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Parker Duofold Prestige Centennial - Ruthenium plated Medium nib, C/C Recently, I hope to get a decent flagship pen and I keep choosing from a few big-name models. Definitely a hard fight, and tie-break all the time. M1000/5, 149, big red, Urushi, GvFB, Aurora, Homo S, sterling stuff, etc. Few months passed and I can’t make up my mind. I treat heavy pens to be more serious, so I decided to give the resin stuff on the next try, and I finally choose the Prestige Duofold. Well, the last battle falls on the black chevron and the ruthenium... Until I read from the web that ruthenium is a very hard and rare metal from the platinum group and it does not tarnish over time, (it will only be oxidized in the air at the temperature of 800c…) even does not attack by many acids, OMG wowwowow… a pen won't tarnish..., obviously it knocks out the chevron then. Packaging: I'm not a fancy packaging guy, so I won't be moved by luxury packaging. Anyway, the fabric wrapped cardboard box is good looking, rigid, protective, and the pen comes with 2 cartridges, a converter, and a handbook. Weight: I assume the pen is real heavy that could not be an EDC. "Nope, I’m wrong." The first second on hand is not heavy but really comfortable. I can't tell exactly by words, maybe it's just personal, I love the weight and feels that writing with. Compare to the Lamy 2000 stainless steel, it won by a landslide (although both uncapped weights are 35g). I don’t have many heavy pens, here are some figures: (surely this pen cannot be capped on writing, it would be too long and the center of weight goes up significantly...) Capless Kasuri (carbonesque): 33g Kaweco Brass Sports: 44g Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel: 55g (uncapped 35g) Ruthenium Duofold: 51g (uncapped 35g) Finishing: Breathtakingly well made, sturdy, reliable feeling, low profile. For the name “Duofold Prestige”, I treat it as "just normal", so not a surprise. Barrel: ruthenium plated; trim: palladium (not chrome). Nib design: I love it. I searched for some previous duofold nibs, and I like the latest one, you know, something made with a heart can't go wrong! (I like 3776 also, same reason) Dual tone - 18k - Ruthenium finish. Overall size: I thought the Prestige Centennial would be huge (imagining the size of M1000 or 149), I’m wrong again. Check the comparison below. with Lamy 2K ss / Lamy AL / Capless / Duofold Centennial Nib feeling: I’m glad that Parker tested the pen before putting it into the sales counter. When I washed the pen before inking, there is some blue ink residue being flushed in the water jar. I appreciate it, truly. A decent nib may not come from a decent pen, so I am very very worried. Firstly I put too hard for the nib, and it writes with too much feedback. And I start to write with no pressure, oh then it writes with pleasure. The more I write, the more I like. Comfortable, effortless, no hard start, and no skipping. This medium nib is not a hard nib, quite smooth when not pushing hard, but a bit on the fine side I may say, (glad I didn't take the fine nib) and you could get some line variation when pushing a little. The ink is my favorite blue-black, Pilot iroshizuku's Shin-Kai. ( Ummm, the best nib I owned before this duofold is the Sailor's 21k M from a Pro Gear. And still, it is. This duofold nib is good, effortless, but I still love the Sailor's. ) Something I'm expecting, but nope: [1] The nib size, as the flagship model, I thought the nib should be very big, I imagine the 149, M1000…etc. But nope, the nib is NOT that huge. with 3776 & ECO [2] The barrel and cap surface I search from the web I quite sure the pen is in matt or brush surface. Yet turn up it is shiny, I accept that the shiny surface is also cool, but if it is in matt, I surely like it more. I go check the Parker shop nearby, and it’s the same. Only the section is brushed. But it is strange that the shiny surface doesn’t magnet fingerprints, another characteristic of ruthenium maybe? [3] Nib option If I could choose an Italic or a stub nib, that’d be a perfect score. I love this pen, like a paladin's sword. I can’t find a review on this ruthenium duofold, that’s really strange, or, is it a model that no one wants to own? LOL. No matter what, France made, running duofold’s blood, top of the line, ruthenium plated, 18k duo-toned nib… to me, all these are exciting and appealing. Thanks for watching... (sorry for the big photos...)