the respect accorded to this humble but venerable pen. I am also a Jotter fan, having about twenty of them accumulated over the years, and while I like the Duofold b/p for its heft and looks, I lhold the Jotter just as dear and they both use the same excellent refill.

[markc]

As I recall, the Parker Jotter was my first ballpoint pen. (Before that I used a pencil in school) I loved the way the parker wrote compared to papermates etc.. I used that parker from about 4th grade to 9th when I lost it.

 

I can see why people buy them on ebay, the $5 model today might not be as well made as the previous versions. (Brass threads vs plastic)

 

I also noticed that my local stationery stores only carry the pink models.. *blech!*

[jgoodwin1]

I confess I laughed when I saw the subject of this thread, but I stand chastised. After reading a few posts I am totally impressed by the detailed knowledge of Jotter construction and design over time and by the respect accorded to this humble but venerable pen. I am also a Jotter fan, having about twenty of them accumulated over the years, and while I like the Duofold b/p for its heft and looks, I lhold the Jotter just as dear and they both use the same excellent refill.

 

Joanne

 

Don't ask me how many Jotters I have! I have more than 20 including some from college in the early 70's. My collection expanded via Ebay a decade from 1999. I do have a few Duofold bp- both the early model and the current model. The Jotters are more a workman type of pen and to write with a good old Jotter from 1957 is a pleasure like sipping coffee in the morning. I like the refills compared to the Cross ballpoint refill! Jotter fits in my hand better than the Cross thin pen!

[79spitfire]

I use a jotter every day, it's my BP for writing on carbons. I have a Fisher refill in it right now, but I'm not sure I'm going to spring for one of those again, it tends to blob, I'll likely stick with the Parker refills. You can also get roller ball/gel type refills, which work great but don't last as long!

[ceejaybee]

The difference is in where the pen was made, UK ones have a rounded button with a P type emblem, USA made have a flat button with a recess and the arrow emblem.

 

Ok, thank you

 

Plus, USA Jotters had rounded clicker from 1954 to 1980 when it became stamped clicker until production shifted over to the UK in 1999. In 2006, the clicker became a rounded clicker with the stamped "p" on it. It is a genuine article you have.

 

For more information, you may be interested in the clips of various Jotters. 1954 Jotters had trough clip with rubberized body. 1956-57 Jotters had ballclip with flat clip. Thereafter 1958 to present Jotters had arrow clips like the one you have.

 

Main issue with Jotter clips is the tightness of the clip. If you have a thick shirt pocket, your clip will lose some of its tightness and eventually become loose when clipped to a thin shirt pocket. People have been known to clip Jotters to t hick notebooks, binders, thick coat pockets all help make the Jotter clip looser. Collectors prize tight Jotter clips as they search Ebay. Most preferred way of buying a collectible Jotter is at a Pen show when you can affix the Jotter to your thin shirt pocket to see how tight the clip is. Ebay pictures do not show the entire story as far as the tighness of the clip.

 

Finally, you will want to look at the bushing inside the clicker. Jotters from 1954 to 1980 had brass bushings which are yellow. Jotters made thereafter, including the 2010 Jotter have plastic bushings. Collectors like brass bushings.

 

Good luck on your Jotter!

 

James

 

Are you guys quite sure about the above info?

 

I'm no Jotter collector and definately no expert but I'm confident some of this is incorrect, maybe Mike, Graham or Francis will chip in and set the record straight?

 

The recessed buttons with the arrow/halo logo WERE simultaneously produced in the UK and USA (and maybe other countries?), I think the dome 'P' button is simply a design change that came after production in the USA had ceased?

 

I agree that the earlier 'original' plain dome buttons were probably only produced in the USA before UK production started, but these were phased out BEFORE 1980, in the early 1970s I think.

 

UK production started way BEFORE 1999, I have a jotter here marked as 'MADE IN ENGLAND' with the finer, brass cap threads (recessed button!) which puts it pre 1980 if that's when the plastic threads started.

 

The 1954 (aka First Year) jotters had barrels made of NYLON, with a trough clip. The clip used between 1956 and 1957 was a RIDGED ballclip.

 

Here's hoping I haven't rained on anyones parade

Edited October 27, 2010 by ceejaybee

[MLKirk]

The difference is in where the pen was made, UK ones have a rounded button with a P type emblem, USA made have a flat button with a recess and the arrow emblem.

 

Ok, thank you

 

Plus, USA Jotters had rounded clicker from 1954 to 1980 when it became stamped clicker until production shifted over to the UK in 1999. In 2006, the clicker became a rounded clicker with the stamped "p" on it. It is a genuine article you have.

(snip)

James

 

Minor corrections based on my observation & readings:

Convex (rounded) button actuator: 1954 to 1973

Concave button actuator with halo logo stamped: 1973-2003

Convex button actuator with "50" stamped for Jotter Anniversary: 2004

Convex button actuator with "P" script logo stamped: 2005-current

 

For more information, you may be interested in the clips of various Jotters. 1954 Jotters had trough clip with rubberized body. 1956-57 Jotters had ballclip with flat clip. Thereafter 1958 to present Jotters had arrow clips like the one you have.

(snip)

James

The 1954-56 barrels (bodies) were nylon, eliminating the ribbed barrel and switching to Polypropylene in about 1956-57 and adding the metal reinforcement ring at the end of the barrel.

 

Trough Clip: 1954 through about 1957 (advertised it but may not have produced it through '57)

Ball Clip: 1956 though about 1960 (same as above)

Arrow Clip: 1960-current

 

(snip)

Finally, you will want to look at the bushing inside the clicker. Jotters from 1954 to 1980 had brass bushings which are yellow. Jotters made thereafter, including the 2010 Jotter have plastic bushings. Collectors like brass bushings.

 

James

Brass cap threads: 1954-1982

Plastic cap threads: 1982-current

 

Jotter documentation is not easily available over the years. The best documentation available can be found in Dr. Graham Hogg's "55 Years... Jotter" book recently updated. There is currently another book in the works on Jotters, authored by well-known Parker authors, but I understand it is on hold for various reasons, likely financial. If anyone can dispute the above dates and present evidence supporting, I encourage you to post corrections. Much of this is from memory as I'm on the road right now but I'm pretty sure it's accurate.

 

Oh, and I think CeeJayBee is correct by stating the domed button with the script P was produced both in the USA and UK simultaneously but I cannot confirm for sure.

Edited October 27, 2010 by MLKirk