Parker 75-review

July 5, 2008

Parker 75.

This pen is very elegant, its not a pen to show off but it oozes style with its classic design.

This model has lots of good things going for it.

It’s a great pen to collect with its many different models that were produced over the 30 years of its productions.

The pen came with 2 different tassies and I must admit all these little differences confuse me a bit.

There were flighter models, many GF models with different patterns, Lacquered models, few with mate colours, a silver sterling model, vermeil, silver plated and even few really interesting LE models.

It is also simply an excellent writer with its wonderful writing characteristics.

Two pens come to my mind when I think of a modern classic pen-Parker 75 and Sheaffer Targa. For me these 2 pens represent the last 2 real pens produced by 2 of my most favorite pen makers.

Well let’s start with the design, this is not a big pen with about 5” long.

It has a very clean slender design without trying to be overly modern or yappy.

All these pens are very light and fall very comfortably to the hand.

These pens came with two different section design, one with the swivel nib and the other with a regular fused nib.

I believe all the pens with the swivel nibs were made in the USA and the other in France and England.

In any case for those who don’t know Parker made the swivel nib so you can turn it to fit for your writing style. The section itself isn’t fully rounded and is rather designed so your fingers will make a triangle.

The European Parker 75 is more conventional with a regular rounded section.

Which is more comfortable ? well to me both are equally comfortable and I wonder how much of this technology is a gimmick and how much was real science.

The prototype pen that used this swivel nib technology was the not so famous Parker VP a great pen that due to a smart but fragile filler never caught on.

These pens are all C/C fillers so nothing exciting is happening on this end, as I always say simple and reliable.

These pens use the press bar converter that works well even though I like Parker piston filler better.

The nib on this pen is in my eyes one of Parkers best nibs. It was made in many different varieties and they are all very smooth, responsive and reliable.

Parker used this nib in few more models it produces like the Premier and Parker 85.

I always enjoy these nibs as some were produced with some flex and some stiff but all very enjoyable.

Out of my collection I took 4 pens with different nibs and used them.

I used 2 regular nib with F and M points and 2 other No.67 and No.34

The F and M nibs are not surprisingly great nibs that as with many pens I found a tad on the dry side (I like very wet nibs) but I believe most people would be very pleased with it the way it is.

I am not sure what nib No.67 is but it looks either a M or a B and is equality smooth and responsive.

The nib that really surprised me and made me smile was nib No.34

I believe it’s either an Oblique or a stub in any case this nib is very wet (just the way I like it) very very smooth and responsive. Without a doubt better then most pens I own and if it was more flexible it might have even rivaled my Paragon’s nib. It really is a true joy and gave me great satisfaction to use it.

I don’t feel I need to recommend this pen to anyone as this pen is already popular but if you didn’t try one run and try it I promised you will not be disappointed.

July 5, 2008

Excellent review!. I'm biased to the 75 since it's the pen my dad used the most despite having others (51, 45s, a waterman, a pelikan...)

Just one point: not all European 75s have round sections.

Juan in Andalucía

July 7, 2008

Nice review Amir and I like the 75 collection. I think you are preaching pretty much to the converted here. I have four split evenly between the American and French production.

October 8, 2009

Lovely collection of 75's, goodguy!

I just found the brown laque model (at the right of your first tray) in my local stationers - he thought it had been there for a few years and was pleased to finally find someone who appreciated it.

The fine nib is taking a little while for me to get used to (I've very little experience with fine nibs) but the pen is a little beauty to behold. At first I wasn't sure it was a 75 until I learned that the French models did not have the swivel feature.

While the 75 has not dethroned my Sonnet Cisele in terms of daily use, it is a nice addition to my own small collection. The laque finish is especially pleasing to the eye and to the hand.

Edit\ Is this brown laque finish a 'Thuya'? I'm not sure if that term refers to pattern-type, say, or a specific laquer.

Double Edit\ My mistake. The nib has an M imprint, not as I had assumed an F. Certainly writes finer than I had expected from a medium nib.

Edited October 8, 2009 by steviebee

October 8, 2009

Good review, goodguy! You captured the essence of the 75 that attracted me to them. The nibs in the French pens (round sections) actually can be rotated in the section as with the triangular sections. One other minor point: There were three tassie types: flat, dished and dimpled.

Edited October 8, 2009 by flodoc

October 8, 2009

Lovely collection of 75's, goodguy!
I just found the brown laque model (at the right of your first tray) in my local stationers - he thought it had been there for a few years and was pleased to finally find someone who appreciated it.

Edit\ Is this brown laque finish a 'Thuya'? I'm not sure if that term refers to pattern-type, say, or a specific laquer.

It it my understanding that there were three brown lacque bodies--the Thuya, the Woodgrain, and the Tortoise and they are quite similar. Somewhere deep in the archives here, somebody posted the three with their identifications but I don't know if we'll be able to search it out.

Aha! I think I found the picture of the three models together. It's the second post in the thread.

Edited October 8, 2009 by WendyNC

October 8, 2009

It it my understanding that there were three brown lacque bodies--the Thuya, the Woodgrain, and the Tortoise and they are quite similar. Somewhere deep in the archives here, somebody posted the three with their identifications but I don't know if we'll be able to search it out.

Aha! I think I found the picture of the three models together. It's the second post in the thread.

Many thanks Wendy

The picture in your link of the three together confirms my 75 as having the Thuya laquer.

Nice to know, cheers!

Edit\ And thanks too, flodoc for the info about French 75's - I'll try rotating my nib. Just for curiousity's sake as I'm uncertain how useful this feature will be (I'm a bit of a FP newbie, I confess!)

Edited October 8, 2009 by steviebee

October 11, 2009

Nice review Amir but this pen is not for me. It is a too thin pen and the nib is too rigid for me.

October 15, 2009

Oh goodguy!

The 75 is one my favorite pen. If I had the money and could decided if I wanted NOS mint just to look at or every day user grade pen, I would get all the silver ones, including the centennial pen.

Thanks for the really beautiful pictures, quite an interesting collection.

Edited October 15, 2009 by Anne-Sophie

October 20, 2009

This is a great pen. I've always been intrigued with its very "minimal" design.

October 21, 2009

The 75 is one of the all time great Parkers. Absolutely.

The first great pen I ever owned was a 75 flighter with a medium nib. In fact I recently jumped at the opportunity to get a NOS one. Another flighter, another medium nib. Monotonous, but it shows how fond I still am of the first one.

I just stumbled on this thread. Apparently it's been here for a while, but Thanks Goodguy for showing your collection and reminding us of this wonderful little (but only in size) pen.

November 3, 2009

+1 for all the comments! This is truly a great pen, currently I have two FPs (One Broad and one medium) and another ball pen.

November 5, 2009

this is a great pen. a grad student friend of mine lost the 75 his grandfather gave him, so i bought him a p51, and he loves it, but there's just something about the 75!