Parker Jotter Fountain Pen. Worth It?

[eharriett]

Was at my local Staples today and was surprised .... quite surprised, actually, to see they had a Parker Jotter Fountain pen selling for $16.99 (not even on their website). I did a search on the forums and saw there was a review of one from 2008, but nothing newer. I actually need to get another Pilot Metropolitan and this is about the same price (about $1 more but with a better finish). Can anyone tell me if it has the same writing experience as a Metropolitan? Or for a $17 pen am I getting an unworthwhile experience. Also, can I use a standard international converter for it?

 

Keep in mind, I've got plenty of other pens, including some high value ones, both new and old. But there are times and situations where I need a nice looking pen that really costs a lot less and this may fit the bill.

 

Thanks

[mitto]

If you mean by Parker Jotter the Parker Jotter/Parker 15 fountan pen, I would advise buying it only if it has metal body. And no Parker would accept international size cart/converter.

 

Personally, I would preffer the Pilot Metro over the Jotter.

[eharriett]

I'd not heard of the 15 until you mentioned it. The one at the store looked like the Flighter model. Although it was packaged as a Jotter. It is that all stainless steel/DeLorean look that the Jotter ballpoints have and has the same clip as is on the ballpoint. Can't see the nib from the box, unfortunately.

 

Was wondering about how well it wrote, really. Again, keeping my standards fairly low anyway. But I've always thought a Metro wrote like a $40 pen rather than the $15 they charged. Was wondering if this budget Parker would be the same as it has a much more professional look I'd be more comfortable to take into potentially pen-damaging situations than my other nicer-looking pens.

[Jerome Tarshis]

The few Pilot nibs I've written with, in relatively cheap pens (though not as cheap as $16.99), could be described as punching above their weight. As being worthy of a more expensive pen.

 

The only Parker Jotter fountain pen I've written with was not worthy of a higher price. It was barely worth what I paid for it, and satisfactory at that level. I bought it after losing a Parker 51, to tide me over with a streamlined-looking Parker until I got myself another 51. It filled the bill.

 

My idea of myself is that I write with a pen a lot better than that one. If I thought of myself as someone who might lose a pen with any frequency, I'd have had a different history and perhaps a different idea of what kind of pen I should buy. But I can't endorse the Jotter FP for having an impressive nib.

[mitto]

+1 for the nib on the Parker Jotter/Parker 15.

 

@ OP,

You may have seen the nib on the Parker Vector. On the Jotter/15 it is the same.

[parkergeo]

The P15/Jotters that I've used over the years with medium nibs start reliably and write well (as do Vectors) using Parker cartridges or converters. However, the annoying design problem that bothers me with the 15 is that the combination of a thick inner cap ledge and the blunt front edge of the section leads to the pen hanging up very often while recapping. If you can't quickly "holster" a pen without paying much attention, it's not a very convenient writing instrument.

 

It's also a pen that has been manufactured for a long stretch, so, just as the case with current Vectors, I can't vouch for the quality of the most recently made pens you might find hanging in a retail store.

[Olya]

I have two of these Parker Jotter fountain pens and they are very good pens, especially compared to the old and the new IM and also some Sonnets. I also have a Sonnet and it's a good writer and I don't have the drying out issue often reported here, but the old Parker IM would spontaneously unscrew even whilst writing, which was annoying; and the new iteration of the IM dries out over night! and a whole cartridge is empty within a week by simply evaporating.

 

The Jotter can remain inked for a couple of weeks and will start immediately up, no issues whatsoever (in spite of a little hole at the end of the clip - the lower moveable part). It also writes a fat-ish medium line (i.e. a fatter line than the Pilot M, not a freaky fat one like Pelikan for example).

It is also a very smooth writer.

 

The only downside is as mentioned above the capping which you have to do a bit carefully (but even when I wasn't careful nothing happened, it's just unpleasant) because of the inner cap, and it's very slim. If it were a touch fatter in the grip section it would be nice, on the other hand its slimness makes it perfect for pockets, planners etc etc, so literally a good "jotter"!

 

All Parker pens ever made take only their proprietary cart, no exceptions. Their carts work well though and so does their (piston) converter, and both worked always well in my Jotter (incl. refilled carts via syringe).

 

The pen should look like this

http://www.parkerpens.net/bilder_pennor/15/parker15.jpg

(pic from http://www.parkerpens.net/parker15.html )

 

The good news is that I think the Jotter is still produced by Parker in France, whereas the new IM for instance is made in Asia (China? India?). Place of manufacture shouldn't matter too much when it's a well designed quality product, which I cannot say for the modern IM (the IM was I think initially supposed to be an "oversized Jotter", which makes sense as they are -were- quite similar in design and the old IM and the Jotter use the same nib & feed).

 

As a whole, I do recommend their Jotter fountain pen.

 

PS Generally I find all Parker fountain pens to be good & smooth writers. Their main issue is that their pens tend to have insane evaporating issues and tend to be on the heavy side with a tonne of metal (e.g. the IM).

 

PPS With the mention of the Vector below, one last edit to add: I am mistaken, the mention of the Vector had me remember that the IM was the "big brother" of the Vector, not the Jotter!!! The three models used to have the same nib and feed though, just different housing. Nowadays with the new IM that's changed, as the new IM has now a different nib (& likely a different feed).

Edited February 16, 2018 by Olya

[sciumbasci]

Well, if the nib is the same as the Vector You might want to look up a few reviews of it. People complain it is a very, very wide nib.

[eharriett]

Thanks guys. I think I'll try one. Although I'm definitely gonna have to get a converter for it. I will pay attention to what I'm doing when capping. I've got a Bexley that does the same thing, so I'm accustomed to being careful when capping.

[eharriett]

Got pen. I went all through High School with a Jotter Ballpoint and this brings back so many fond memories. When I saw the included cartridges, I thought you guys were pulling my leg on the proprietary stuff, since it looked like a standard international. Then I went to get a converter and I saw: same length, same capacity, but a much wider lip at the bottom (that's kind of dumb, isn't it?). Doesn't come with a converter. Looks like I will need to see where I can find an inexpensive one. Anyway, here's a couple pics. The box says this is made in France, so not Chinese. That's good, I suppose. Staples is also selling their French made Quink ink still. Not sure I want a bottle of Quink minus Solv-X, but I guess it is nice to have the option.

 

[cherylmarie]

I have the same pen, but with a 1983 date code. I've had it in my purse for a year, don't pull it out more than once per week, but it's always perfect. Starts right up and writes like a dream!

[GeneralSynopsis]

I'd not heard of the 15 until you mentioned it. The one at the store looked like the Flighter model. Although it was packaged as a Jotter. It is that all stainless steel/DeLorean look that the Jotter ballpoints have and has the same clip as is on the ballpoint. Can't see the nib from the box, unfortunately.

 

Was wondering about how well it wrote, really. Again, keeping my standards fairly low anyway. But I've always thought a Metro wrote like a $40 pen rather than the $15 they charged. Was wondering if this budget Parker would be the same as it has a much more professional look I'd be more comfortable to take into potentially pen-damaging situations than my other nicer-looking pens.

It has the same nib/feed as a Vector, So out of the packaging it will write like a Vector. All of my Jotter/Parker 15s are reground to edged nibs and write reliably starting first time and are acceptably wet.

[Mike 59]

Hi, As others have said, it's the same nib and feed as in many other Parker models, I only ever see it in our shops in the UK with a medium nib. It's a sleek looking pen, the main advantage to me over the Vector, being the black plastic section, which gives a better grip than metal does.

The downsides, the cap catches on the section edge almost every time, not a real problem once you know to cap the pen carefully.

The pen is extremely plain, black & aluminium, that's it.

It takes only Parker Quink cartridges and converters. Keep in mind that it's a simple matter to refill cartridges with a syringe, with any ink you like.

[Olya]

The Parker cart is also tapered compared to the standard ones, and has a "reservoir", which makes cleaning it a bit of a hassle..

What is also nice about these Jotters, is that it's easy to get a matching ballpoint & mechanical pencil and have a whole set for little money.

 

Hope you're happy about its smoothness/ nib!

[eharriett]

Thanks. I noticed the cap catch immediately. Looking forward to trying it once I get a converter.

[pajaro]

A nice looking pen. Why spend a lot of money? I like to have the matching ballpoint too. Reasonable and good writers.

[inotrym]

If the capping mechanism is like the one on the Vector, expect it to fail after extended use.

Vectors (and probably Jotters) are not bad pens, but they are definitely not BIFL.

Edited February 17, 2018 by inotrym

[Eduardo]

My Jotter lasts 25 years os daily use. Smooth like silk and sturdy like a John Deere... Another pen that uses the same nib os Parker IM

[Corona688]

Very nice looking. Makes me wish it had a screw cap.

[Arstook]

It's a nice looking pen! What year did Parker start making jotter fountain pens?